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Happy Birthday to our daughter Joline.
The night passed uneventfully. It was a bit cool as I popped my head out of
the tent for the first time. I guess the cold settled in the river bottom. We
were up by 6:45AM and on the trail at 8:30. We took our time with breakfast and
packing. The trail designers were kind to us today. We left Dismal Creek Falls
and headed for VA606 over a bunch of PUDS, but never more than 100' or so lost
or climbed, but in total we lost 200' in two miles. Just after the road, we
crossed Kimberling Creek on a beautiful suspension bridge near 200' long, some
creek! From there we started up "Brushy Mountain." *** NOTE ***
Over the next few days we will cross at least three different mountains all
named "Brushy Mtn." I know folks who live in this area catch some unjustified
flak about being a little slow sometimes. Then you see things like this and
scratch your head.
The bridge was down at 2,095', in three miles we would climb to the top at
2,700'. Again there were quite a few switchbacks and climbing was tolerable. We
walked through a bunch of blackberry bushes in bloom. CC commented that it would
be a prime bear snack spot in a few months. We still have not seen any honey
bees other than the few coming into Daleville. The first part of the mountain
must have been part of an old homestead as there were many different types of
fruit trees planted neatly in rows. The temp started to rise as we entered an
area with more pine trees. We never tire of that hot pine needle smell, and the
needles make soft walking. The heat did make me long for the shade of
the rhododendron thickets the day before. The trunks twisted full of wide green
leaves blocking the sun so as to make it almost twilight. The deep earthy smell
of dead, dry leaves being crushed under the boots of hundreds of hikers and the
constant moisture. They all make for comfortable walking.
Making the top of Brushy Mtn #1 we started down towards VA608 at 2,200'. Along
the way we met five young men out for the long weekend hiking. They asked how
far we had hiked. Being a bit of a wise cracker I said just over 400 miles.
Their collective gasp was great. We had to stay and explain our trip, but they
had a thousand questions. They said they would be happy to get the 30 miles to
Pearisburg by Monday afternoon, four days hence. We assured them it was an easy
walk. As they faded north the last guy in line was saying how he had gotten a
great photo of us and did they see how fast we moved down the trail.
Traffic on the trail has slowed down greatly from just a week ago. Today, not
counting the weekenders, we saw only eight hikers. Most of the crew who attended
Trail Days in Damascus have passed us. I'm not sure how late people start in GA,
but these last few people started the last week of March. I think the further
south we go, the fewer NoBos (North Bounder) we will see.
After crossing VA608, we went another mile to the Jenny Knob Shelter for a rest
break and camel up on water. The shelter sits at 2,800', 600' above the road. We
pulled into the shelter at 12:45PM, 4.25 hours to do 8.7 miles and we thought we
were making slow miles!
There were a couple of guys taking a noon time break in the shelter and I
asked where the water was. They pointed in the general direction and said a
third guy had been gone some time getting water. He came back about ten minutes
later and said all I had to do was follow the blue blazes and I would get there.
Down, down and down I went into a rhodie thicket following the spartan blue
marks. After a 15 minute walk I arrived at the water. While pumping my filter
for the second water bag there was a crashing in the thicket above me. Looking
up hill I saw another hiker searching for the elusive stream. I called to him
and he soon joined me filling his own water containers. He started back up hill
before I had all my gear ready, but I soon followed. The blue marks seemed harder
to see going up hill than down. I spotted the other hiker coming back down,
seems he had lost the trail. Looking around I could not distinguish our trail
from the animal trails. I whistled hoping CC would hear me and respond helping me get my bearings. No response! We both headed
back down towards the last seen blue mark. After some time we regained the trail
and were soon back at the shelter. There is no water to be had for the next ten
miles so we needed to camel up.
Water stored, we hit the trail for some more miles. We ended up walking until
almost 5PM when we found a likely camp spot after a 13.5 mile day. After some
leaf rearrangement the spot was livable. Supper is done, food and smelly things
are hung out of bear reach and we are snug in our nylon home. 8PM and time to
call it a night, listen to a little music, and read a small bit then the morning
and seven or so miles into Bland for a food re-supply one day ahead of schedule.
Patrick, Deborah Mooney aka OD & CC
All Who Wander Are Not Lost
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Debbie
non-member comment
What adventures!
What adventures! I look forward to reading and seeing - feel like I'm part of it!! Debbie, my hair is shorter too, but not so "short, sporty and sassy" as yours! :) I walked a 4.4 Gate to Gate run at Eglin yesterday... small potatoes compared to ya'll. :) Am looking forward to seeing ya'll! Love, Southern outlaws