I slept okay last night. The wind picked up last night, but thankfully my tarp tie-outs stayed put. I like to sleep on my side, but my hips have been hurting too much. I'm sure I have something brewing in my hips; I need to see an orthopedist when I get home. In colder weather, I sleep with both an under quilt and a sleeping pad, which turns my hammock into a nice flat floating mattress. I left the sleeping pad at home for this section in order to save weight, so I am slightly less comfortable, but it's still better than sleeping on the ground!
I depart slightly before GG by 7 am, and within a half mile I am at The Ledges, a smooth rocky outcrop with an awesome view of the valley to the east. The sky is not too hazy, and I can see Blacksburg to the south. This is going to be an awesome day!
We have a lot of rock crossings, where the trail is a jumble of large rocks that require care when picking one's way across. Some are stable, but some teeter when you step on them. I am once again thankful for the cool morning air that keeps the rattlesnakes from coming out. A hiker that passed us said there was a rattler on the trail last night just before the Sarver's blue blaze.
 |
| The Ledges looking East |
 |
| The Ledges Looking East |
We pass the Eastern Continental Divide as we start the long, knee-grinding 2,000-foot descent from the ridge. There is a distinct burned wood smell in the air, and I wonder if someone has a campfire nearby. Soon I discover the source of the smell, as I pass by a large area of the woods that was the site of a 700-acre prescribed burn just last month. The fire really opened up the woods, with all the understory burnt away and trees leaning precariously. The tops of the trees remain relatively unscathed.
The trip down is not as knee-grinding as I anticipated, with the descent spread over four miles. I listen to an audiobook which preoccupies me and before I know it, we are in front of the Niday shelter. I leave my pack at the junction of the blue blaze trail to the stream, down the hill from the shelter and the AT. GG is going to get water at the next source, but I drank my bladder dry at the top of the hill. I stay for a bit and have a light snack of spam on a tortilla with some mayo. I am rationing my food to last until our resupply tomorrow. I am going to be very hungry tomorrow before we get to the truck!
A half hour later I can see the road and parking area below and spot some cars with tables and chairs. TRAIL MAGIC!! My food worries are over! Nothing like a hiker feed to put some pep in my step and I am almost running down the hill!!
We get to experience a wonderful early lunch of Frito pie (Frito chips with chili and all the fixings like cheese and onions), brownies, grilled hot dogs in steamed buns, and lemonade. They have a generator set up with charging cables to fit every kind of device! I overindulge and eat a Frito pie, two hotdogs, and two brownies!! They even have trash bags so we can dump our trash.
An hour later I am stuffed to the gills when I say goodbye to the amazing trail angels and thank them profusely for the kindness and the treats.
I am painfully full of all the food, aware that we still have a lot of hiking to do today. This next uphill isn't going to be fun. First, we have a stream crossing where a bridge was washed out. Craig Creek can be dangerous in times of high water, but fortunately we won't have to take the 5-mile road walk to detour the creek today.
 |
| Amazing Trail Magic |
 |
| GG Crossing Craig Creek |
My "normal" trail diet has a macro breakdown of about 30/30/30 and consists of a protein and oatmeal shake for breakfast, a tuna or salmon wrap with mayo and relish for lunch, a couple of Luna bars for snacks, and a freeze-dried dinner (usually around 600 calories). I have a lot of variety, but I am far from regimented about sticking to my macros. But I think about changing up my food carry. If I carry only fat, I could carry less food because one pound of fat equals over 4,000 calories! I'm thinking carrying a lot of extra nuts and cheese is sounding mighty appealing right now.
The trail follows an old woods road along the ridge of Brush Mountain. We have climbed about 1700 feet today, which isn't a lot by Appalachian Trail standards, but I am dragging a bit. The trail continues mildly up the ridge, where a short side trail leads to the Audie Murphy Monument. GG is standing next to the American flag bedecked stone monument, waiting for me to arrive.
Audie Murphy was a fighter pilot during World War II who was highly esteemed, considered one of the most decorated pilots of the entire war. He transitioned to acting and songwriting after the war. In 1971 Murphy was a passenger in a private plane that crashed here, killing all 6 souls on board.
We leave the monument for a four-mile descent to a road crossing. The walk down seems to take forever! I am steamed when I realize we just did 7 miles and 2,000 feet of climbing only to rejoin the road that we left at lunchtime! Nothing but a bunch of Pointless Ups and Downs (PUDs) on the AT! At least the views continue to delight. I am really running on fumes by the time I get down the mountain.
A man in the parking lot offers me a Coke, and I accept gratefully. Nothing like a cold, sugary soft drink to raise the spirits! He said he offered my friend one, but she acted strange and wouldn't talk to him.
"Your friend is a little out there," he says with a wink. I nod, thinking maybe she talked his ear off about backpacking gear.
I thank him and I walk over the stream across a footbridge where GG is waiting for me. She asked if the man in the parking lot was still there and if he talked to me. I replied he was, and he did. I showed her the soda he gave me. Apparently, he gave her the creeps, but I didn't feel that at all. She wants to head up the trail to the next shelter, and I tell her to go ahead because I have a desperate need to soak my feet in the cold creek. She leaves and I sit next to the creek until I can't feel my toes, drinking my Coke without incident.
I am so done with this day, but I must get up and walk to the next shelter, which is only 1.2 miles and 500 feet of gain, but it feels like it takes a lot longer. I put on my favorite music playlist to get me to the shelter, and jam on the way there. I pass several couples on the trail, which leads to Dragon's Tooth: a very popular hike in this region, and one of Virginia's "Triple Crown," of Dragon's Tooth, McAfee Knob, and Tinker Cliffs.
The blue blaze down to Pickle Branch is so freaking long! At least it's a nice hike. When I arrive, GG is trying to find a suitable tent site near the shelter, which is challenging because of the sloping ground. Several nice flat sites were up the hill a way. I have no problem finding two suitable trees, and I'm set up in no time flat.
I go down to the water and it is way steeper than the climb to the shelter. According to my InReach map, this is a branch of the same stream I soaked my feet in a couple hours ago! Another PUD today. I filter enough water that I won't have to make this trek again.
I am thrilled to see No Rush (the Elder) and his friend Chopsticks at the shelter, along with three other hikers. We chat for a bit. They stayed at Niday for a zero day yesterday and made the 10-mile hike today but left too early for the trail magic. We talk until dusk, which is when everyone tucks in for bed.
Today's Stats: 15 miles, 2600 feet gain, 3930 feet loss!
Trail Stats: 698 miles, 162K gain
No comments :
Post a Comment