Wed 4 May Day 55
A 'nero' day into town (Daleville) was a cruisy 9.6mi despite my feet being sore from yesterday. They seem to have dried up and really weren't blisters but rubbing from my socks! The hiking flew by in a few hours and we checked into the Howard Johnson Express Motel (all 6 of us plus Sierra) into a double room for $9.50 ea! :)
Laundry done then off to the outfitters. New Merrells (the others just smelled too bad, the inner heel cushioning had disappeared and they had started to give out in the foot support) plus new super feet and a platypus bladder for better drink access during the day.
I posted back my dodgy steripen and spent the afternoon grocery shopping (loads of fruit, yoghurt and juice) plus supplies for the next few days (skittles and peanutbutter m&ms as well of course)!
We ended up at the Mexican place for dinner and watched one of the ice-hockey games. We have managed to catch a few playoff games but it inevitably leads to late nights. 11.30pm lights out tonight.
Thur 5 May Day 56
Free breakfast included at the hotel! Yeeha. I had two bowls of cereal with milk (haven't had that for months), scrambled eggs, waffles and a donut. YUM.
A great start to the day - we left at 9 and headed through to Wilsons Creek shelter for lunch then onto Bobblet's Shelter (18.6mi). It was an easy 18 today. The weather was fab and the trail was well maintained. It's good to have a nice day as the last few have been quite hard. More challenging terrain ahead though.
I tried out the new Steripen today and guess what...it didn't work!! Once it got to the shelter I was lucky enough that Cascade had service and I could phone REI. They are going to replace it with a completely different model - but I have to pick it up in Waynesboro (which is a week away). So I am having to rely on others to treat my water :(
Three new thru-hikers at the shelter tonight (Loose Goose & Ducky and The Graduate).
Fri 6 May Day 57
A normal start to the day - it was expected to be a big one as we had a couple of big hills today. Before we hit the first one though we had had two trail magic opportunities (coffee and egg sandwich with one guy in a car park - I didn't have any here, then we found a couple of boxes with sodas and fruit and candy in).
We did 13mi before lunch (1.15pm) which included the first climb. It was a nice incline so not too strenuous but I must have stepped oddly as I strained my lower tibialis anterior (shin) muscle. It's like shin splints but hopefully it was just a twinge coz it really hurt going up the last three stages of the 3000' in 5miles hill before the shelter.
We arrived at Cornelius Shelter which was full - it is a really crappy feeling to arrive at a full shelter, especially if the people are only section hiking. It is trail etiquette for section hikers to tent as they have only a few days to deal with wet or dirty gear. However, it is was it is and luckily it is sunny and by the time I had set up my tent I felt in a much better mood.
Cascade and the Colonel carried onto the next shelter this arvo in order to get to Waynseboro on Tues so it was just Mammoth, Lego and Redwood for dinner.
We set up and ate the usual rice side meals and snacked on candy for dessert when out of the bushes arrived some people looking for the Colonel ... It was his aunty and uncle who had brought KFC as trail magic (we are currently only a couple of hundred meters from the road). So despite the Colonel not being here the four of us had 2 buckets of KFC to share between us ... Then a section hiker called Larry turned up and shouted us a beer and Dr Pepper each. He especially went back to his car to get them just for us thru-hikers.
That makes a "four leaf clover" of trail magic today. What a lovely way to end the day. I am really fortunate to be out here and am grateful for the wonderful people I have met during the time out here so far. It makes the AT experience. Thank you :)
Sat 7 May Day 58
Beautiful morning to pack up tent and eat bfast. Despite the many people around we had packed up and were out by 8am.
The morning was great - up and over Apple Orchard Mountain (1000' climb), through the Guillotine and to Thunder Hill Shelter. We had decided to add to the day by heading onto Glasgow, VA to resupply early so headed right through to the road US150. It was a great trail to get there but Redwood and I had hit the wall - we were walking zombies. By the time we reached the footbridge by the parking lot we really had no idea what we were doing. Hence we walked a little too far onward up the trail and had to back track to get a ride (it of course didn't help that Lego and Mammoth had already got a ride and were nowhere to be seen).
But all ended up well (we got a ride with a lovely couple who had been day hiking) and we eventually found the shelter in Glasgow, had chocolate milk, then pizza for dinner and slapped on insect repellant to ward off the mozzies during the night.
Sun 8 May Day 59
By the time we had risen the rain had stopped and we made it a mission to try and get a ride - nit much traffic in Glasgow on a Sunday morning at 9am. We stood around for an hour until a guy asked us if we would pay him $25 to take us the 5.9mi!! We politely refused and then of course another guy pulls up and offers to take us. Yay!
However we didn't get on trail until 10.30am and we had a 20.1mi day to do.
It was a long one - massive 2500' climb and lots if ups and downs. But the trail was nice and it was interesting. Loads if green today. But we all got tired as the day progressed and didn't get into the Brown Mountain Creek Shelter until 7.30pm! Good miles in the time we had but it isn't fun turning up so late. The good thing is we have a short day tomorrow!! :)
Mon 9 May Day 60
A good start to the day (again beautiful weather) and Lego, Redwood and I cruised up a just under 3000' climb (although Lego had to go back for his snack bag that had dropped off his pack).
We made really quick time (averaged 3m/hr for the day) and stopped in an amazing field (Hog Camp Gap) with trees, long grass and a spring nearby. A great spot for lunch. We sat around in the sun for over an hour.
It was then a cruisy hike into Seeley-Woodworth Shelter. 15.8mi in 5.5hrs.
Tue 10 MayDay 61
We crossed the 800 mile mark yesterday and have spent the last 500 with Lego, Redwood (& The Colonel, Cascade & Sierra). Its been a long time.
We had a big day planned for today. The elevation profile looks like a huge V with lots of other ups and downs across a while page (that means it's a 20miler at least).
I met a fellow kiwi today from Dunedin (heading southbound for a few days). Not doing the AT just over for a friends birthday.
Our first rest stop was The Priest Shelter after the first series of ups and downs. This is where the "going got tough" and was all downhill for 3000' in 4.2 miles. We stopped for lunch then - just on the side of the road in a car park. The next stage was a 3000' climb up over the next hill - man it was tough but good all the same. Lots if switchbacks thrown in up top to make it a bit easier but it was the end if the day and the legs had really had enough.
To top it all off the shelter was down, then up, then down again once we had reached the top. It was a slow approach to Maupin Field Shelter where we are spending tonight.
Only one more night after this 'til we reach Waynesboro and tomorrow will only be a 15.8mi day. Yay!
Wed 11 May Day 62
Spring has definitely sprung - there are flowers everywhere (lots of ground cover plus the renowned rhododendron bushes) but the worst bit is the flowering privet!! I have been walking through it for days - have started taking anti-histamines but we'll see if they work.
A nice short day today kicked off by trail magic (a repeat trail angel we have now seen three times) who gave us nuts, skittles and powerade. There are lots of road crossings now we are between the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Shenandoah National Park.
There was a 5mi section of rocks (which are uneven and wobbly and I got tired of) and then an uphill rock climb. It would be a great section to do without a pack!
We stopped for lunch at the top of Humpback Mountain and then had a quick trip down the other side to the Paul Wolfe Shelter, getting in early at 3.10pm.
This shelter is one of the best I have stayed in. It's double leveled, has a porch with a BBQ table and is situated on the banks of a stream. We all had a bit of a soak (although it is freezing) - Redwood and Lego actually dunked themselves. The sun was out. It's been a beautiful day. Looking forward to town, a shower and laundry tomorrow :)
Thu 12 May Day 63
What was supposed to be a 5.30am start ended up a 4.30am atrocity. Two other thru-hikers set their alarms and were faffing around with plastic bags SO EARLY! They weren't even ready to go when I left at 6.10am.
It was an early start due to Cascade's cousin generously providing a ride into Waynsboro at 8am. This meant a quick 5 mile journey to the pick up point. Cascade said that he had done it in 1hr 15min - given this, my inner competitive phys ed nature took hold and I managed to do it in 1hr 29min. Not bad with no food and crappy sleep!!
First stop in town was a shower at the YMCA. They offer free showers and camping to thru-hikers and hand out goodie bags of shampoo, toothpaste etc. It was AWESOME!
Next was AYCE pancake breakfast (of course) and laundry. The process of finding accommodation was not so good. Places turned us away with lame excuses even when we had rung and checked it out first! Frustrating!
So we ended up back at the YMCA camping. At least it was flat and close to town. Other odd jobs done (groceries, outfitter for socks and tshirt). Then AYCE Chinese - $8 for all the best food I have ever seen. Amazing. We then just hung out, lying on the grass by our tents before heading out to the local bar to watch another Stanley Cup hockey match. It was a really good match - Sharks vs Red Wings. Sharks won and are through to next round. Cascade was stoked.
Only problem with watching hockey on the east coast is that is finishes late - in bed at midnight. Made for a long day today.
- posted by enzed :)
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