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Southwestern & Central Virginia 1997-1998
Tuesday, October 21, 1997—Lost
Mountain Shelter.
Where our story stopped is back in CT at Mt.
Algo Lean-to on 10/5. It was a rainy morning, and I had the sneaky
suspicion that I should have just gone back to Kent. I should have
listened to that little voice in my head, but that's probably what the "Son of
Sam" would do, follow what all the voices in his head said, so when the sun came
out at 10:30 am, I said to myself, "I guess I'm gonna hike." It was a hazy
humid day, but I was hiking easy, in no rush, but then just before trail trail
topped off on Shagicoke [sic] Mountain (The Indian One), my good leg slid out
from under me and to the left while just starting to go downhill on a portion
trail that was just one big chunk of rock. With my right leg trailing
behind me, as I fell forward, my right foot got caught on a crack in the rock
face, and jerked my lower leg to the right and backward, while the rest of me
was falling forward and to the left. The was noise my knee made was like
the sound of wood cracking in a fire. The pain was sharp and my mouth was
cursing. I got up off the ground while stripping off my pack, and started
hobbling around at bit to test out my knee. It could handle the weight,
though painfully, and when I mustered up the courage to look down at my knee, it
was already starting to swell badly. And I start to shake, I had a
bit of a panic attack there on the side of the trail. Thoughts of doom and
gloom filed me, and I was very frightened. The extent of my first-aid
consisted of Vitamin I, a couple of Benadryl pills, Bandana's, moleskin, and
some buds. So I sat down and toked. Once I was calm, I took four
I-Be-Groovin's for the swelling and pain, then checked out on the map what was
the shortest route off the trail. Bull's Bridge 4 miles away. Since
this wasn't my first experience with hiking on a torn up knee, while painful, I
got down to Bull's Bridge without much incident, expect I did pass some day
hikers on my way down. Once I made it to the Bull's Bridge area, I found a
gas station and asked inside if there were any cabs I could call to drive my to
Wingdale and the Harlem Valley train station, which I had been to before on a
weekend hike earlier in February, but there weren't any, so I got directions on
how to get to Wingdale, and got a hotdog and Pepsi. After I was done with
lunch, I crossed the road, stuck out my thumb and the second car pulled over for
me. Myra (I think) asked where I was going, and I told her that I was try
to Rt. 55 which was only a few miles away, so that I could hitch the rest of the
way to the Harlem Valley train station. She then asked where I was going
after that, and I said New Jersey by way of NYC, and she offered to drive my to
take me all the way to Penn Station. I readily agreed. It was a
long, but pleasant ride with Myra and her sheep-herding show dog. Thanks!
Just when I was feeling pretty down on my luck, she showed up and turned it
around. I had been planning to go home for a week in a couple of days
anyway for my cousin Stephan's 30th Birthday surprise party, and to
spend a little time with my sister and niece who were coming up from Florida for
the party too, so I went and stayed with my friend Bill to rest up the knee for
a couple of days, before the party. Then I stayed with my mom and for the
party and while my sister was up from FL, and then back to Bill's to finish up
my convalescence, to have a little fun, and to figure out my next move.
After much wrangling with myself, I came to the decision that my thru-hike was
over, but that I still wanted and could complete hiking the trail as a
long-distance section hiker, ass all I had left to do was Virginia thru
Pennsylvania, and about 45 miles of NY/NJ. Now I had to figure where I was
gonna restart my hike, in southwest Virginia, or where I left off.
Starting back up in CT would have been the safe decision, with more road
crossings and close enough to home, but I had been planning on jumping down to
South after my cousin's party anyway, and experience fall down south, so I mad
my plans to take a bus to Abingdon, VA. I had come to really dislike bus
travel, but this was the reverse trip of my coming-home bus ride in 1996, so I
kinda felt I was undoing that long sad bus ride. And I had a really cool
traveling companion for most of the ride, Trip GA->ME '97, just heading home
after finishing his thru-hike! After getting to Abingdon, I took a cab to
Damascus, and to got dropped off at The Place. As I was heading for my
bunk Sunday night, this guy stops me, and says he knows me, and that we stayed
at the same shelter in the White's one night. Once he told me his
trail-name, To Winds, I remembered him. He told me he was staying with a
woman in town named Kay, and offered me a bed for the night there, and to help
me to get some supplies in the morning. I declined the offer, and then we talked
for a while, and then said our Good-byes. Yesterday I called him up, and
took him up on his offer to help me get some supplies for the trail and drove to
Bristol, TN, to hit an ATM and the Wal-Mart. Then we headed back to Kay's
and had a kick-ass barbeque steak dinner, and I was the Chef. The next
morning, Two Winds shuttled to about five miles out of town on RT. 58, so that I
could skip the relative road walk on AT/Creeper Trail, which I had already hiked
after Trail Days this year. After saying Good-bye to Two Winds at the
Creeper Trail parking lot, and a .1 mile road, I was back on the AT again!
It was mostly cloudy and cool but I still sweated a lot, after spending over two
weeks fattening up. Leaves already covered the trail, but the footing
wasn't bad, yet I still stumbled a bit from my extended rest. The AT met
up with the Creeper Trail for about a mile, and it hurt. My feet ached,
and my knee groaned, and I took a break right where the AT leaves the Creeper
Trail. The hike up Lost Mountain was easier than I remembered from when I
hiked up it after Trail Days, and I ended up at the shelter around 2:15 pm, and
called it a day's hike. I explored the area around the shelter for a
while, celebrated 420, cooked and ate dinner, all before the rain hit. I'm
so happy! I back on the trail!
Wednesday, October 22—Thomas
Knob Shelter.
Good day of hiking. Just one problem. My right achilles tendon
is sore from my boot, I hope. Doing a short day tomorrow, may even hike in
my Tevas. I love this place. The climb up Whitetop was much easier than I
remember. I feel so alive. Sunset was cool, and the temp is
plummeting. It's already below freezing! Words can't describe my
feelings, so I won't try. Good Night.
Monday, October 27—Wise
Shelter.
Last Thursday (10/23), I hiked back south to VA 600 in my Tevas, cuz my
achilles was much worse when I woke up. Turtle & Oz, southbounders, were
at Toms Knob Shelter with me, and they hitched to Damascus too. Also met
up with T-Bone, and Flo & Lambchop at VA 600. This weekend in Damascus was
a southbounder Trail Days. Much Fun! Heard that Xu & Biscuitman got
off the trail in Troutville. Seagull & Xena ended their AT trek in
Damascus. Also heard that Snafu is seeing a lot of the trail at 55mph.
Frodo & Boy Wonder, northbounders, I thought, that I met in Hanover, NH, are
actually flipfloppers. Also saw Sharpsin, Superfly, Turbo, and more!
Hope to meet up with more trail buddies soon, cuz I had a blast in Damascus.
Two Winds helped me out again to try to search out a new pair of boots, cuz my
boots had changed their shape while I was recuperating with my knee, and that
was the cause of my achilles problems, but no men's size 8 boots could be found,
and I ended up getting some Wal-Mart specials that were more sneakers than
boots. Today, Two Winds drove me up to the Massie Gap parking lot which
was socked in with a fog, and I had a little trouble finding where the trail
that connected with the AT started, but I finally found it, and headed off to
Wise Shelter. The fog broke intermittently cuz of high winds, and I saw my
first flurries of this trip.
Tuesday, October 28—Thomas
Knob Shelter.
Back Again! Wow! Last night was cold! Packed a lifetime into
today . . . . Enough disjointed thoughts. It was in the upper teens when I
woke up at Wise Shelter this morning. Didn't want to get out of my
sleeping bag, so I listened to Howard Stern for a while, and didn't get start
hiking till 10 am. What spectacular views from Stoned Mountain of the
Wilburn Ridge. Ice on trees. Oh, I forgot to say that I woke up with
a light powdering of snow on the ground. Anyway, when I got to the Scales,
I thought about taking a trail that loops back, but it was a real horse trail,
so I kept going on the AT, but when I reached the junction of the Pine Mountain
Trail, and the sign said 2 miles to Rhododendron Gap, I paused a second to
think, and then headed down the Pine Mountain Trail. Everything along the
way looked like it was covered with that fake Christmas Tree snow, but it was
real! When the trail met up with the AT, I headed south to Toms Knob
Shelter, unpacked, pumped water, and then headed off north on the at to within a
half mile of Massie Gap, then turned around and blue-blazed on the Wilburn Ridge
Trail. Hung out on the highest rocks along the way till near sunset, then
hurried back to Tosms Knobe before I needed to use my headlamp. Definitely
a great day on and off the AT!
Wednesday, October 29—Trimpi
Shelter.
Long Day! Set out from Toms Knob Shelter around 8 am, and took the
Pine Mountain Trail at Rhodo Gap, and then stopped at Old Orchard Shelter for
Brunch. No water there, so 1 liter of water did me for the rest of the
day. I did pass water, but I suffered anyway. The climb up Iron
Mountain way easy once I stripped some clothes off. From there to the
junction with the trail to Hurricane Campground was cake. I died once I
reached the ridge before High Point. Feet and my knee didn't want to keep
going, but I'd already passed Raccoon Branch Shelter, after taking a smoke
break, so I took a pass on the side trail to High Point. Hate to miss
anything with a "high" in it, but Trimpi Shelter was calling. Saw Raven
and bullshitted and exchanged info. Then I crossed paths with either Paul
or Henry (Bubba), the guys I met in Maine that were trying to fish every day on
the trail, but since he didn't recognize me, and I wasn't a fan of him and his
buddy, I just said hi, and have a nice hike before he could recognize me.
Hardly any water here, and the acorn of my filter wouldn't totally submerge, so
it took forever to pump water. Took Vitamin I for aches, pains, and
something to do. Missed celebrating 420 bullshitting with Raven, so it's
time for a quick toke before getting some sleep.
Tuesday, November
4—Knot
Maul Shelter.
Been awhile since I wrote last. Thursday 10/30, I was in a bit of a
funk, Post Grayson Highlands Depression. I snapped at another hiker for
asking me, "where did you start," and "how long are you out for," at the Mount
Rogers Headquarters. I'm an asshole. So what's been new? At FS
86 I set up my tent among broken glass, beer cans, assorted litter, and a used
condom or two. Ain't camping outdoors great, or what? I was also
under a major airplane path. On Halloween, I stopped at the Village Motel in
Atkins, VA and stayed until yesterday morning, it rained all weekend. Was
a couch (bed) potato, watched the boob tube, and stuffed my face.
Yesterday I left in the rain and gave up at Davis Path Shelter. Didn't
need any water, brought a turkey sandwich, a liter of water, and a liter of
Pepsi from Atkins with me. Read the Bible, Acts, I&II Timothy and
Revelations. Woke up this morning to snow, only 1/2 an inch, but it was
cool. No long breaks today, but stooped for the day at Knot Maul Shelter.
Saturday, November 8—Helvey's
Mill Shelter.
Wednesday 11/5 was a long day of hiking. Was planning on going to
Jenkins Shelter, but my boots were Frozen solid, and that slowed me down for
about 45 minutes, and my first uphill (Brushy Mountain) I didn't think I could
do it. I ended up a Chestnut Knob Shelter before noon, much sooner than I
had expected considering my pace, so I decided to move on. After I climbed
up and hiked on Garden Mountain for awhile, I wished I would have stayed put at
Chestnut Knob. It did have a great view! Garden Mountain really
kicked my ass, I was exhausted by it. When I finally got to Jenkins, I met
Maple Leaf, and he told me he expected 4 more hikers that night, Trailvis &
Sneaky, Lego, and Bat. I met Trailvis & Sneaky in Gorham, NH when they
were sick, so I was glad to see them healthy, happy, and still hiking. We
built a fire, and stayed up for a few hours after dark, bullshitting around the
fire. When I finally hit the shelter to go to sleep, I had to crawl into
it, cause my hips felt like they were arthritic. It was real cool to spend
some time with other long-distance hikers again. On Thursday, I was really
sore, but my plans were to hit Bland, VA. It seemed like it took me
forever to walk the 5 miles of slightly downhill trail along Little Wolf Creek,
so I blazed my own trail by walking the rest of the way on FS 282. It was
hard on my feet, but the rest of my body thanked me for it. It was a long
wait for a hitch on VA 52 to get to bland, but my ride took me right to the
motel. On Friday, I met up with Chef Scott, another hiker I met in Gorham
( I was there a long, long time), and he told me that Leprechaun had to get off
the trail cuz of an insect or spider bite. He told me he was waiting for
his girlfriend, so I asked if they could drive me back to the trail after
breakfast. I met them for breakfast this morning and was back on the trail
by 9 am. It was gray with occasional showers during my stay in Bland, but
we missed the worst of this first Nor'easter. Didn't ask to Yellow Blaze
the road walk as penance for hiking FS282 on Thursday. When I hit the
woods, it started to drizzle, and as it got heavier, it turned into freezing
rain, and then to snow. That's why I stopped here, and am staying here.
It's sleeting now!
Monday, November 17—Rice
Field Shelter.
Long time since last I wrote. Sunday 11/9 was cloudy with some
flurries. Got To Jenny Knob Shelter before football, so I stayed and
listened on the radio. I was cold during the day, but warm during the
night. Monday 11/10 was cloudy in the morning, but the sun made an appearance in
the afternoon. Hunters were everywhere. Took a long break at Trent's.
Stuffed my face. Saw Bambi, dead and gutted in the back of a pick-up.
Incomplete reroutes suck! I would rather have a temporary road walk, then
going down and then back up on a temporary trail. Enough bitchin'!
Stopped at Dismal Fall. It looks nothing like the drawing on the back on
my AT map of this section, But I liked it as it really was. I walked
across it, to take a picture from the other side. Really slippery!
With more water it could have been really dangerous. Got to Wapiti Shelter
before the the rain. Tuesday, Vet's day, was cold and cloudy. Snow &
ice greeted me on Sugar Run Ridge. My feet were soaked and cold. My
temporary boot/sneakers have seen their last day on the trail. Made
Pearisburg in time to hit the PA, but it was Vet's day. I forgot about
that! Talk to Sis to call Campmor to get me some REAL boots through
Next-Day Air. Stayed at the Plaza Motel on Tuesday and Wednesday, 11/11 &
11/12. Thursday 11/13 I moved to the Holy Family Hospice, where I got my
maildrop from Campmor. My Sister did real good, everything was just right.
Now I'm hiking in Merril M2's. Stayed 3 day's at the Hostel, weather suck,
but I kinda broke in the boots, read and was just plain lazy. On Sunday
11/16 I moved to the Motor Lodge to watch football. Finally left today.
Boots still need some more breaking in. Nice sunset from Rice Field.
Forecast calls for the mid-teens for tonight. Brrrr! I think I'm
finally de-magnetized.
Tuesday, November 18—Pine
Swamp Shelter.
I'm tired, but content. Two beautiful days in a row. Sun had
already risen by the time I woke up, but just. Clouds hung over the
lowlands, but up on Rice Field I had clear skies. Took my time today cuz
my boots still need breaking in. I haven't been listening to music while I
hike cuz of all the hunters, but today I said screw it, so I listened to music
all day. Passed two hunters before Symms Gap Meadow, where I saw a deer. I
tried to shoo it off the ridge. Hope it lived through the day.
Hunter trash everywhere! I guess if you kill God's creatures to get your
rocks off, you can leave your trash anywhere you feel like.
Wednesday, November 19—War
Spur Shelter.
What a beautiful day! Didn't get started hiking till 9 am. The
first 4 miles to Bailey Gap Shelter was harder than I thought it would be,
especially the first 3 miles. At Bailey Gap, I checked my map and saw that
the road paralleled the AT, with the AT following the side of the ridge, and the
road mostly following the top of the ridge. I followed a hunter's foot
steps off the AT right to the road. This is a brave thing for a person
that has lost the trail 2 days in a row. Yesterday, right after crossing
under power lines, I kept following an old road for about .2 past where the AT
turned off it. And today I did the same thing, but hit Stoney Brook after
about a tenth of a mile. But I went off-trail anyway. A good
decision. Snow, ice, mud, & puddles wer the main obstacles on this road.
Wind Rock did have wind and a cool view. Made it to War Spur Shelter right
around 4:20 pm, so I celebrated! This is the shelter that Trailvis &
Sneaky told me they saw a rat & a one-eyed mouse.
Friday, November 21—Pickle
Branch Shelter.
Yesterday 11/20, I had two long climbs, but I took my time. Met Trail
Boss again. First time was during my first AT hike on Labor Day weekend
1995. We talked a bit, he is finishing up VA with a 80 mile hike. I
actually sweated going up Sinking Creek Mountain, and going down to Sarver
Cabin. The blue-blaze was as steep as the Dilly Trail, but I really wasn't
looking forward to climbing back up it. Built a fire and set up camp.
Cloudy this morning, and father & son hunters came by just when I was nearly
packed. Told me that rain was expected by noon. Going back up the
blue-blazed trail sucked, but I was hoping for an easy ridge walk and an easy
downhill to Niday Shelter. So much for hope! Crossing slanted rock
face isn't easy, but at least it wasn't raining. It started to drizzle
just as I was getting off the ridge, so I kicked it into overdrive. I
moved well, but I was also tried to make sure of babying my right knee. I
averaged just under 3 mph from Carver to Niday. I also beat the heavier
rain. I took a long time getting into my rain gear cuz I thought it might
be my last break before here. The rest of the day hurt. I'd burned
myself out a bit racing the rain, and then I had a long uphill that did me in.
My whole hike from Niday was cloudy, both literally and figuratively. My
hands were wet and cold, my feet were wet but not quite cold. Clouds were
all around me. I was really confused when I got to the Audie Murphy blue-blase.
There were two signs pointing down two trails that said it was 50 yards that
way, so I took the no-blaze trail. It turned out to be they AT, when I
noticed that the rain was letting up. Time for a break & a smoke, then
back to hiking. Somewhere on my way down (actually up & down) to Trout
Creek, I saw some cool Mountain, Valley, and Clouds. Hope my pictures do
it justice! My rain jacket & pants were almost dry when it started raining
again. Then I climbed up a mile to get to the shelter trail that was a
half mile downhill. Too tired to cook, so Little Debbies & Tang will have
to do. Must make PO tomorrow. Am thinking of blue & yellow blazing
cuz there is no way I can make it in time by the AT.
Monday, December 8—Fullhardt
Knob Shelter.
On Saturday 11/22, woke up at 5 am & was hiking under the stars by 6.
By the time I made it to ridge, after Pickle Branch, I was in pre-dawn clouds.
The trail left the ridge for a while as the sun rose and broke through the
clouds. The climb up Cove Mountain was relentless. I called it the
Dragon's Molars, because it really chewed my up, then the downhill after
Dragon's Tooth is where I got spit out. I went halfway sown to Dragon's
Tooth got a picture, then split cuz it was 9 am, and the PO closed at 10:30 am.
Took a blue-blaze to 311, but walked the wrong way down the road as I tried to
hitch. Once I figured it out, I hitched to town and made it to the PO by
10:20 am! Got picked up by the mother of one of the owners of the Black
Acre Estates B & B. Her Daughter & Son-in-law were visiting his mom in the
hospital for the weekend. I was the only guest. The Homeplace
Restaurant is totally righteous! Yellow Blazed Sunday 11/23 morning to the
AT/311 crossing. Took it easy with long breaks at MacAfee Knob and Tinker
Cliffs. Stayed with an ex-marine & two Hispanics from Florida at Lamberts
Meadow Shelter. Monday 11/24, I stayed at Troutville at the ex-HoJo/new
Econo Lodge and made plans to go home to New Jersey for Thanksgiving.
Stayed at Bill's for a week, headed back to Troutville the following Tuesday,
and stayed there until today. A little birthday present for myself.
Was hard to hike after two weeks off. I'm fat, bloated, and winded.
Tuesday, December 9—Wilson
Creek Shelter.
Another short day today, There's a homeless woman staying at Fullhardt
Knob Shelter. Nice enough, but wouldn't share the fire wood she'd
collected, and she must have collected all the dry firewood within a mile radius
of the shelter. Last night, with all the city lights below . . . . This
morning it rained for 10 minutes, then stopped. Some occasional light
drizzle during my hike. Got here by noon, got water, built a fire, and
then got fried. Central VA privies really ned toilet seats!
Saturday, January 10, 1998—Bobblett's
Gap Shelter.
On Wednesday 12/10, it rained all dayand I didn't hike cuz I was blue &
hurting from my heal. Thursday 12/11, hiked to the BRP (Blue Ridge
Parkway) at Black Horse Gap, walked about 2 miles south, and then bushwacked to
the Wilson Creek Shelter. Friday 12/12, hiked back to Troutville, and made
plans to spend the holidays with my sister in Florida. I hate buses and
trains. Loved spending the holidays with Karen and Tiffy, my niece.
Hate Walgreens for destroying four of my photos around MacAfee Knob.
Picked up yet another pair of new boots. Took a cab from HoJos in Roanoke today,
$30. But just before turning on the BRP, the cunnis cabbie tells me that
cabs need permission from the Rangers to drive on the BRP, which really pissed
me off, since I had made arrangements the night before for the cab, and told
them my destination of Black Horse Gap on the BRP. It took about an hour
to track down the Ranger by telephone. Was planning on only hiking 5 miles
anyway. After finally getting to Black Horse Gap, hiking was hard, legs
were stiff, and painful, but what a gorgeous day! After getting to the shelter,
I slacked to Bear Wallow Gap, so I could hike the BRP there tomorrow.
Caught sunset, hope to catch sunrise from Peaks of the Otter Overlook tomorrow.
Monday, January 12—Bryant
Ridge Shelter.
Never caught sunrise on Sunday. I was beat! So I stayed another day
at Bobletts Gap Shelter. Listened to the NFC & AFC Championship games on
AM radio. This morning, no sunrise, cloudy. Walking the BRP was easy
to Bear Wallow Gap. It started freezing rain on my way up the AT from the
gap. Saw a fire ring & campsite to my right, so I changed into my raingear
there. Stopped at Cove Mountain Shelter for an hour during which the sleet
had stopped. A half hour after I left, it started to rain, and it rained
the rest of the way. What a great shelter this is!
Tuesday, January 13—Cornelius
Creek Shelter.
Rained all night and into the morning. Didn't leave Bryant Ridge
Shelter till 10:30 am, after the rain stopped. Almost all uphill today.
Hard! Especially cuz of my long Xmas/New Years break. The Ultimate
Joke - you die, you receive Judgment, God tells you to go to hell cuz you needed
some fairy tale to believe in his existence. Heaven's for those who
believe in God despite the fairy tales. If it is raining in the morning,
I'm taking the BRP to the next shelter.
Wednesday, January 14—Thunder
Ridge Shelter.
Great hiking day! It was cool, literally, but not at all
uncomfortable. Last night was insightful, got an idea for a book.
God's Memoir written on Judgment Day. First God tells history according to
him. Semites are the dumbest people on Earth, decides to give them a
little help. Jesus was his last try. All we had to do was love each
other and help each other out, but Nooooo! We didn't listen. God on
J-Day joins with those souls who believe in him despite the fairy tales.
Everyone else drifts through space as a disembodied sentient energy for all
eternity (including most Christians). Now back to hiking. Black
Rock- climbed on it, much harder coming down off it. Glad there is no
video! Hung out on Apple Orchard, medicated, and meditated. Scoped
out the BRP near the shelter, found a sunrise view south of the trail crossing
and a sunset view .2 north on the BRP. Clouds have rolled in, so I don't
think I'll get sunset. Expecting snow overnight and through the morning,
so no sunrise either. Great day though!
Friday, January 16—Matt's
Creek Shelter.
Glad I didn't hike yesterday. In the Gaps is where the worst icing
occurred and there some really rocky stretches today. At Petites Gap, it
was pouring ice and water off the trees on me. Then High Cock Knob.
Hard climb, windy, cloudy but somehow was very enjoyable. After coming
down High Cock, more Ice, but basically flat trail. Easy hiking in
an out of clouds all day long. Actually have a shelter mate tonight, and
he has some kind. On to Big Island tomorrow. Thinking of
yellow-blazing the Shenandoah's.
Saturday, January 17—Johns
Hollow Shelter.
Was on the trail by 7 am, and at Rt. 501 by 8. Fifteen minutes later,
I was picked up by Mary Ann Williams, trail angel, and she drove me to the H & H
and gave me her address & phone #, just in case. Cool Lady.
Breakfast, then called sis, and did my shopping. What next? Lunch,
of course! 2nd car picked me up and drove me to the trail head.
Yellow-blazed the road walk, Yeah! Big Island is a real friendly town.
It would be a great place for a hostel. Fat and bloated, I waddled down
the trail, and almost immediately I had to search for the trail. It went
up between two streams, running fast. Actually had to put my right boot in
the water. A ford! Run Away! Then the trail went straight up
and then steep down a bit. Then I crossed that stream again, a little
tricky. The whole way, it lightly drizzled, but not enough to stop and put
on rain gear. I'm really loving being back out on the trail. My Xmas
retreat at my sister's was just the right medicine for the VA Blues.
Waynesboro for the Super Bowl or bust!
Sunday, January 18—Punchbowl
Shelter.
Cold day, especially between Big Rocky Row and Salt Log Gap. The wind
was whipping in from the west 20-40mph with a few gusts in the 50s. The
sun disappeared during this walk, too. It was hard climbing Little Rocky
Row and Big Rocky Row, but Bluff was relatively easy. It's cold with a
stiff breeze right now. Got a lot of clothes on, but not all. Taking
a chance with water again.
Monday, January 19—Brown
Mountain Creek Shelter.
Snow! Woke up to find it was snowing. Visibility wasn't good.
Took a road around Rice Mountain. USFS 311 to 39, but took a little side
trip that had me doing fords, 3 times. Luckily no falls. Met a
southbounder, Gypsy Man, near Peddler Dam. Started at Katahdin Stream
Falls without climbing Katahdin. What a wimp! Have a big climb
tomorrow. Gonna try and get an early start, but it is supposed to get real
cold tonight.
Tuesday, January 20—Salt
Log Gap Campsite.
Snow! Beautiful views! Long Climbs! Snowy fast descents!
Cold! Windy!
Kurtis Kirsch.
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