Weekly Overview
Day 36
June 7, 2019
- Route: Zero Day (mile 637)
- Daily Mileage: 0.00 miles
It was really nice to see Gazelle again last night at the Mexican restaurant in Pearisburg, Virginia. She seemed really happy and I’m also glad she was able to get off the trail before the major storm rolled in. After dropping Luna off at the Angel’s Rest Hiker Haven (the same hostel Gazelle is staying at), Keith drove us to Claytor Lake State Park where the RV was parked this week.
It was a relief to spend the night in my own bed last night while the strong storms rolled over. When I got up this morning it was still raining hard, and it would continue all day long. If there was ever a time to take a zero for weather, this was it. It’s only been a little more than a week since my last zero with the family at Grayson Highlands, so I feel like it’s a bit soon to be taking another one. But the truth is, I had absolutely no desire to hike in this torrential rain.
The day was mostly filled with the typical town chores. I resupplied my food, went to the laundromat to try to get the stench out of my hiking clothes, and I even took Finn to get a haircut like the good mom that I am.
I kept peeking out the window all day and checking the forecast. Unfortunately, this rain doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon. Moreover, it looks like it supposed to rain all the rest of the week. I don’t mind a little rain or even getting wet, but downpours like this one are just a recipe for misery.
Day 37
June 8, 2019
- Route: Another Zero Day (mile 637)
- Daily Mileage: 0.00 miles
I got up this morning with the intention of having Keith drive me back up to Pearisburg so I could get back on trail again, but the weather was still completely miserable. The RV is parked at a campground with the New River flowing behind. Each time I looked out the window, I was shocked at how fast the river was moving. It swelled almost completely up the banks just from the heavy rain.
Luna texted this morning around 9 am to tell me Gear Boy and TM made it to town yesterday afternoon, and the crew was mostly back together. They’d all returned to the same Mexican restaurant in town along with Gazelle and a guy named Sorte (which is pronounced sore-chee, and means ‘luck’ in Portugeuse). Apparently, Gazelle and Sorte have a little trail romance going on between them. Perhaps that explains why she was so happy when I saw her! Well, good for her. She deserves it.
Luna was hoping to get a break in the storms sometime after 10 am, and they planned to shoot for the Pine Swamp Branch shelter 19.8 miles up trail by the end of today. I debated about trying to meet them back on trail this afternoon, but the vortex seems to have sucked me in. I didn’t want to leave the comfort of the RV. More than anything, I just wanted to take a double zero and stay here all day.
While debating what to do, I decided to head out to the store and get myself a new pair of hiking shorts. I switched out my original hiking shorts for a pair of Patagonia baggies back at the NOC. I’ve come to love hiking in them, but I’ve lost enough weight over the past 600 miles that I need to buy myself a smaller size. So, I was off to a local outdoor hiking store in Christiansburg to find a new pair.
With new shorts in hand and a big lunch in my belly, it was truth time. Was I going to get back on the trail this afternoon or not? I kept waffling on my decision. It wasn’t likely that I was going to hike as far as my crew today, and I needed to get off trail in a few days for a pre-existing medical appointment at the VA. So there seemed to be little reason to go. I was going to fall way behind everyone one way or the other this week. I might at well enjoy a double zero, right?
Besides, how often am I going to have my family close by? They were fishing down in Florida for my first month on trail, and Finn will be heading off to summer camp soon. After this week, I don’t anticipate seeing them again until I got up to New England. The rest of their summer plans include camping out on the coast, far, far away from the AT. So, why not make the most of the time that they are in southern Virginia and try to balance my hiking with some family time?
Day 38
June 9, 2019
- Route: Pearisburg, VA (mile 637) to Bailey Gap Shelter (mile 660.2)
- Daily Mileage: 23.2 miles
After my double zero it was really time to get back to business. I can’t stay in the RV forever. By this morning, the worst of the rain seemed to have passed. The weather forecast is only predicting moderate rain for the next few days, and I can deal with that!
Keith drove me back up to Pearisburg around 8 am, and it felt really good to get back to the trail with rested legs. Of course, everything – from the ground to the foliage – was super saturated from the last few days of heavy rain. The first five miles of the trail climbed 2,000 feet in elevation above town and I was huffing and puffing from the effort. Once back up on to a mountain ridgeline though, I found myself walking right on the Virginia-West Virginia border!
About 7 miles into the morning, I made it to a big open field and saw the Rice Field Shelter off to my right. There were two hikers already there, but between the morning fog and the tall grass, I couldn’t see that it was Trashcan and Midnight until I was right up on them. Wow! I’d caught up with them again!
Midnight told me they were still on trail when I took my first zero, and all their gear was soaked in the heavy rain. Consequently, they spent most of yesterday in Pearisburg trying to dry everything out. They were hoping to push to the next shelter to get a 19.8 mile day so maybe I’d see them again tonight.
SHELTER ANTICS
I enjoyed my second breakfast after Midnight & Trashcan departed the shelter, and decided to entertain myself by scanning the shelter log to see who else had come through here. As it turns out, Luna, Gear Boy, and TM got a later start that expected yesterday and only made it to this shelter last night. Wow! I’m not that far behind after all!
As I ate, I also read a rather long entry by a hiker about some of the antics in the shelter overnight. This shelter was somewhat unusual in that there were two levels inside for hikers to sleep on. The main platform went across the entire shelter, and a second elevated platform went around the inside edge of the building, thereby allowing 3-4 more hikers to sleep above the main floor.
Apparently, last night the shelter was very full because of the weather, and Gear Boy chose one of the spots on the upper level. But then, in the middle of the night a bunch of wasps or bees who’d made their home up in the rafters started to attack him. The trail journal’s author recounted how Gear Boy started howling in pain like a little girl and eventually woke everyone up.
In a chivalrous gesture, Luna offered to swap places with Gear Boy, and set his brand new screen mesh shelter up on the upper platform so he could sleep with a little protection from the insects. Although setting up your tent inside a shelter is normally a major faux pas, I think everyone was in agreement that it was a good solution. No one had to go outside to set up a tent in the pouring rain, and Luna was protected from the insect danger.
I had a bit of a giggle imagining the whole thing going down in the middle of the night and planned to rib Gear Boy a little when I finally caught up with them again!
A RAINY DAY
I was pretty excited to learn that my trail family only had a 7-mile head start on me. I’d assumed I felt behind an entire day by taking a second zero at the RV yesterday. But now, maybe I could catch them. Of course, even if I close the gap it won’t be for long. I still need to get off trail for that doctor’s appointment in a few days. So, I’m going to fall behind again no matter what. 🙁
The trail was pretty wet today, but all the water sources were flowing nicely so I was able to get by carrying less water than normal. I passed several nice waterfalls, and had to ford some fast flowing rivers or cross them on slippery logs.
Every once in a while I’d get to a gap where I should have been able to see some views of the valley below me, but everything was socked in today from the low rain clouds.
Before too long, I leapfrogged past Midnight and Trashcan again on the trail and didn’t see them the rest of the day. Usually I catch up to people when I stop for water or at a shelter, but today’s stretch between shelters was longer than normal. So, I was essentially walking by myself all day long.
There weren’t even any good spots to get out of the weather for breaks or an extended lunch. Everything was wet and there was a constant drizzle of the rain. I eventually settled on a spot near a tree where another hiker named Ironman was eating’s I asked to join him for lunch. When he said yes, I hastily dropped my pack without looking, and ended up setting it down on a dead squirrel. Oh how gross. At least it was mostly intact and it didn’t get squirrel guts all over my bag.
Taking fewer breaks helped me make some good miles today. I made it to Pine Swamp Branch shelter around 4:30 pm. If I camped here for the day, I could spend the evening near Trashcan and Midnight, since this was their intended stopping point. I deliberated for a few minutes. I was pretty tired from the 19-mile day, but I figured I still had enough energy and daylight to push another 3.5 more miles to Bailey Gap.
Tomorrow is supposed to be another rainy day and I planned to meet Keith at a trailhead near the town of Huffman so I can get off trail for my medical appointment. The distance between where he dropped me off in Pearisburg this morning and where he’ll pick me up tomorrow evening is 41 miles. So, I can either walk roughly 20-miles each day, or I can pick up a few extra miles today and to give myself a little extra breathing room tomorrow in case the trail is crappy from all the rain. And so, that’s how I ended up doing a 23.2-mile day after my double zero!
Day 39
June 10, 2019
- Route: Bailey Gap Shelter (mile 660.2) to VA-630 near Huffman, VA (mile 678)
- Daily Mileage: 17.8 miles
It continued to rain all night long, but I stayed pretty dry overnight by sleeping in the shelter at Bailey Gap. As much as I appreciate the reprieve from the elements, I don’t sleep well in these AT shelters at all. I kept waking up every hour of so because my hips hurt on these wood planks. Even with a blow-up air mattress, I just can’t seem to get comfortable.
The rain stopped briefly this morning, but the trail was still a real mess. I was hiking the Appalachian River instead of trail it seemed. The first few miles of the day were a real mess. They were slow and hard due to all the wet rocks, mud, and water on the trail. I’d long given up on trying to keep my feet dry. Now I was just focused on staying upright and not slipping and falling into the mud. I’m sure glad I did that extra bit of distance last night, because my pace this morning was barely cresting 2 mph with all these obstacles!
A VERY WET DAY
I was kind of hoping the extra miles last night would catch me back up to my trail family, but no luck. They were nowhere to be seen. Without any reliable cell service out here, I honestly have no idea where they even are. And so, today would be another day hiking completely on my own.
The morning was mostly downhill, and I stopped for an early lunch at the War Spur Shelter about 9 miles into my day. While there, I took of my shoes and socks in an effort to let my feet dry out over the next 45 minutes. I really don’t want to get blisters from all the friction from wearing wet socks a day. My toes and the balls of my feet are so wrinkled from the moisture. So, even though I know my feet will be instantly wet when I put my shoes back on, it’s worth at least trying to get them dry temporarily.
This afternoon hike up to Kelly Knob was a butt-kicker. The rain temporarily stopped, but it was so humid you could virtually see the stream rising off the ground. Moreover, the trail wet and mucky, and the ascent was super steep. It was another 2,000 foot climb in a mere 2 miles. I’m starting to feel like I’m just going up and down the same 2,000 feet of elevation over and over and over again on this damn trail.
THE RAIN RETURNS
When I finally make it to the top of the Kelly Knob, I had a little bit of cell service and was able to text Keith and let him know I was still on track to meet him at the trailhead this evening. Heck, I might even arrive 30 minutes early thanks to the extra miles I’d put in to get to Bailey’s Gap last night. As soon as I turned my phone back into airplane mode and put it away though, the skies opened up. I was now in the middle of a massive downpour and had 4.5 miles of downhill to navigate.
The trail was turning into a river yet again, and now I was ankle deep in it. I could no longer see if the bottom was dirt or rock, and I had to slow down to make sure each step was hitting a solid (but not slick) surface. The rain didn’t let up at all during the next hour and I was beginning to feel like a drowned rat, even with my umbrella out to try to block some of it. I never imagined southern Virginia would get rain like this.
Toward the end of the day I had to ford some swollen, raging rivers that were pretty scary to cross by myself after the past few days of heavy rain. I was able to remain upright through them all though and the trail eventually spit me out into some open pasture for the last two miles of the day where I passed a picturesque barn sitting out all by itself
I made it to the trailhead a little after 4 pm, and before long Keith and Finn were there. I was far too wet to sit in the car in my drenched hiking clothes. I would soak right through the cloth seats in an instant. Luckily, Keith remembered to bring me a change of clothes, so I crept back into the woods beyond the trailhead to quickly change into something dry. Oh how good it felt to be cozy and warm again!!
Day 40
June 11, 2019
- Route: Zero Day (mile 678)
- Daily Mileage: 0.00 miles
Today was the day I always knew would be coming. I had a medical appointment at the VA medical center that would take me off trail for at least a day. Nothing major was physically wrong with me, but I’d been putting off my post-retirement/disability physical for over a year now.
Each time the VA called me to set it up an appointment, I had a legitimate excuse on why I couldn’t go. The first time they called, I was literally driving into Canada for the next two weeks. They called me back a few months later to re-schedule, but the block of time they had available was the same month I’d be in Spain walking the Camino de Santiago. After two unsuccessful attempts at trying to schedule my exam, the VA gave up and just closed my file.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t an ideal result. After all, part of my military retirement compensation was based on the outcome of that physical. If I didn’t do the exam, then I was essentially giving up potential income. So, this winter I spent months making phone calls and writing emails to convince the VA to re-open my claim and schedule a physical. Once they finally agreed, I absolutely 100% needed to show up – regardless of what I was doing or where I was located.
Of course, the VA didn’t call me until I was already on the AT, but at least I’d been able to convince them to schedule the exam in Roanoke, VA. The appointment took the better part of the day, so it was more of a boring zero day off trail than relaxing one. But, at least it was done. Now I could return to the AT and focus on catching back up to my trail family.
Day 41
June 12, 2019
- Route: VA-630 Trailhead (mile 678) to Four Pines Hostel (mile 703)
- Daily Mileage: 25.9 miles
Keith dropped me off back on the trail just after 8:30 am and I was bound and determined to try to see how many miles I could make today. While I was sitting in the waiting room at the VA yesterday, I started to sketch out a plan. My trail family had been averaging around 17-21 miles a day recently. If I could bump up my mileage to closer to 20-25 miles, I should be able to catch them in another 4-5 days hopefully.
ROCKS & DIVIDES
The first interesting sight today was the Keffer Oak. This tree is the largest oak tree along the southern part of the AT. It was so large I couldn’t even get a good photo of it. Once of the downsides of hiking by yourself is you don’t have anyone to help you take a decent picture, and I’m super fond of trying to take a selfie. It makes me feel a bit stupid.
After the tree, the AT headed north through hilly pastures and then up another steep climb toward Bruisers Knob. At the top there were several giant stone cairns. At first I thought thought they were build by local trail crews who’d picked up the rocks off the trail and consolidated them in piles. But, each one seemed to be a bit more deliberate than that. As luck would have it, there was a short entry in Guthook that told me the cairns were supposedly built up here by early farmers. So there you have it.
Up on the knob, the sun finally came out and the trail traversed these sharply sloped giant rock slabs. It felt good to feel the sun on my face after so many cloudy, rainy days. From the top of these ledges I could see out across the green valleys below while another series of mountains ran parallel to the ridge I was walking along.
One of the things I think many people don’t realize about the Appalachian Mountain is that it isn’t just a single spine of mountains running up the eastern seaboard. Instead it’s a system of mountains with alternating ridgelines and valleys that forms a zone about 100 miles wide. It include the Alleghenies and Blue Ridge Mountains, the Great Smoky Mountains and White Mountains, the Berkshires and Green Mountains.
Today, I’d spend several miles walking along the spine of this particular ridge until I came up to a sign nailed to a tree that seemed to be completely out of place. As I approached, I could see it was indicating the Eastern Continental Divide. That meant all the rivers and water to the west of this geographic mark drained into the Gulf of Mexico, while all water east of here ran toward the Atlantic Ocean. Most people don’t even think about these watersheds, but walking this trail has exposed me to all kinds of unexpected scientific and geographic knowledge.
YOUTUBE STARS
Beyond the Eastern Divide, the trail descended for several miles to Craig Creek where there were plenty of flat spots to stop for a lunch in the shade of the tall trees. As I made my way to a spot near the creek, I passed a mother-daughter duo named Executioner and Baby Feet who were filtering water and enjoying some granola bars.
I later learned Executioner was filming her entire thru-hike and posting it on YouTube. Luckily, they weren’t taking any video as I came by, so I’m fairly sure I’m not memorialized for all eternity looking all goobery or anything. (Update: I had nothing to worry about. But, you can see Executioner’s channel HERE and if you’re interested in that particular day it’s on the Day 080 episode).
A REAL AMERICAN HERO
After a long relaxing lunch, where I took my shoes off again to air out my feet, there was another steep 2,000 foot climb back up to the ridgeline again. At least the trail was in a fairly nice condition today. No more standing water on the trail like earlier in the week. And, when I finally to the top of the hill, there was a sign pointing me to the Audie Murphy monument.
For those of who don’t know, Sergeant Audie Murphy was the most decorated American Soldier in World War II, and he was a true bad ass. He earned every combat award we have for valor, earned the Medal of Honor (our highest military medal), and 3 Purple Hearts! He was even awarded medals for his bravery from the French and Belgian governments.
After WWII, Audie Murphy went on to become an actor, and he was featured in more than 40 movies. After surviving some pretty harrowing conditions in war, Murphy died in a small plane crash on this mountain at the relatively young age of 45. Audie Murphy was subsequently given a hero’s burial at Arlington National Cemetary, and the local VFW erected a monument on the mountain in his honor.
ANOTHER MILESTONE
Although passing the Audie Murphy monument was a pretty big deal, the afternoon had several more interesting points ahead too. After descending another 2,000 feet, I’d cross Virginia Highway 620 and begin the 27-mile section of the AT that is known as the Virginia Triple Crown. This part of the AT is renowned for the epic geologic sites of Dragon’s Tooth, McAfee Knob, and Tinker Cliffs. I would only get to Dragon’s Tooth today; the other two would have to wait until tomorrow.
As I worked my way back up the steep incline toward Dragon’s Tooth, the weather was beginning to change again. The sun was now hidden behind some ugly dark clouds and the wind was picking up. There was definitely a storm moving my way. The humidity in the air was still so thick I was sweating heavily, but I was also starting to feel cold from all the wind.
As I had my head down, I was so hyper-focused on getting to the top near Dragon’s Tooth that I nearly missed the marker beside of the trail showing me that I’d made it to Mile 700. A bunch of rocks were lined up in some mossy grass and I just happened to glance to my left as I was passing by. Whoa! These miles in Virginia are really starting to come fast. It feels like just yesterday I was passing the 500 mile mark with Luna and Squirrel in the Grayson Highlands.
I only had two more miles to go to get to the top of the peak to Dragon’s Tooth and then I needed to decide where I was going to sleep. It was starting to get late and I needed to get my tent set up before the sky opened up and it started pouring.
DRAGON’S TOOTH
At top of the mountain, there was a short side trail out to Dragon’s Tooth, so I dropped my pack and jogged out to see it. The reason it got it’s name is because it’s a triangle-shaped quartzite rock formation that rises up sharply like a giant jagged tooth. There’s a crevice in the side of the rock that lots of hikers use to climb all the way to its peak and get views of the Catawba Valley below.
I was not going to be so bold as to scramble to the top of this 35-foot rock formation. I’m not a huge fan of heights, plus the wind was now gusting pretty strongly. The last thing I needed was to get blown off the side of this mountain. But, I did get a photo of the rock formation and squeezed between a gap in the rocks to look out on to the valley too.
After a few quick photos of Dragon’s Tooth, it was time to get down off this mountain. The weather was getting worse by the minute, so I grabbed my pack and started walking. The terrain profile showed it would be another steep descent, but I had no idea what was really in store for me.
Most day hikers attempt the hike up to Dragon’s Tooth from the opposite direction that I’d come from. So they get a preview of the arduous route on their way up, which includes about a mile of rock scrambling and boosting yourself up onto metal rungs to get up the bigger boulders and rock walls. I had none of this prior knowledge, so you can only imagine my surprise when I discovered I wasn’t going to walking down a nice smooth path, but instead will have to do a rock scramble on crazy terrain with a heavy pack on.
The threat of imminent rain served as an excellent motivator to get me down those boulders as quickly as possible though. The only thing that would make this particular descent more challenging would be adding some slick rocks into the mix. After about 3/4 mile, I was finally done with the worst of it, and breathed a sigh of relief.
FOUR PINES
The rest of the descent toward the Dragon’s Tooth trailhead was still super steep, but at least I was back on solid dirt trail again. At mile 703.7, there were supposed to be a handful of unofficial tent sites along the trail, and I was debating whether to make camp there for the evening. Unfortunately, Guthook revealed there was no water source there, and I was mentally debating whether I really had enough water for dinner and to clean up.
When I arrived at the proposed campsite, it didn’t matter if I wanted to stop there or not. There was no room left to set up my tent. Trashcan and Midnight were already set up in one flat spot and another hiker was set up in the only other open spot I could see. My feet were aching from the past 25 miles of hiking, but I needed to keep walking until I found something.
It was only another mile to the next road crossing, and there was a local hiker hostel called Four Pines about a half mile down the road from the trailhead. That’s where I’d head tonight. I could rest my weary body indoors and seek shelter out of the impending rain.
As I was walking on the shoulder of VA-624 toward the hostel, I heard a vehicle honk. When I turned around to look, a white pick-up truck with Four Pines sign on the door pulled up next to me. They asked if I was headed their way and if I wanted a ride for the last quarter mile. You bet I did!! I hopped into the back of the truck and sighed with relief. I was done for the day. After 26 long miles and my feet were ready to quit!
Four Pines turned out to be just what I need at that moment. The owner, Joe, was a former AT thru-hiker, and he’d converted a giant 3-bay garage into a little hiker haven with bunkbeds, cots, table, old couches, and plenty of outlets. Donna (aka Joe’s wife) was walking up as I arrived, and she was carrying a heaping plate full of cookies that were straight out of the oven and still warm. Biting into one of these delicious treats, and I was in HEAVEN!
The hostel was pretty full, so I called dibs on a green Army cot off to one side of the garage. As I looked around, I could see one of the walls was pained with chalkboard paint so the hikers could draw and write in chalk. It was essentially a wall-sized AT shelter log. Before long, I located Squirrel and Moccasin’s names. And then I saw Luna’s name with the small crescent moon he puts next to it. Another area had Gear Boy and TM’s names too. It seemed everyone had stopped here ahead of me!
I also saw a few familiar faces hanging out at the hostel. Snake Charmer and Bas-Ass Butterfly (the honeymooning couple I’d last seen up at the 4-side stone shelter on Chestnut Knob) were sitting at the table sorting their food. I let them know Midnight and Trashcan were just a mile behind us camping on trail and we chatted for a bit, sharing the details of the last week. It seems that I was leap-frogging with them repeatedly this week with all my recent zero days. Now that I was trying to catch up to my trail family and picking up the pace, so this might be the last time I’d see them for a while.
After showering, I was able to text my trail family to see where they were at. The three of them (TM, Gear Boy, and Luna) had spent the night here at Four Pines just last night, and now they were one full day ahead of me. They’d pulled a big mile day today and were trying to get into Waynesboro, VA by Monday (just 5 days from now) in order to meet up with TM’s mom.
There’s absolutely no way I’ll catch up with them if they are on that insane schedule. Waynesboro is all the way up near mile 863. That’s 160 miles from here!! I can’t hike possible hike 160 miles in just 5 days. That would require an average of 32 miles every day, which is not at all realistic. I hiked 26 miles today and that effort was at the very top end of my physical limits. I guess I’ll just have to hope they take some zeros when in Waynesboro while visiting with family to give me a chance to catch back up with them.
Day 42
June 13, 2019
- Route: Four Pines Hostel (mile 703) to Daleville, VA (mile 729.7)
- Daily Mileage: 25.8 miles
Despite being grateful to have a roof over my head last night when the rain rolled in, I didn’t sleep very well. It seemed like I woke up every 30-60 minutes all night long. The Army cot I’d picked was comfortable enough, I just couldn’t sleep with all the noise from the other hikers around me. I guess that’s the downside of hostel life when you’ve finally caught up with the bubble of NOBO thru-hikers.
Today I expect to finish the rest of the Virginia Triple Crown and will tick off McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. McAfee knob is one of those places I’ve been eagerly looking forward to my hike. In fact, it might be the most iconic and most photographed site on the entire Appalachian Trail. Even the Appalachain Trail specialty license plate from the Virginia DMV has McAfee Knob depicted on it!
It’s essentially a series of rock cliffs at the top of a mountain. The summit is pretty flat, and are several large rock slabs that cantilever out over the the valley below. Day hikers and thru-hikers enjoy sitting out on one of the cliffs to get their photo taken there because it looks like you are suspended in mid-air.
CHANGE OF PLANS
Given it’s popularity, this is also one of the places Keith and Finn wanted to join me on the trail. They were going to drive up to the trailhead today around 9:45 so we could hike to the summit together and enjoy an early lunch on McAfee’s Knob. And so I left the hostel early to make sure I had plenty of time to hike the 7 miles to the trailhead where they were meeting me. The last of the storms moved out just after sunrise, so everything was still wet as I made my way toward VA Route 311.
Keith and Finn were already waiting when I arrived, and I made a last minute decision to ditch some of my gear in the car so I could lighten up my pack for the rest of the day. I had no chance of catching anyone today, so I was modifying my mileage plan for the day. I’d hike up to McAfee with Keith and Finn this morning, and then I’d meet up with them again in Daleville this evening. They were camping in the RV just 30 miles up the road in Natural Bridge. If I hustled, we could have dinner together and I might even get a good night’s sleep in the RV tonight to make up for all the tossing and turning last night.
MCAFEE KNOB
The 4-mile hike up to McAfee was one of the more crowded sections of trail I’d encountered in a while. This was clearly a popular place to be, even mid-morning on a Thursday. The sun was now shining brightly and it was clear, so I expected to get some pretty awesome photos of the cliffs and background when we got to the top. Given all the rainstorms the past few days, I suspect the hikers ahead of me this week probably weren’t quite as lucky,
When we eventually arrived at the summit, there were a few people already sitting out on the cantilevered rocks and they were in no rush to move. Finn and I walked out toward the edge, but Keith was having none of it. He was just fine standing back at a safe distance (read: at least 100 feet from ant sort of major drop off).
Eventually, we had the rocks completely by ourselves and were able to get a few quick photos of me out on the ledge. There was one I really liked and I immediately decided that was going to be my new home screen for phone
After lunch, I bid goodbye to my boys and planned to see them again around dinnertime. I still had 15.5 miles to hike and there was no time to goof around. The heat and humidity were at an all time high now, and I needed to get going if I hoped to make there in a reasonable time.
TINKER CLIFFS
The elevation profile for the rest of the day was a bit deceptive. It looked like I would have a major descent off McAfee Knob, then some moderate hills, and a big climb to Tinker Cliffs, followed by some more moderate hills into Daleville. On my phone it looked pretty easy. Of course, nothing on the AT is ever easy though.
As the afternoon temperatures continued to climb into the low 80’s, I felt like all my energy was zapped. The views back toward McAfee Knob were pretty awesome, but the 5 miles to Tinker Cliffs were rocky and seemed much steeper than my tired legs could handle. I must be really feeling the fatigue of a few big mile days in a row because I felt like I was slowly wading through an invisible pool of pancake batter as I moved forward.
BALLAST POINT
I could see the town of Daleville long before I reached it. The AT followed the top of a ridge with lots of rocky outcroppings, and seemed to circle around the city before it finally made its way down. As I walked along the spine of the ridge, I had Daleville on one side of me and views of a giant reservoir off on the other side. The scenery was nice, but I was hot, tired, and ready for a beer.
Once in town, Keith picked me up and we drove to Ballast Point Brewery for dinner. This particularly brewery had special meaning for both of us. Although Ballast Point is headquartered in San Diego, but they opened a handful of locations around the US too. (Update: Ballast Point closed their Daleville, VA location in late 2019).
All of their beer names carry a nautical theme – like Manta Ray, Fathom, and Longfin – but one of their more popular beers is the Sculpin IPA. When Keith was in grad school studying fish biology, his Master’s Thesis was written on the Longhorn Sculpin. So, we always got a kick out whenever we see sculpin beer on the shelf at the store. Ballast Point has even expanded the sculpin line of IPAs to include the Grapefruit Sculpin, Aloha Sculpin, Pineapple Sculpin, Mango Sculpin, and Watermelon Sculpin.
So, it was really a no-brainer that we’d stop in at the brewery this evening while we were in Daleville and get ourselves a flew flights of sculpin beer and some tasty food to celebrate the day.
Week 6 Overview
- Lowest Mileage Day: 0 miles
- Highest Mileage Day: 25.9 miles
- Number of nights sleeping in my tent or AT shelter: 2
- Nights sleeping in our RV: 4
- Nights at a hostel: 1
- Number of days with rain: 6 out of 7
- Number of days with torrential downpours: 3
- Number of zero days: 3 – I totally didn’t plan for this
- Total miles hiked this week: 92.7. miles
- Miles I’ve fallen behind my trail family: 25+ 🙁