| 9/2/99 | Pack-man and I left the Blackburn Center and made our way into the "Roller coaster". 4x4 hadn't made up his mind how far he was going today. The Roller coaster is a stretch of trail that runs along a hill and drops into a number of ravines or hollows. The trail wasn't that bad. My legs were tired at the end, but it was enjoyable to get some views again. Today's Trail Mileage 17.8 Total Trail Mileage 1,190.4 Mileage left 967.8 |
| 9/3/99 | We left Rod Hallow shelter with the thought of hitting a small general store for a snack. When we got to the road, it was closed. I don't know who let out a bigger groan of disappointment, me or my stomach. Pack-man and I had to get a little creative on our blue-blaze today. We walked a gravel road on top of a ridge to avoid the dips and rocks the trail makes. We talked and laughed about different subjects as we walked down the road. With our carefree demeanor it felt like we were young again with only the responsibility of being home before dinner. We met 4x4 again at the Manassass Gap Shelter. We were just taking a water break and he was stopping for the night. We moved on to the Jim & Molly Denton Shelter. It was a very nice shelter with a deck built on to it. It had a solar shower, but the spring was too low to fill it. We met a section hiker there, he was going to do the Shenandoah's. Today's Trail Mileage 18.9 |
| 9/4/99 | We were heading into Front Royal,VA, for a re-supply. It started to mist before we got to the road for Front Royal. We got to the road and it took us awhile to get a hitch into town. Finally, a small pick-up stopped and a home repair contractor took us in. We hit the Kentucky Fried Chicken for a filling lunch and to establish a strategy to get us through the Shenandoah's. We then hit the grocery store to re-supply. We didn't get out of town 'til 2:00. We started walking back to the trail when another small truck stopped to take us back. The rain was sporadic and light. When we got to the first shelter before the park, it wasn't so bad and we had only gone 8.1 miles for the day. We pushed on to the next shelter. It dumped rain on us the whole way. The wind gusted 20-30mph. We decided to blue-blaze it to the shelter along Skyline Dr. We were soaking wet by the time we got to the shelter. 4x4 was there and had told the other section hikers that we were coming. They had made room for us already. I owe 4x4 a favor for that. Today's Trail Mileage 18.5 |
| 9/5/99 | There were 6 of us planning to hit the next shelter, only 13 miles away. 3 of us thru-hikers and 3 section hikers. We had planned to go farther, but it rained all night. Pack-man and I blue-blazed on and off to the Elkwallow roadside store. We met the other 4 hikers there. Pack-man and I grabbed some hot food and sat down under some cover outside to eat, when a woman came by and asked us if we needed a ride somewhere. I said no, that we were hiking. She was persistent. Pack-man and I looked at each other and said sure. So we yellow-blazed again. They drove us 5.5 miles to the trail turn off to the shelter. We hiked the 1.5 into the shelter. We got there by 2:00 and enjoyed being in camp early. We both spent the remainder of the day drying and catching up our journals. The other 4 straggled in and the rain has stopped for now. We will have to see how the weather is tomorrow. Today's trail mileage 13.1 |
| 9/6/99 | We left late again. It's hard to get the motivation to get up and out early when it's raining. Yes, it rained all day today as well. Hurricane Dennis is curing the drought and dry spring problem. We took it easy today as well. The wind was picking up around lunch time and we were able to duck into a restaurant at one of the lodges. For desert I had a great blackberry cobbler. With the added calories and a little extra time lounging around in the dry lounge we hit the trail again. We covered 15.1 miles today. The shelters are awkwardly spaced. On these rainy days we are either going short or we would take a really long day. Needless to say we are cutting it short. I hope the rains end soon. We are walking by all these places with views and the only view is of the inside of a cloud. Pack-man is regretting not having a stove. He mailed it ahead and is eating cold foods. He has been using my alcohol stove to heat Kool-Aid. Staying warm and dry are the key things on this leg. |
| 9/7/99 | We finally had a good day to hike. We walked to a Laundromat for one of the campgrounds and washed and dried our clothes. It's the first time in 3 days that I have hiked in dry socks. We had a big lunch again at the wayside for Big Meadows. We hit the trail again with blue skies. We met up with 2 section hikers that we had met before, Bob and Wayne. Very friendly guys that I wish we could have spent more time talking with, but our trails parted ways. We did a little over 14.2 to a locked cabin. We cooked diner and filled up with water. We camped a little further past it. Through out the night we could see flashes of lightning from a distant thunder-head. Fortunately it didn't hit us. Today's Trail Mileage 14.2 |
| 9/8/99 | Pack-man and I camped out last night to do a little extra miles and to avoid a 20 mile day today. Instead we should have had an 18 mile day. However, you take one day at a time, each mile as it comes and each step towards your goal. When trail magic works, it changes everything. We had met Bob and Wayne early in the day. They had left early from camp and caught up to us during an early break. Wayne had dubbed himself the trail name Katz2, off of the Katz character in "A Walk in the Woods". They were just going to the next shelter and we were planning on the one past that. We made some small talk and moved on. It was a beautiful hiking day and we got some good views today. We dropped down to Hightop shelter for lunch. A 67 year old woman was there packing her stuff into a large internal frame pack. It looked so stuffed it intimidated me to carry it. She was very chipper and we talked to her for awhile. Her name was Elderberry and she left Springer, GA April 9. She was thru-hiking the AT at a slow pace, "her pace". In my opinion the best pace. She knew she wouldn't finish this year, but she would go as far as she could and finish it next year. After she left, pack-man sat around soaking in the sun and tried not to think too much about our next 8 miles. We stayed a very long time and were about to get ready to leave when Bob and Katz2 showed up. We, of course, sat and talked with them for awhile. They told us that they were getting off the trail tomorrow from a campground 12 miles from the shelter. Bob's friend was going to pick them up and take them back to Front Royal. Pack-man and I left, and I thought to myself it would be nice to catch a ride over that forest fire burn area tomorrow. Pack-man then prodded me to ask if we could catch a ride. So I turned back around and walked up to the shelter and asked if they, or his friend, would mind giving us a ride tomorrow over the burn area. With an enthusiastic no that they didn't mind, we dropped our packs and stayed the night in the shelter with them. They had a number of MRE's which they hadn't eaten and provided us with some. With our belly's full and good conversation over a broad spectrum of topics we lit a fire that burned into the twilight. Due to the fire bans, I hadn't had a fire since Vermont. Then 4x4 and Doc Alley rolled in and we had a good time. Today's mileage 9.7 |
| 9/9/99 | Bob and Katz2 left at 7:00 in the morning. We left about 8:30. Doc Alley was going to pull a 20 today and left about 30 minutes before us. 4x4's knee was bothering him again and he said he might do the 8 to the next shelter. We left and made some good time across the trails. It was warming up and it was going to be a hot day. We finally caught up to Bob and Katz2 about 2.5 miles from the campground where we were going to be picked up. We sat and admired the view with them from the overlook. I brought up that we would like to return their hospitality by buying them lunch. They said absolutely not. Later, when we got close to the campground, Katz2 said not only are you not buying us lunch, but we are buying you lunch. He was very adamant about this. I know felt guilty for him buying lunch on top of everything else. We got to the wayside and had a good dose of vitamin g (grease). Bob paged his friend to let him know that they were ready to be picked up. We were getting ready for a long wait, it was only 3:30 and we weren't expecting him 'til 6ish. He ended up showing up around 4ish and with brief introductions we were off. Bob's friend Robin drove us 17 miles down the road and dropped us off at the trail head. We said our good-byes and they offered to take us further. We said no and thanked them profusely. These trail angels had done a great deal for us and we appreciated every bit of it. Pack-man and I headed into the woods again, towards the shelter, when a few stray rain drops started falling. We kept our pace brisk for we didn't feel like getting soaked again, even if we were going to town tomorrow. Lightning started flashing across the sky. We made it into the shelter with only a few minutes to spare. The rain poured with a heavy down pour. Cavalier Bob, a section hiker we had met and stayed with before, came in soaking wet. We talked awhile. Pack-man and I talked over our game plan for the next 75 miles. I am leaving the Shenandoah's tomorrow. Like every stretch of trail I am sad to see it go, but happy at the progress. This trip has been and is such an adventure you never know what's going to happen next. Kind of like life, hmmm. |
| 9/10/99 | We left Calf Mt shelter in the morning fog. It was a beautiful day once the fog burned off. We hitched into Waynesboro's outfitters. I finally bought new boots and picked up a light weight tarp. I dropped a lot of money in that store. We then hitched a 2nd ride to the post office. We picked up our packages. 4x4 showed up. His knee was bothering him so much that he hitched into town and was planning a 0-day there and then he was going to go back to hike the trail he missed. That's pretty hard core. Anyway, Pack-man and I got lunch at a chinese buffet and then we went to a Kroger grocery store for a resupply. It was comforting to walk into a store and have things look some-what familiar from home. While Pack-man sat in the Laundromat doing our laundry I went to the YMCA where 4x4 was staying in their field. I dropped off some ibuprofen I picked up in the store for him. I then dropped into the library next door to check out the Internet. I jumped on for about 10 minutes just to see if Pack-man's journal was updated, which it wasn't. He is having some problems with the people who are transcribing his journal. I briefly looked at mine and left. I made it back to the Laundromat just in time for the clothes to be pulled out of the dryer. We packed up and called a trail angel who we met at the post office. He said he would take us back to the trail. He was quick to respond and we were back on the trail 30 minutes later. We quickly covered the 5 miles to the next shelter, but we didn't beat nightfall. It was dark by the time we arrived. It was a good town stop. We got a lot accomplished and made it back on the trail. I wish I'd had a little more time to make phone calls, but they will have to wait I guess. Today's Mileage 11.9 Total Trail Mileage 1,326.3 Miles Left 833.9 |
| 9/11/99 | It was supposed to be a simple 11.5 mile day to a 3.2 mile road walk to Rusty's. For starters Pack-man wasn't ready to leave until 10:00. Then we hit a relocation stretch of trail, which was longer than the old stretch. We did get some great views of the Shenandoah valley though. We even had some trail magic left on the trail. A thru-hiker by the name of Fanny Pack left 2 coolers filled with refreshments and snacks. We finally got to the road crossing to go to Rusty's. Pack-man bitched almost the entire day about his blisters or something else beyond my control. I finally calmly said to him "Deal with it, your hiking the AT." I told him he had 3 miles to Rusty's to get his attitude changed. He solemnly walked behind me on the road to Rusty's. I started feeling sorry for him and picked up a hitch for us the last 2 miles. Rusty's is actually called Hard Time Hallow. And it's not actually a hostel, it's his home that he has completely and utterly geared for hikers. Rusty enjoys a primitive lifestyle and requests that pictures of him and even information not be distributed over the Internet. So, I will be glad to share stories of Rusty when I get home, but I will respect his wishes here. I just have one thing to say, awesome place and person. Official Trail Mileage Today 11.5 |
| 9/12/99 | I slept extremely well at the Hard Time Hallow and Rusty dropped us off at the trail. We had another fantastic day for hiking. The high was in the upper 70's and there was a clear blue sky. We stopped and went swimming in the Tye River. We received some food from some locals by the river. Our packs were still full from the resupply, but we took the food anyway. It was more to make them happy about helping a thru-hiker than the fact that we needed food. We then started the climb up The Priest. It's a mountain with a steady 3,000' climb. Nothing we haven't done before, but also nothing we have done in a long while. It was worth the climb though. The view on top was awe inspiring. God what a beautiful place we live in and thank you for giving me the chance to see it. Today's Trail Mileage 15.3 |
| 9/13/99 | Today was a remarkable day. Once again the highs were in the mid 70's and clear skies. We got an early start out of The Priest shelter and had a 360* view from Spy Rocks. It was absolutely breathtaking. When we passed through an old apple orchard I sat there and waited for Pack-man to catch up. I picked a few apples and ate them while I waited. Pack-man came and sat down beside me and asked about the apples. There were a few trees in the area and we were 5 miles from camp. I told him if he could find some good apples, I would carry them to camp. That's all he needed to hear. He scrambled up a tree and took great care in picking 8-9 good apples. I kept my promise and carried them to camp, where Pack-man cooked them in water with cinnamon and raisins. What a good, hot treat on a quickly cooling night. On the way to camp, we passed over a couple of balds with phenomenal views. On one of them, we were looking down into the valley when an F-15 did an "S"-turn through it. It was so awesome. I heard the fighter approach and saw the white water vapor coming off its wing tips like smoke streams. It then went through the valley below us rolling from side to side to control the g-forces in the turns. It didn't ascend above the peaks until it was out of the valley. It was the "cherry" on the top of the "sundae" for a great day. Total Trail mileage Today 17.1 Total Trail mileage Left 790.0 |
| 9/14/99 | We had another cool morning. It was in the mid 40's at night. Today we hiked through some gorgeous woods along a creek. We stopped at Punch bowl shelter for the night. The shelter has a small pond next to it. Unfortunately, not too suitable for swimming like I hoped. Tomorrow will be a resupply day in Big Island, VA. Pack-man and I talked over his view and my view of plans for the next stretch to Catawba. We will be splitting up after town tomorrow. He wants to slow down and I want to keep my pace. The woes of the trail. There are some other people ahead I might catch-up with. Today's Trail Mileage 14.4 |
| 9/15/99 | We left Punchbowl Shelter in a hurry. We had 11 miles to cover before the rains hit. Hurricane Floyd was doing battle with a cold front that was passing through and one thing was certain, we were going to get rain. We had just completed the 11 miles and were ready to step out into the road to hitch into town when it started raining. It was the cold steady rain. The kind that soaks everything and chills you to the bone. It wouldn't have been so bad if we were hiking, but we were sitting on the side of the road trying to hitch into town. After 2 1/2 hours our patience was fading with every chatter of our teeth. We decided if we had to walk anywhere, we were going to walk to the closest place. It was a campground with a small camp store and had special thru-hiker accommodations. We started walking the 4 miles to the campground when we got picked-up. A young women drove us to the campground, where we decided to stay the night and wait out the storm. Pack-man and I split the bill on renting a small camper. It was warm and dry. The park had shower and laundry facilities. We were settling into the trailer when a local trail angel stopped in. He drove us into town to get a meal and hit a real grocery store. I talked to him about slack-packing us tomorrow and he agreed. The Lord works in mysterious ways. |
| 9/16/99 | Ken, the trail angel, tried to talk us out of hiking today. The morning was looking nasty and unpredictable. I told him since we were slack-packing (only carrying a day pack, you or your pack are shuttled) and coming back to the campground we would be alright. Even if it did rain, we would be back at the camp ground for another shower and a warm place to sleep. As it turned out, the cold front won the battle with Floyd and we had clear skies by the end of the day. We hit a restaurant again for dinner and Ken stopped by our trailer with some beer. We drank and solved the worlds problems. It was a good day. Today's Trail Mileage 17.6 |
| 9/17/99 | Well the inevitable has happened. Pack-man wants to slow down and I want to keep my mileage up, so we are parting company today. I am not sure how much he is planning to do today, but I did 20.5 miles. It was a great day. There was a clear blue sky and not a cloud in sight. I had some fantastic views and the terrain wasn't too tough. I rolled into a shelter and no one was there. It's all mine tonight. I started a fire in the pit and enjoyed the silent crackling and hypnotic trance of the fire. What are the odds that this weather will hold out till I finish? |
| 9/18/99 | Fall is definitely coming. The mornings are getting cool. The overnight low was in the low 50's. The high gets into the high 70's. I passed some bird watchers today on the Blue Ridge Parkway. They said they were part of an official effort to count the migrating hawks. They talked fondly of a park out of Corpus Christi. They said they get some 500,000 birds going through there. It clouded up a little today. Some day hikers told me that another cold front was due sometime Wednesday. I just want to get through the Smokies before an early freeze. If winter comes early, this trip will be a lot more expensive with the additional gear I'll have to buy. I am stealth camping outside of Touteville tonight. I am going to hit the Western Sizzlin for the AYCE breakfast buffet. Oh man, biscuits and gravy here I come. Today's Trail Mileage 18.5 |
| 9/19/99 | I awoke and had one thing on my mind, the breakfast buffet. I got in to eat at 8ish and was not disappointed by their buffet. I finally got back on the trail at 9ish. I had let the food digest for a little while, but I was still feeling sluggish from all of that heavy food sitting in my stomach. I had covered 8.5 miles that felt like an eternity. I was questioning my health. I still didn't feel hungry, but I got out my gorp and snacked on it while I looked over the maps on what I had planned for today. By the time I had finished looking over my maps I realized I had finished my small bag of gorp. So much for not being hungry. I left and found some new energy. I climbed McAfee Knob and had a great view. It wasn't as good of a view as Spy Rocks, but it was good. The view made my whole day. I enjoyed the last 1.5 miles into the shelter. I am only 2.8 miles out of Catawba, where I have my mail drops. If everything goes right I will hit the PO early and then tackle the infamous Dragon's Tooth. Today's Trail Mileage 17.6 Trial Mileage Left 690.5 |
| 9/20/99 | I laid in bed for awhile and enjoyed the late start. I knew the post office wouldn't open for awhile and they needed some time to go through today's mail. I was expecting a late package. I walked the 2 miles to the road and went ahead and walked the .8 miles to town. It was all down hill and a pleasant walk. I made it to the post office about at 9:30 and the 2 women running were very friendly and helpful. They were saying that my late package hadn't shown up yet. Which I knew it wasn't true. Instead of making a scene I just said I would go through the stuff I got and fill out a forwarding address card. Reality, I would check in later. I knew it was there and it should of arrived last night for today. I went outside and started going through my stuff contemplating what I was going to send home and what I was going to bounce forward. I went into the P.O. and could hear them talking that they had found my package that I was expecting. I politely jokingly went up to the counter and got it. Score!, Mom sent brownies again. This time there weren't any other hikers to share with. So I ate half of them and stored the rest in ziplocs for later. After sending emails I hit the road to get back on the trail. The first truck that past stopped to pick me up. I climbed Dragon's Tooth today. The climb reminded me of Maine a little bit. At the end of the day it sprinkled on me. It looks like I will be dealing with scattered showers for the next day or two. I set up camp by a creak in my tarp shelter when a light shower come by. Overall a very good day. Today Trail Mileage 14.9 |
| 9/2199 | It rained pretty hard last night. My new silicon impregnated tarp did ok, but my cheap plastic one would of been better. The silicon one is lighter and compacts much smaller though. So I started today with everything a little damp. I was hoping for the sun to come out so I could dry out some stuff. The sun peaked a few times, but it was a no show. The day stayed cool and the wind picked up as the day went on. The cold front was arriving. Fall is in the air and I got my stocking cap and Gore-Tex jacket back just in time. The jacket was at my father's insistence. I originally told them to send it to a town 200 miles away. The stocking cap was from my mother's perception, if he needs his jacket he'll need his hat. So now I sit here at the end of dreary weather day toasty warm. Parents, you got to love them. They don't always understand my point, but some times their interpretation is more prudent than my point. So I will finish my hot cocoa and read a book. Today's trail Mileage 21.2 |
| 9/22/99 | Today I had clear skies and the little breeze made things chilly, even in the mid-afternoon. The high was in the upper 60's and the lows are probably in the low 40's. It made for great hiking though. It kept me cool on the climbs and I didn't want to stop too long on my breaks. I passed a couple of section hikers today and they had told me that Steve Prescot was going to stay at a shelter that I had planed to stop at for the night. The last time I saw Steve was in Caratunk, ME. I had finally caught up to him again. He was hiking with one of his brothers and was taking it easy. Freebird was tagging along with them. The shelter had a stone fireplace in it and Freebird did a pretty good job of keeping it going. It was a good night of sitting around the fireplace smoking Steve's cigars. Today's trail mileage 20.7 |
| 9/23/99 | It was another awesome hiking day and the trail was flat and well graded. I literally felt like I was walking in a park, except every once in awhile they would run the trail to the hill top to get some spectacular views. Just north of Pearisburg, VA is a field called Rice Field. I almost stopped my hike there for the day, it overlooked the valleys on either side of the ridge. I went ahead and went into Pearisburg to get resupplied. I stayed at a church hostel. They had converted an old barn into the hostel. I did the usual town things. Shower, wash clothes, and get a real meal. I will be back out tomorrow. Today's Trail Mileage 17.1 |
| 9/24/99 | Pearisburg Bill, the man who runs the church hostel, drove me to the trail head. Right at the trail head there is a small grocery store with a bakery. I stopped in and grabbed a doughnut and a cup of coffee. I ate my breakfast outside the store. I tried to read the news headlines on the newspaper through the dispensers. It looks like nothing major is going on. The weather was great again today. The nights get a bit chilly, but nothing bad. I caught a weather forecast on the radio last night that said more of the same til Monday. So I will do my best to make good use of this weather. I did 16.2 miles to the Wapiti shelter where I have gathered enough fire wood to last a long while. It's a Friday night and my excitement is watching the sparks fly up into the night sky and mix with the stars above. I can handle this. Today's Trail Mileage 16.2 |
| 9/25/99 | I slept in this morning. I was planning a short day today to give myself a break. The 2 northbound section hikers left before me. I got out and hit the trail on another gorgeous day. I am getting spoiled. I went 7 miles to a road and went to a store .5 miles down. I ate lunch and enjoyed the Saturday traffic through this backwoods store that literally had a little of everything. It was a convience store with nails, hunting equipment (including reload equipment), and a deli. I also had to pick up a spoon. Somehow, I had lost mine and it made eating dinner yesterday very entertaining. I finished up there and went on to the shelter. A mere 13.6 today. I met a northbounder thru-hiker, Sly Fox. I had met him in Mass. and he had finished up the trail and now was back on the trail section hiking. He is retired and got bored at home so came back out to the trail. |
| 9/26/99 | I had talked with Sly Fox pretty late last night. He pulled out his notes and went over which shelters he remembered as being good or bad. I hadn't pumped a northbounder for info in a long time, but the skill of asking the right questions about each town came back pretty quick. It was another gorgeous day. Some small, puffy white clouds started rolling in. I will need to listen to the weather tonight. Another cold front should be due soon, which is almost just as well as I am hitting some dry sections again from the summer's drought. I passed a couple of women section hiking north. We exchanged water information. You can also tell a lot about a stretch of trail ahead of you when you listen to the questions the people going the other way ask. Anyway today was another good day. Saw tons of deer, squirrels and grouse. The leaves are starting to turn already. It's pretty to start to see the different colors of autumn. Today's Trail Mileage 24.1 |
| 9/27/99 | I awoke to a completely cloudy sky. It drizzled off and on all day. Fortunately it was a warm rain. I am hoping that it dumps rain tonight and gets it out of it's system. I was disappointed that I didn't get a view of Burke's Garden. The entire Chestnut Ridge was socked in with clouds. Oh well, a reason to come back. I will hit Atkins, VA tomorrow. I am still trying to decide if I am going to get a motel room or not. I haven't stayed in a motel this entire trip. To soak in a hot bath with a cold beer would be a good way to celebrate the 75% mark. I will leave it to the rain to decide for me. Today's Trail Mileage 18.8 Trail Mileage left 543.9 75% DONE! |
| 9/28/99 | Throughout the night there were scattered showers. It might have dropped down to 50*. I was going to leave where I stopped for the day up to the weather. I got sprinkled on during the early part of my hike. I reached the shelter before town and read in the register that there wasn't any water. So I decided to push on into town. Since I still hadn't seen any heavy rain like was predicted, I thought I had it beat to town. By the time I rolled into town the sky was partly cloudy. It was a sea of blue sky with stray strips of gray clouds. I made my way to the Dairy Queen, which was right on the trail. I had a double patty cheese burger with bacon on it as well as a side of fries and a large drink. Oh yea, that tasted good. Then I whipped out a coupon that my mother had sent me earlier on the trail, a buy 1 get 1 free banana split Sunday. I went up to the counter and ordered them. When the girl gave them to me she just looked at me kind of funny. It was a look like "are you really going to eat both of those after that meal" and my smirkish smile said "you'd better believe it!" So after dessert was done and my stomach was satisfied for now, I went to the convience store to resupply. After resupplying and checking in with the family, it was still kind of early. It was only 4.5 miles to the next shelter. I stood there staring at the motel sign 100 yards away and contemplated the stay. I then looked back up at the mostly blue sky and decided to celebrate being 75% done with the trail, like I should, by going after the other 25%. I made it to the next shelter with about an hour of daylight to spare. I've decided I need to increase my protein intake. I do so much better after those big meal stops. Today's Trail Mileage 18.8 |
| 9/29/99 | The local weather forecast is calling for an 80% chance of rain for today. I left camp under mostly clear skies. I didn't see any rain last night like they forecasted either . I made it to the Partnership Shelter, by Mt Roger visitor center by noon. I used the visitors center's payphone to order a pizza for lunch. While I waited I cleaned up and took care of some logistical business. I got a little upset because the pizza took well over an hour to get delivered. I ordered a 16" pizza and ate what I could and put the rest in zip-locks. I then contemplated the next stretch of trail. It was an easy 10.5 miles, but would end my day around 6'ish. The skies had clouded up and I knew it would cool down well before 6:00, which usually means rain in the mountains. Since I am in the Lords chapel every day I have taken on praying on regular basis. I looked at my pack ready to go. I looked at the solid sheet of gray cloud over head and I asked the Lord for a little guidance on what I should do. Should I call it a short day and stop here hoping that the rain finally comes or should I disbelieve the weather forecast that hasn't been right in a couple of days and push on for a normal mileage day. There aren't many instances where I can say the Lord has answered my prayers promptly and resoundingly, but he did this time with a clap of thunder and the start of a good drenching rain. That's all I needed to confirm that 7 miles was good enough for today. For the rest of the day I hung out at the brand new shelter, ate pizza and read a book all day. What a relaxing day. The shelter even has a hot water shower, which I took full advantage of. Tomorrow the weather should clear. Today's Trail Mileage 7.0 |
| 9/30/99 | The winds were still pretty high today. The sun was out and the sky was clear, but the wind would strip you of your heat in no time flat. I stopped at an older shelter where the holes in the boards were patched with all kinds of things. Later 5 north-bounders came in. These were actual north-bounders that left Springer, Ga. They knew they weren't going to make it the entire way so they had planned to finish out the month of October and see how the weather treated them. Today's trail mileage 13.1 |
| 10/1/99 | It was a cold night last night. It easily got in the 30's. I used a disposable pocket warmer at the foot of my sleeping bag, which worked real well. I then headed off to go through the Grayson Highlands. I had been looking forward to this stretch since Maine and it didn't disappoint me. I felt like I was in that show where they staged the world around Jim Carrey and he didn't know it. I would be walking down the trail and it would be "queue the deer" or "ok, queue the wild ponies." The views were awesome. I pushed on to a shelter that was highly recommended. It was on top of a mountain. I had a spectacular view of the mountains in the distance as the setting sun shed its final rays on them. The mountains had a purple hue. That night the moon didn't rise till later. It was the best unobstructed view of the stars that I had seen since Canada. The air and light pollution was minimal. I could see the Milky way. I sat there for awhile and forgot that it was getting cold. I finally went to bed to end the ideal hiking day. Today's Trail milage 22.7 |
| 10/2/99 | It was another great day. The weather was ideal and I started it off on top of Mt Rogers. So, most of the day was down hill. I then hit the Virginia Creeper trail. It was an old rail road bed that has been turned into a horse, bike and hiking trail. The AT only follows the Creeper for couple of miles, but it was scenic and extremely well graded. They both come together again and go into Damascus, VA together. I decided to follow the Creeper for the next 15 miles to Damascus. It was extremely enjoyable and I went into a hiking enjoyment zone. I hit Damascus on a Saturday night after the P.O. was closed. I will take a 0-day tomorrow, Sunday, and hit the P.O. Monday before leaving town. Today's Trail Mileage 28.0 and the state of Virginia down. |
| 10/3/99 | Today was Sunday and I took a 0-day in Damascus waiting for the post office to open tomorrow. I did laundry and hung out with a past thru-hiker who now lives in town. I tried to help him with his laptop, but the stubborn thing wouldn't recognize the CD-ROM. It was a relaxing day over all. |
| 10/4/99 | It took me longer than I liked at the post office. I scored some goodies from my parents and my brother and sister-in-law. I finally made it out of town a little past 11:00. Fortunately the trail was quite easy and I still was able to go 18.3 miles today. I have officially left VA and I am now in Tenn. The trail runs the boarder of Tenn. and NC. The end is actually in sight and I am starting to make arrangements for it. I am still far enough away that the ending date is hard to tell but I should finish early Nov. Today's Trail Mileage 18.3 Total mileage left 436.0 |