Me on Dragon's Tooth
Sunday, June 6, 2021
Week 8 pics pt 2
Week 8 pics pt 1
Pasture walking between the ridges
Week 8, 1/3 of the trail!
6/1 Camped under Keffer Oak 679 2nd largest tree on the AT, around 300 years old!
6/2 Trail Magic from safety patrol, camped at trout creek 697.
6/3 Catawba Mtn Shelter just prior to McAffe Knob 712, stopped at a gas station for lunch, and brought half a pizza with me for dinner.
6/4 Daleville motel 730, a suburb of Roanoke. Right at the crossing of I-81. Sunrise hike into town.
6/5 Bobblet's shelter 748, felt sick and stayed at the shelter all morning. 1/3 mark just after the city.
Shorter section this week, as I wanted to get back to posting on weekends. This week I did the Virginia triple crown, of Dragon's tooth, McAffe Knob and Tinker Cliffs. This was apperantly a big deal in virginia, as I passed a lot of day and section hikers. The climb down from Dragon's tooth was fun, and a little technical, but otherwise they seemed like just another ridge peak overlook to me.
Daleville was a larger city than I had seen in a while, and I stayed in a motel. I was able to upgrade my sleeping bag for a summer quilt, one pound lighter, which has been amazing so far. I had been sweating through the nights, and now I'm actually feeling somewhat normal temperature. The Virginia heat is here, and I'm trying my best to beat it. I take every chance I get now to dip into creeks and water.
I had a small case of what was probably food poisoning yesterday, and spent the night vomiting. This morning I took it easy, and stayed put to take a slow-starting half day. I feel better now.
I said goodbye to Hippie Rocks, who was only hiking the first third of the trail. More people are leaving, or talking about it, although there's still plenty of hikers going all the way. As I passed the ⅓ mark, I remember thinking both "I might actually do this!", and "now the beginning's over and the middle third begins". The first third felt like everything was new, and the milestones were fresh. As I approach spending 2 months on this trail the comparison mentally is no longer trail vs frontcountry, but trail vs more trail.
Here's hoping for another wonderful 731 miles in the green tunnel!
Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Week 7 pics pt 2
Patched up a pocket hole that mice chewed open.
At a shelter
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Week 7
5/23 Lickskillet shelter 605
5/24 Sugar Run mountain camped for the sunset 623
5/25 Pearisburg 638 Angel's Rest hostel
5/26 Night 2 in Pearisburg
5/27 Night 3 at Angel's Rest. Went to a museum but it was closed. Worked for my stay.
5/28 Got 2 cortisone shots and finished Night 4 in Pearisburg
5/29 Hit the trail again! At least for a little bit. Started a sobo section hike from Stony Creek back to Pearisburg with my Brother (shelter @ 656)
5/30 Rice Field shelter 644, had a nice view into West Virginia from the ridge.
5/31 Finished going south, and shuttled back to stony creek. My brother left, and I went up to camp just past wind mtn, 666
The new shoes from damascus gave me a tendonitis, so I was limping my way into Pearisburg. I gave my foot some well needed rest, and took an extended stay at Angel's Rest Hiker Haven Hostel. It was nice to reunite with hikers I had passed. And quite a few of them stayed for more than one night. I was itching to return to the trail the whole time, and was finally able to for a little bit on saturday night.
My brother Nathan Texted me on Wednesday to see if he could join me on the trail. It gave me something to plan out, and I decided that it would make the most sense for him to drive us up to a trailhead, and hike back to town. After meeting him in town and some shoe shopping, we went off to the trail. We managed to get to a shelter half a mile in just past nightfall, Setting up everything in the dark and drizzle.
Unfortunately the weather got cold and rainy for the few days Nathan was with me, after being warm and sunny for a while. I told him to bring summer gear, and it got down to 48° on sunday. Oops. Luckily, I don't think it ruined our time.
I ended up using my phone more than I would have liked while at the hostel, and now I'm trying to get back to keeping it off while on trail. I feel like the combination of my phone, not hiking, and watching a bunch of movies took me out of the trail mentally, and I need to give myself a few days to sink back in.
Pictures to come when I have better service.
