I am up really early this morning, at 5 am, and want to pack for our shuttle back to Peter's Mountain Trailhead, but I don't want to disturb the people camping nearby. I mean really nearby - like feet away. The foot end of another hammock is hanging from the same tree my head is hanging from. This place is packed tight! I slept like the dead, because I didn't hear anything last night.
I quietly take down my tarp and hammock and gather my belongings and carry everything to the picnic tables next to the kitchen and laundry area. There, I pack my things and drink a cup of instant coffee with some sugar and milk left in the kitchen. No name or date means up for grabs!
More people start to wake and mingle about and GG comes around the corner, surprised to see I am packed. She said she slept really well in the bunkhouse, and she has her pack at the picnic table in front of the bunkhouse.
Mike is our shuttle driver this morning and he is super prompt, arriving and opening the lift gate of the Tahoe at 6:59 am. We drive back to the trail with another hiker who is doing the slackpack back to the hostel, and we are on the trail by 7:30 am.
It's a chilly 45F when we hit the trail, but the day promises to be a beauty. We hike along an easy pitch, paralleling and then crossing a stream when three hikers come from behind. I know them! They were at Wood's Hole a few days ago with us. They stayed in the shelter less than half mile south of the trailhead last night. We chat for a few minutes, before we have a climb of one thousand feet, and the thru hikers quickly pass us.
On the hike up, I feel really weak. I realize I didn't eat hardly anything yesterday: a protein shake, an apple, and a mini snickers bar was all I had before the Chinese buffet, where I ate mostly vegetables. No wonder I am dragging! When we arrive at the shelter, four miles into our hike, I tell GG I want to stop and eat for a few minutes. We agree to meet at the next shelter 9 miles up the trail, to decide where we will stop tonight.
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The trail is super rocky in places. This looks like prime rattlesnake habitat. I am glad it's a little chilly outside, because the snakes will stay snug in their little dens and not come out to sun themselves on warm rocks. The trail continues to climb gradually from the shelter, and the rocks disappear, making for a nice hike.
I pass several campers who stayed at a nice flat area in the woods. They are finishing their packing and when I stop to filter water at a spring a short way up the trail, they have caught up to me and now there are a herd of people! We chat a little before I continue up the trail.
A short time later I come out of the woods onto VA route 613. I see a bunch of hikers sitting in a circle on the edge of the road. Trail magic!! This puts a skip in my step! I join the group and survey the magic which includes tangerines, cookies, donuts, homemade peanut butter balls and a cooler filled with soft drinks and cheese! I indulge in two tangerines, a cookie, a couple of the peanut butter balls, and a soda. The gentleman and lady who hosted the magic receive donations from the local Kroger and Food City, and we get a picture and sign a poster board with thanks for the donations. What a wonderful lunch!
We stop a short 0.2 miles up the trail for a gorgeous view at a place called Wind Rock. We take some pictures and marvel at the amazing views to the north.
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| VA Route 613 |
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| Trail Magic! |
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| The Wilderness to the North of Wind Rock |
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| Wind Rock |
Today is just beautiful. The trail is a little up and down, a little left then right. Just green and pretty. Birds are chirping. Lots of blueberry bushes and ferns line the trail. GG and I walk together for a couple miles. A hiker comes up from behind and we chat for a little while. He says the weather changed from a 20% chance of rain to 60%, and we can see the clouds building to the west. We will probably get wet at some point this afternoon, but for now I just enjoy the beauty and serenity of the woods.
A short time later I am walking alone and start to descend from the ridge. I turn off airplane mode to see I do indeed have service. I call home and then check the weather. Thunderstorms are to the northwest, and they are moving in FAST! I pull out my pack cover and put it on my pack and put my raincoat in the side pocket where I can easily grab it. If I prepare for rain, it rarely comes, but this time it does when I am about one mile from the next shelter. Thankfully it's not hard rain, and I deploy my umbrella.
I am really enjoying carrying this umbrella. I think it may be a normal part of my kit from here on out. I have a Velcro strap I can use to attach it to my pack, so I don't need to carry it. I need one of those silly stadium umbrellas that I can wear on my head.
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| Pretty Azaleas |
I arrive at War Spur Shelter and GG is surprised to see me. She thought I was ahead of her. The rain is still coming down, but it looks like it is clearing out. There is a girl laying in the shelter, and we leave our packs inside to remain out of the rain while we check out the campsites. This place has some wonderful campsites that are separated by screens of rhododendron, providing a lot of privacy. I grab my tarp and stake out a site with two perfectly spaced trees near the shelter but blocked partially from view. GG sets up in the adjacent site. Our timing is perfect, because hiker after hiker starts arriving.
By the time we are set up, the rain has completely abated. We sit at the picnic table to eat and have some very interesting conversations with other hikers about nutrition and macros. One hiker has calculated his daily caloric requirement of 4,000 calories, what most of us are burning in a day, although some hikers will burn up to 6,000 calories daily! He only eats nuts with raisins and cranberries for his fats and carbs and then supplements with protein and vegetable shakes throughout the day. He is maintaining his weight and muscle mass but is lamenting the lack of nutrition from fruits and a variety of vegetables.
I am fascinated by nutrition and love reading studies about macronutrients and trying to play with the right mix of protein, carbs, and fat to maintain health while on the trail. I am impressed with the simplicity of his diet and wonder if I could stick to something so easy but mundane. I could easily try it on a short section to see if it would be feasible for me, but I suspect I would crave more variety. I do share with him one of my Kencko smoothie packets, which are basically just freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, and he is intrigued and plans to get some to add to his protein shakes.
We all say good night, and I tuck into my little haven in the woods, surrounded by at least 20 other campers. By 7:30 pm I am out like a light.
Today's Stats: 12.8 miles, 2316 feet gain, 2710 feet loss
Trail Stats: 669 miles, 159K feet gain
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