Boy, it was great to be back home and quickly catch up with everyone! It was a wirlwind tour of Iowa and WI...exhausting actually. Taking it easy getting back on the trail...slowing down...going to see, like Victoria said, the beauty of the trail!
Crankdaddy
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Our Train Kept Calling Us and We Came...
A few days prior to our arrival at Harper's Ferry we were headed down into another gap and, being a man of that age where you find yourself having to pee every hour, I let Fire Fly go ahead. A minute later and down the trail I heard Fire Fly yelling, "Crank, Crank!". I came running down the hill thinking that she was being attacked by a bear, only to find that she was standing on the railroad tracks pointing at our train coming our way! We quickly crossed the tracks and as it passed by gave the train engineer and knowing nod hello and walked into the woods. We finally saw our good friend in real life! Will he be there with us in PA?
Crank
It's Just a Number, Right?
Some of you may wonder how many people start and finish the trail each year. It's difficult to answer with a great deal of clarity because the registration process is all voluntary. It is my understanding that roughly 2,000 people begin the trail in Georgia with the intention of completing the full 2,181 miles up in Maine. They say that approximately 10-20% actually make it.
I did not register at Springer Mtn., but Fire Fly, being the competitive person she is (:)) found it important to do so. Her number was 184, meaning that 183 people registered before her. We figured that there is probably another 40% that do not register (like me), so she was probably more like 300 or there abouts.
At Harper's Ferry we were registered as the 127th and 128th thru-hiker for this year. If 300 is the correct estimate that would suggest that we passed a lot of people or many dropped out along the way. Actually, both happened; also, many people passed us along the way as well.
So, what's to make of it?
1. Nothing because we aren't even half the way there yet;
2. It's okay to give ourselves a pat on the back given our age bracket, but let's not dwell on it;
3. Forget about it and move on (another 100 have probably passed us since we've been off the trail)!
Moving forward....
Crank
I did not register at Springer Mtn., but Fire Fly, being the competitive person she is (:)) found it important to do so. Her number was 184, meaning that 183 people registered before her. We figured that there is probably another 40% that do not register (like me), so she was probably more like 300 or there abouts.
At Harper's Ferry we were registered as the 127th and 128th thru-hiker for this year. If 300 is the correct estimate that would suggest that we passed a lot of people or many dropped out along the way. Actually, both happened; also, many people passed us along the way as well.
So, what's to make of it?
1. Nothing because we aren't even half the way there yet;
2. It's okay to give ourselves a pat on the back given our age bracket, but let's not dwell on it;
3. Forget about it and move on (another 100 have probably passed us since we've been off the trail)!
Moving forward....
Crank
Let's Have Faith in the Younger Generation Afterall!
Okay, this will rub some people the wrong way, but prior to coming on the trail I had become just a tad disappointed in the younger generation's "entitlement mentality". This began to challenge me in my work and I found it to be a frustrating experience. I didn't know whether it was fact or fiction (my age might have something to do with it).
Regardless, I have a renewed faith in the youth coming our way due to my wonderful experiences with these fine young people on the trail. Most of these kids are college age or older and are broad and open minded, bright, sensitive and highly articulate. Yes, some have lots of piercings and tattoos but I can not get past that now these days knowing that there's a really interesting conversation to gain.
I have also seen these kids mature along the way as well. They come from all walks of life and each one of them bring something unique and wonderful to this world and it's neat to be part of their experience and watch them develop.
Sorry for the philosophizing....but these kids are great!
Regardless, I have a renewed faith in the youth coming our way due to my wonderful experiences with these fine young people on the trail. Most of these kids are college age or older and are broad and open minded, bright, sensitive and highly articulate. Yes, some have lots of piercings and tattoos but I can not get past that now these days knowing that there's a really interesting conversation to gain.
I have also seen these kids mature along the way as well. They come from all walks of life and each one of them bring something unique and wonderful to this world and it's neat to be part of their experience and watch them develop.
Sorry for the philosophizing....but these kids are great!
Remnants of the Civil War?
We also came across some very old trenches in the woods with rocks stacked on the top. It seems to me that these must be old trenches from the Civil War because the area that we were end clearly played a big role in the war. I remember growing up just north of Atlanta and finding these same deep trenches in the woods. Back then, we were convinced they were from the Civil War and used them in that manner. As a matter of fact, I have a scar on my face due to a fall in such a trench and landing on the blade of a shovel - nearly taking out my eye when I was 9 years old. My mom was none too happy about it - blood all over the place, but I believed myself to be a wounded rebel and was proud of my accomplishment.
I would love to come back to this area and do some day hikes with my son to better understand the history and attempt to see some of the remains of it all up close and personal. I suspect we will see more of this as we head into PA.
Crank
Are Shelters for the Homeless Too?
This has been a quandary for many of us along the trail. It became particularly challenging [frustrating] in the Shenandoah's because use the weather was so poor (rainy every day) and easy access due to the road being so close.
The thing is that many thru-hikers find the shelters to be much more efficient after a long day of hiking. The notion of pitching a tent in the rain and then lugging a wet tent all day long day after day has little appeal. So coming upon the shelter you sort of hope that 1) there is space at the Inn;, and 2) your bunk mates are not of suspicious character. We may get a bit narrow minded as we move up the trail, but it seems to becoming less and less appealing to be sleeping next to folks that hang out at the shelter for days, carry weird food and have strange stuff poking out of their bags (machetes, etc.).
So the idea these days seems to approach the shelter with a bit of caution; don't commit too soon and be prepared to pitch your tent in the rain. Or, maybe the better approach is to work on keeping an open mind and realize that homeless people on the trail are not so bad after all....
Crank
The thing is that many thru-hikers find the shelters to be much more efficient after a long day of hiking. The notion of pitching a tent in the rain and then lugging a wet tent all day long day after day has little appeal. So coming upon the shelter you sort of hope that 1) there is space at the Inn;, and 2) your bunk mates are not of suspicious character. We may get a bit narrow minded as we move up the trail, but it seems to becoming less and less appealing to be sleeping next to folks that hang out at the shelter for days, carry weird food and have strange stuff poking out of their bags (machetes, etc.).
So the idea these days seems to approach the shelter with a bit of caution; don't commit too soon and be prepared to pitch your tent in the rain. Or, maybe the better approach is to work on keeping an open mind and realize that homeless people on the trail are not so bad after all....
Crank
The Refined Skill of a Yogi...
You're not a true thru-hiker until you have honed your skill as a yogi. I was able to begin my apprentice work in the Shenandoah's. The Shenandoah's are a perfect place to develop this important thru-hiker skill because of the various opportunities along the way. You see, the trail intersects various picnic areas, overlooks and waysides along Skyline Drive. These intersections mean us smelly, scary looking thru-hikers end up bumping into the freshly scrubbed faces of day hikers and sightseers. Most have no idea of what they are getting into when they either approach us or we them.
So part of the process is to help them understand that we we may look dangerous and homeless, we are, in fact, very hungry thru-hikers simply looking to poach a free snack - or maybe even a meal. Once you are able to disarm the victims I have found the rest to be pretty easy. When they realize that we have just hiked from Georgia and headed to Maine they become intrigued and begin to ask questions. Of course, we invariably lead the conversation to food and the minimalist approach to eating on the trail. They quickly pickup the notion that we are all very skinny and are salivating and staring at their picnic basket. It's hard for them not too offer up some sacrificial treats just so they can get on with what they were doing.
The first REAL opportunity for me came up at Pinnacles Picnic area. We had just stuffed ourselves at the Skyland Resort at an all you can eat breakfast buffet (note that this was not trail food) and Wobegon, Fire Fly and I stopped for a quick trail food lunch at the Picnic area scoping out a pavilion with a large group of "eastern speaking people" surrounded by large trays of food. Looking starved and innocent, one woman took an interest in us and nervously approached us and asked us why we were there and what we were doing. Great opener...and after describing our desperate situation we were able to get our foot in the door by asking her what the occasion, where they were from, and generally pretending we were interested. Turns out that it was a Turkish family celebrating a young man's birthday. They own a Turkish restaurant in McLean. We noticed that the old men were smoking cigars and playing some sort of game so we asked if it would be okay to watch them play their game.
BINGO...once inside their camp, what else could they do but provide us with a huge plate of spicy herbed chicken, cabbage and beef rolls, steamed rice and a ton of wonderful Turkish homemade bread!
After this brilliant effort the three of us were anointed as exalted yogis of the Shenandoah's and we lived to tell everyone about it!
So part of the process is to help them understand that we we may look dangerous and homeless, we are, in fact, very hungry thru-hikers simply looking to poach a free snack - or maybe even a meal. Once you are able to disarm the victims I have found the rest to be pretty easy. When they realize that we have just hiked from Georgia and headed to Maine they become intrigued and begin to ask questions. Of course, we invariably lead the conversation to food and the minimalist approach to eating on the trail. They quickly pickup the notion that we are all very skinny and are salivating and staring at their picnic basket. It's hard for them not too offer up some sacrificial treats just so they can get on with what they were doing.
The first REAL opportunity for me came up at Pinnacles Picnic area. We had just stuffed ourselves at the Skyland Resort at an all you can eat breakfast buffet (note that this was not trail food) and Wobegon, Fire Fly and I stopped for a quick trail food lunch at the Picnic area scoping out a pavilion with a large group of "eastern speaking people" surrounded by large trays of food. Looking starved and innocent, one woman took an interest in us and nervously approached us and asked us why we were there and what we were doing. Great opener...and after describing our desperate situation we were able to get our foot in the door by asking her what the occasion, where they were from, and generally pretending we were interested. Turns out that it was a Turkish family celebrating a young man's birthday. They own a Turkish restaurant in McLean. We noticed that the old men were smoking cigars and playing some sort of game so we asked if it would be okay to watch them play their game.
BINGO...once inside their camp, what else could they do but provide us with a huge plate of spicy herbed chicken, cabbage and beef rolls, steamed rice and a ton of wonderful Turkish homemade bread!
After this brilliant effort the three of us were anointed as exalted yogis of the Shenandoah's and we lived to tell everyone about it!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Iowa Here I Come! Oh, I Thought I was Going to Maine!
Got into Harper's Ferry Thursday night - in time to register with the ATC at #127 (for those of you that notice this stuff, my number is lower than Fire Fly's - she came in at 128:))
Anyway - that's 1,015 miles behind me and I am off to Grinnell, Iowa to pick up my son, Ben, from school. It was great getting home last night...Carolyn allowed a hug and a kiss but really freaked out at my appearance. She thinks I could go for a homeless person and said everyone was staring at me at Beans & Barley (where we went out to dinner). Was able to enter the house after taking all my clothes off and was allowed to take a long hot shower. Our good friends, Nomad (Bill) and Dancing Queen (Victoria) even stopped by to say hello.
So, off to Grinnell this morning...need to do lots of updating...and hope to do so before I head back to the trail on Wednesday morning.
Last note: after walking 1,000 miles and staying in 70 different spots where I could lose my iPhone, I lost it somewhere between the ATC and Dulles Airport!
Anyway - that's 1,015 miles behind me and I am off to Grinnell, Iowa to pick up my son, Ben, from school. It was great getting home last night...Carolyn allowed a hug and a kiss but really freaked out at my appearance. She thinks I could go for a homeless person and said everyone was staring at me at Beans & Barley (where we went out to dinner). Was able to enter the house after taking all my clothes off and was allowed to take a long hot shower. Our good friends, Nomad (Bill) and Dancing Queen (Victoria) even stopped by to say hello.
So, off to Grinnell this morning...need to do lots of updating...and hope to do so before I head back to the trail on Wednesday morning.
Last note: after walking 1,000 miles and staying in 70 different spots where I could lose my iPhone, I lost it somewhere between the ATC and Dulles Airport!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Soggy But Still Hanging in There
Hope to have time to update everyone on the stories of the last couple of weeks...but have been a tad busy putting on the miles. Have had some long days the past week or so due to the lousy weather and the terrain. Longest day was a marathon - exactly 26.2 miles! Doesn't come close to matching Bird's 35.9 miles - but if you handicap for age, that's pretty good. Most days of late have been between 18 and 22 miles a day. I couldn't imagine doing that kind of mileage but it seems to happen magically at the tail end of Virgina.
The weather has been flat out lousy...fog, cloudy, thunderstorms and a ton of rain. We are all soaked to the bone and are wondering weather there is a sun in this part of the country! I guess that our luck related to weather early on in the trip is flipping around...nothing like puting on wet clothes and boots in the morning. At least I've been able to keep my sleeping bag dry.
Again, more to follow...but am running out of time...it's past hiker's midnight!
The weather has been flat out lousy...fog, cloudy, thunderstorms and a ton of rain. We are all soaked to the bone and are wondering weather there is a sun in this part of the country! I guess that our luck related to weather early on in the trip is flipping around...nothing like puting on wet clothes and boots in the morning. At least I've been able to keep my sleeping bag dry.
Again, more to follow...but am running out of time...it's past hiker's midnight!
15 Things I Will Do When I Am Home This Weekend!
1. Hug and kiss Carolyn when she picks me up late Friday night.
2. Let her hose me down in the backyard before she lets me in the house.
3. Take a very hot shower for at least 30 minutes.
4. Fix a vodka gimlet with real lime juice and Grey Goose vodka.
5. Have my second vodka gimlet.
6. Sleep in my own bed if Carolyn lets me.
7. Get up Saturday morning and drive to Grinnell, Iowa.
8. Hug and "high-five" my son, Ben.
9. Have a steak and vodka gimlet at the steak house in Grinnell.
10. Have a big huge breakfast at the greasy spoon diner in Grinnell.
11. Come home and sleep in my own bed again.
12. Go to Alterra on early Monday morning and have coffee and say hello to anyone who stops by.
13. Drive my BMW around town.
14. Stop in and say hello to the SHS Track team.
15. Get together with some good friends and share some stories!
2. Let her hose me down in the backyard before she lets me in the house.
3. Take a very hot shower for at least 30 minutes.
4. Fix a vodka gimlet with real lime juice and Grey Goose vodka.
5. Have my second vodka gimlet.
6. Sleep in my own bed if Carolyn lets me.
7. Get up Saturday morning and drive to Grinnell, Iowa.
8. Hug and "high-five" my son, Ben.
9. Have a steak and vodka gimlet at the steak house in Grinnell.
10. Have a big huge breakfast at the greasy spoon diner in Grinnell.
11. Come home and sleep in my own bed again.
12. Go to Alterra on early Monday morning and have coffee and say hello to anyone who stops by.
13. Drive my BMW around town.
14. Stop in and say hello to the SHS Track team.
15. Get together with some good friends and share some stories!
Soaked & Mildewed...But I'm Coming Home (for a few days)!
Sitting here drying out at a wonderful hiker hostel called Bear's Den. It's owned by the ATC and has been heavily supported by a wonderful man from Wisconsin through the years. The hostel is in an old stone mansion that was renovated and now maintained for the benefit of thru-hikers. You get a bunk (clean, with sheets), a hot shower (with towel), laundry, a tombstone pizza, soda and a pint of Ben & Jerry's for $27.50. Not bad considering what you get!
Anyway, that's not the reason I am writing...my goal has been to reach Harper's Ferry in time to fly back home to drive six hours to pick up Ben from school and it looks like I will be able to do so.
I AM NOW 5 MILES AWAY FROM THE 1,000 MILE MARK AND 20 MILES AWAY FROM HARPER'S FERRY.
Provided the weather isn't awful (it has been for the past 1-1/2 weeks) I should be able to hike the 20 miles into Harper's Ferry tomorrow and get in late Thursday night. Will work my way to Dulles and catch a flight out on Friday, hop in the car Saturday morning and be back on Sunday.
Then back on the trail on Wednesday morning...headed to Maine.
Can't wait!
Crank
Anyway, that's not the reason I am writing...my goal has been to reach Harper's Ferry in time to fly back home to drive six hours to pick up Ben from school and it looks like I will be able to do so.
I AM NOW 5 MILES AWAY FROM THE 1,000 MILE MARK AND 20 MILES AWAY FROM HARPER'S FERRY.
Provided the weather isn't awful (it has been for the past 1-1/2 weeks) I should be able to hike the 20 miles into Harper's Ferry tomorrow and get in late Thursday night. Will work my way to Dulles and catch a flight out on Friday, hop in the car Saturday morning and be back on Sunday.
Then back on the trail on Wednesday morning...headed to Maine.
Can't wait!
Crank
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Mile 800 Mark Surpassed Today! Mental and Physical Health Update Also
The Dutch Haus is a mile 814.9 so we surpassed the 800 mile mark today along the way - nice milestone - but the big one is to Harper's Ferry at the 1015 mile mark. 200 miles to go to take a couple of zeros to come home for a couple of days.
On the health front, physically feeling pretty darn good...feet look like a mess but they are actually holding up pretty good after swapping out my boots in Detroit - same brand - just one full shoe size up. Constant aches and pains but nothing that is getting in the way of getting the job done. There are a few that are having to get off the trail to nurse injuries and wonder whether some have dropped from the trail because we don't see them in the shelter journals. Anway, physcially ok.
Mentally I am in just a tiny funk and I think it's related to the fact that I set such a substantial goal to get to Harper's Ferry that it's kind of getting to me. So I decided today that I am going to focus day to day and not worry about a specific date. Seems like it helped today. The other thing is that I changed out to a lighter weight pack - with less support. So it's sort of like starting all over again...trying to get the adjustments just right. It's been killing my shoulders so I can see that the support is less and I am going to have to build up my muscles.
Good news - weighed myself here at Dutch Haus - staying at 168 lbs - 15 lbs less than when I started - at least it has stablized since I started force feeding myself with everything I can.
All for now...PLEASE KEEP COMMENTS AND ENCOURAGEMENT COMING - HELPS ALOT!
On the health front, physically feeling pretty darn good...feet look like a mess but they are actually holding up pretty good after swapping out my boots in Detroit - same brand - just one full shoe size up. Constant aches and pains but nothing that is getting in the way of getting the job done. There are a few that are having to get off the trail to nurse injuries and wonder whether some have dropped from the trail because we don't see them in the shelter journals. Anway, physcially ok.
Mentally I am in just a tiny funk and I think it's related to the fact that I set such a substantial goal to get to Harper's Ferry that it's kind of getting to me. So I decided today that I am going to focus day to day and not worry about a specific date. Seems like it helped today. The other thing is that I changed out to a lighter weight pack - with less support. So it's sort of like starting all over again...trying to get the adjustments just right. It's been killing my shoulders so I can see that the support is less and I am going to have to build up my muscles.
Good news - weighed myself here at Dutch Haus - staying at 168 lbs - 15 lbs less than when I started - at least it has stablized since I started force feeding myself with everything I can.
All for now...PLEASE KEEP COMMENTS AND ENCOURAGEMENT COMING - HELPS ALOT!
Dutch Haus Overnight is Wonderful
Bird - you're right, the Dutch Haus is great! It's worth the extra 1.1 mile hike down the hill to the great hospitality of Lois and Earl. Bolt, Greenlight, Steady, Fire Fly and Lobster Man are here for a quick break from the trail, a dinner of meatloaf and baked potatoes, a little laundry, a hot shower with robe (everyone is lounging in their robes in the living room!) and a very comfortable bunkhouse with real beds! A great way to end a pretty decent day which started with a huge up with a wet tent.
Shooting for 20 miles tomorrow and maybe making it in to Waynesboro on Tuesday evening. Keep our fingers crossed.
Crankdaddy
Shooting for 20 miles tomorrow and maybe making it in to Waynesboro on Tuesday evening. Keep our fingers crossed.
Crankdaddy
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
New Pack, Sleeping Bag and No More Winter Gear - Ready to Push On
It's almost summer down here so it's time to ship home the winter gear and swap out for summer gear. Purchased a lighter weight pack, a 40 degree sleeping bag and sent home the down jacket and long underwear. Hope it's not too soon!
720 Miles Done...Pushing On to Harpers Ferry by the 19th - Can I Do It?
If luck, legs, weather and mental attitude holds out I have a shot at getting to Harpers Ferry - the virtual half way point of 1,015 miles in time to fly back to Milwaukee to join Carolyn and Elana for a trip to Grinnell to pick Ben up from school.
Can I do it? Will have to average about 18 miles a day starting tomorrow. According to "the gang", that's what they have been planning all along so if I can stay up with them I think this is achievable. Haven't told Carolyn yet, so this will be a test to see if she reads my blog :)
Won't kill myself to do it, but it certainly is a huge incentive. Everyone seems to take a couple of days off at Harpers Ferry and it would be really cool to go home for two days to see Carolyn, pick up Ben and maybe even see some friends.
Am I crazy?
Can I do it? Will have to average about 18 miles a day starting tomorrow. According to "the gang", that's what they have been planning all along so if I can stay up with them I think this is achievable. Haven't told Carolyn yet, so this will be a test to see if she reads my blog :)
Won't kill myself to do it, but it certainly is a huge incentive. Everyone seems to take a couple of days off at Harpers Ferry and it would be really cool to go home for two days to see Carolyn, pick up Ben and maybe even see some friends.
Am I crazy?
Stop Watch and Optimist Breaking Land Records!
Stopped in at a coffee shop next to the outfitters yesterday to get a smoothie and bumped into to hikers I had not met. Chatted with them as they were getting packed up - found out they started their hike on April 2nd! (I started on March 11th and feel pretty good about my pace). That means they have covered 700 miles in 30 days - or an average of 23 miles a day.
Didn't seem to think much about it...said that they did the PCT that way and just don't believe in zeros.
Pretty amazing!
Didn't seem to think much about it...said that they did the PCT that way and just don't believe in zeros.
Pretty amazing!
John Wayne Telegraphs News of Bin Ladens Demise
News travels fast and in strange ways on the trail. Yesterday, we were up early to hit the trail to make the best use of our resupply point here in Daleville. At about 7:30 am Fire Fly comes across some chicken scratching in the trail dirt. We stop to figure out what it says.
We read, "Osama Bin Laden is Dead" scratched into the dirt. We thought, wow, could this be true - and who could have scratched this into the trail since we were the first out of the shelter that morning. We wondered whether it was a joke or true.
Turns out it was true...and John Wayne strikes again with another massive day of hiking. He hiked passed our shelter at about midnight, putting in a 31 mile day and ended up getting the news on his smart phone at about 12:30ish and decided to scratch the message on the trail. Found out it was him that did it yesterday when everyone was asking about who might have done it.
We read, "Osama Bin Laden is Dead" scratched into the dirt. We thought, wow, could this be true - and who could have scratched this into the trail since we were the first out of the shelter that morning. We wondered whether it was a joke or true.
Turns out it was true...and John Wayne strikes again with another massive day of hiking. He hiked passed our shelter at about midnight, putting in a 31 mile day and ended up getting the news on his smart phone at about 12:30ish and decided to scratch the message on the trail. Found out it was him that did it yesterday when everyone was asking about who might have done it.
Haunted House and Witches Graves
We have also come across some man made things that I would like to do some research on at some point. One is an old, very well built, two story house built deep into the woods. By my estimation this house was built in the early 1900s. There is no explanation for it and remains in pretty decent condition given the quality of the wood and craftsmanship. The stairs remain sturdy enough to walk up to the second floor, even though part of the second floor is caved in. I would venture to say that this was a two or three bedroom home. Today, it is a haunting seen to come across deep in the woods.
Just after this house, up on a ridge called Bruisers Knob is a series of very large rock piles. Now normally you would say that this was due to early settlers clearly the land for farming. that might be the case but I don't think so because of the untold number of these piles and how some of them are neatly stacked - and in a series of rows. Bird calls the a witches cemetary...others have said they think it might be an old Indian burial site...I want to to a bit more research to see if there is an answer...but strange walking for at least a mile through this area of large stacks of rocks!
Dead Cows on the Side of the Trail?
This road crossing was a little odd. You could tell that something was amiss even before the crossing because there was a smell in the air that I couldn't quite place and there seemed to be more flies than usual. As we crossed the road we discovered why. On the side of the trail there were the remains of about three cows...hides rotting and skelton remains showing through.
We moved out of the area pretty quickly but I got to thinking, how can this be? They certainly didn't die there all at once. Why would a farmer make the effort to lug three dead cows up the side of a mountain and ditch them on the side of the trail? Are there some strange animal rituals that take place in VA that we aren't tuned into? The questions remain unanswered; however, at the next shelter we stopped at for a bite to eat one of the earlier hikers was kind enough to duct tape a took into the shelter journal as a reminder of what we just saw. (Was that you Green Light?)
Six Car Garage Hostel, Red Cross Cots and a Rooster With a Napoleon Complex
One of our major goals on this leg of the journey was to get to Home Place Restaurant before they close. This restaurant is an institution for thru-hikers and the community alike. It's open Thursday through Sunday and we were doing everything we could to get there before 6:00 pm closing time on Sunday. We planned the entire stretch from Pearisburg with this notion in mind.
The restaurant is special because it's an all you can eat place with either "two meats" for $13.00 or "three meats" for $14.00...with all the fixens'.
We powered through the week making really good time - good enough to consider staying at a recently reopened hiker hostel we had heard about from Don Raines and the Captain. We decided to check it out, thinking that since it just reopened last week it should be fairly decent.
In the category of "cleanliness" I would say it was above average, but in the category of "hostel-like" it was a bit odd. Joe's property is very nice and the setting was pleasant, but the "hostel" is a very large garage with three double doors. Entering the hostel-garage you can see that it's set up more for cars and a tool shop than it is for a hostel. True, there is a hot shower and a plumbed toilet in the corner; however the "bunkhouse" is made up of a couple of stained Red Cross cots and patio chairs set up on the concrete floor for one to layout a sleeping bag next to the shop vac, etc.
We went to sleep with the ducks squacking, worked our way through the evening listening to the cats mousing in the attic of the garage and was awakened at about 5:00 am by a whimpy rooster who wanted to be the first to wake everyone up even though he couldn't get his act together for a good healthly rooster screech (even though he tried for at least an hour).
Mind you, I am not complaining - and it was pay by donation - but it was one of those experiences on the trail to remember. Can't say that I have stayed in a garage before!
The stay did get us to the Home Place one day early and Joe was kind enough to drive us the two miles to get there. There were what seemed like hundereds of people spread out on the porches, the gazebo and lawn waiting to eat but we bumped into Shorts, who already had his name on the list, and we were seating within 15 minutes and pigging out on the "three meats" special for $14.00 plus tip. We had ham, fried chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, corn, apple sauce, coleslaw and peach cobbler - multiple helpings of all...oh yeah, a big pitcher of sweet tea and lemonade. All pretty tasty and great calories!
The restaurant is special because it's an all you can eat place with either "two meats" for $13.00 or "three meats" for $14.00...with all the fixens'.
We powered through the week making really good time - good enough to consider staying at a recently reopened hiker hostel we had heard about from Don Raines and the Captain. We decided to check it out, thinking that since it just reopened last week it should be fairly decent.
In the category of "cleanliness" I would say it was above average, but in the category of "hostel-like" it was a bit odd. Joe's property is very nice and the setting was pleasant, but the "hostel" is a very large garage with three double doors. Entering the hostel-garage you can see that it's set up more for cars and a tool shop than it is for a hostel. True, there is a hot shower and a plumbed toilet in the corner; however the "bunkhouse" is made up of a couple of stained Red Cross cots and patio chairs set up on the concrete floor for one to layout a sleeping bag next to the shop vac, etc.
We went to sleep with the ducks squacking, worked our way through the evening listening to the cats mousing in the attic of the garage and was awakened at about 5:00 am by a whimpy rooster who wanted to be the first to wake everyone up even though he couldn't get his act together for a good healthly rooster screech (even though he tried for at least an hour).
Mind you, I am not complaining - and it was pay by donation - but it was one of those experiences on the trail to remember. Can't say that I have stayed in a garage before!
The stay did get us to the Home Place one day early and Joe was kind enough to drive us the two miles to get there. There were what seemed like hundereds of people spread out on the porches, the gazebo and lawn waiting to eat but we bumped into Shorts, who already had his name on the list, and we were seating within 15 minutes and pigging out on the "three meats" special for $14.00 plus tip. We had ham, fried chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, corn, apple sauce, coleslaw and peach cobbler - multiple helpings of all...oh yeah, a big pitcher of sweet tea and lemonade. All pretty tasty and great calories!
The Nine Lives of Battle Cat!
During our quick visit in Pearisburg I was able to catch up with OTT and Battle Cat at the Mexican restaurant. Battle Cat was really hobbling due to her knees really having problems. This has been on top of problems with her feet going back to NOC (from my recollection) - changing boots only to have major bruices on her ankles.
Seems like each of this injuries would knock an average person down and out (me for sure). But not Battle Cat. As I headed into the hills I was contemplating whether I would see OTT and Battle Cat again by the looks of her knees and the pain she seemed to be suffering. So I was quite surprised when she and OTT showed up at one of the shelters a couple days later - AFTER PUTTING IN A 25 MILE DAY! Knees braces seemed to solve the problem for her and on she goes!
It's one of the amazing things I have observed on the trail - the perseverance of the younger set to move on and work through the injuries.
Battle Cat has at least 6 more lives...the three injuries that I know she suffered through would have put me down in a heart beat!
Seems like each of this injuries would knock an average person down and out (me for sure). But not Battle Cat. As I headed into the hills I was contemplating whether I would see OTT and Battle Cat again by the looks of her knees and the pain she seemed to be suffering. So I was quite surprised when she and OTT showed up at one of the shelters a couple days later - AFTER PUTTING IN A 25 MILE DAY! Knees braces seemed to solve the problem for her and on she goes!
It's one of the amazing things I have observed on the trail - the perseverance of the younger set to move on and work through the injuries.
Battle Cat has at least 6 more lives...the three injuries that I know she suffered through would have put me down in a heart beat!
Look, a Cute Baby Bear! Oh, Oh, Where's Moma Bear?
I guess they call this the danger zone...bumping into baby bear and wondering where moma bear is. I finally saw my first bear a couple of days ago as Fire Fly and I (we are most likely to be hiking together because of our pace) were hiking through the woods. For some reason I decided to look up from the trail rocks and roots and off to the right was a baby bear looking at me with ears perked up looking just like the bear on the cover of "Walk in the Woods". I called out to Fire Fly to stop and we watched him watch us as we wondered where moma bear was. Baby bear finally wondered down the hill to the left so we assumed that moma bear was down there.
All in all, pretty cool!
All in all, pretty cool!
Zip Line Just a Tad Too Low in Raging River - Butt Gets Soaked
Fire Fly and I were the first out of Pine Swamp Branch Shelter after the huge storm the night before and scaled down to what is now the "river's edge" to the zip line. The water was wild, deep and fast. At that point we didn't know that the river was 3 feet higher than normal due to the rains the night before. I got on the zipline (scared to death, but that's not the point), started heading over only to discover that my butt and boots didn't quite clear the river. Fire Fly was kind enough to reel me back as I was stuck in the middle trying to stay dry.
We initially decided to give it up but after encouraging Fire Fly to at least sit on it to give it a try, before you knew it she was not only sitting on the bench, but zipped right over to the other side. I had no choice but to follow; took off my boots, got rid of camera, etc., crossed my fingers and zipped across without losing my life.
Had a great visit with the Captain, a soda and zipped back soaking my butt once again but it was well worth the experience.
Heard yesterday that Nero had a completely different experience the next day...found another cable across the river, thinking it was the Captain's. Guess there was no bench so he was encouraged by Cayenne to cross by latching his legs over the cable and going hand over hand across the still-raging-river. Guess Sho Fly was none too happy about it but he survived just the same. Had to hike a way to finally get to Captains as the others found the real - and safer zipline.
Weather Was Bad - But Not Like Other Parts of the South
Slack packing into Pine Swamp Branch Shelter was a good decision for us that day because we knew that there was going to be bad weather late in the day or in the evening - so the earlier we got to the shelter, the better.
Turns out that it was a good call because bad weather did arrive in the evening...major, major rainstorms, thunder and lightening. Fortunately the wind was not real strong so we stayed dry throughout the evening but it made for a restless night for sure. However, it was unsettling to be in the shelter that was recently rebuilt due to one or two trees destroying it a few years back in a big storm. There were several large dead trees up behind the shelter that were ripe for a repeat that night but it didn't happen.
We had no idea just how bad the weather was until we began receiving inquiries about our health from friends and family thoughout the next couple of days. It sounds like the south had some really bad weather...we got it, but nothing like Alabama!
Best guess based on the volume of water in the streams and rivers the next morning: 3-4 inches of rain. This was not half as bad as the "two days of hell freezing over" at Mt. Rogers.
Turns out that it was a good call because bad weather did arrive in the evening...major, major rainstorms, thunder and lightening. Fortunately the wind was not real strong so we stayed dry throughout the evening but it made for a restless night for sure. However, it was unsettling to be in the shelter that was recently rebuilt due to one or two trees destroying it a few years back in a big storm. There were several large dead trees up behind the shelter that were ripe for a repeat that night but it didn't happen.
We had no idea just how bad the weather was until we began receiving inquiries about our health from friends and family thoughout the next couple of days. It sounds like the south had some really bad weather...we got it, but nothing like Alabama!
Best guess based on the volume of water in the streams and rivers the next morning: 3-4 inches of rain. This was not half as bad as the "two days of hell freezing over" at Mt. Rogers.
Face Plant Retires My Grinnell XC Cap
Coach Freeman: the cap goes into retirement but did a lot of recruiting for you along the way. Hope to be back with cap on my head during the XC season in the fall - in safer conditions!
I Admit It: I am an AT Slack Packer - and Proud of It!
This has been a bit of a tought call for me but I got over it over the course of an afternoon at Woods Hole. There is a 10.3 mile stretch between Woods Hole and Pearisburg that is mostly flat and downhill. Pearisburg is an important resupply point but not a great place to overnight. The town doesn't have much to offer. So five of us got to thinking...what if we slack packed into Pearisburg, resupplied and then came back to Woods Hole through a shuttle...and we would entice Fire Fly to come back to join us and get her massage in that she missed on Easter Day? The plan was hatched and the next morning five of us took off to kidnap Fire Fly from the dredge of Pearisburg.
Hiking without a 35lb pack is like floating in space! Once we got into the feel of not having to trudge we thought it would be sort of fun to skip and run on the trail. Nero sailed passed me, Sho Fly directly behind and Shep coming down the trail with a big smile on her face. Juke Box closed the ranks strutting to the tunes on his smart phone. We blasted through the ten miles like it was a walk in the park. It got me thinking that it would be fun to do one of the legs as a trail run at some point along the way.
So anyway, we blasted into town, kidnapped Fire Fly, had a great lunch with margaritas at a Mexican resturant and we were back at Woods Hole by 2:30 pm. Don Raines shuttled to six of us for $16.00 - about $3.00 each with tip. We liked it so much that he offered to shuttle us the next day for a 19.2 mile slack pack hike to Pine Swamp Branch Shelter - pretty cool - for $18.00, or about $5.00 each with tip!
Slack Packer and proud of it!
Hiking without a 35lb pack is like floating in space! Once we got into the feel of not having to trudge we thought it would be sort of fun to skip and run on the trail. Nero sailed passed me, Sho Fly directly behind and Shep coming down the trail with a big smile on her face. Juke Box closed the ranks strutting to the tunes on his smart phone. We blasted through the ten miles like it was a walk in the park. It got me thinking that it would be fun to do one of the legs as a trail run at some point along the way.
So anyway, we blasted into town, kidnapped Fire Fly, had a great lunch with margaritas at a Mexican resturant and we were back at Woods Hole by 2:30 pm. Don Raines shuttled to six of us for $16.00 - about $3.00 each with tip. We liked it so much that he offered to shuttle us the next day for a 19.2 mile slack pack hike to Pine Swamp Branch Shelter - pretty cool - for $18.00, or about $5.00 each with tip!
Slack Packer and proud of it!
Is Woods Hole Nirvana?
Neville meets us on the soft green grass out front and immediately surrounds us with warmth and comfort with her welcome and introduction to her home. Of course I am always in favor of upgrading so Nero, Sho Fly and I decided to share a private room with a bath that has real plumbing and a hot shower (in the lodge). Everyone else opted for the community bunk house...a really cool building with a front porch, a stocked fridge and a hot outdoor shower. Privy as you would expect.
Woods Hole creates some sort of special "aura" that is really hard to explain. You just slow down a couple of notches, sitting in the rocking chairs on the porch, drinking wonderful smoothies and soaking in the sun. Several of us took Neville up on her offer for a massage (at least 60 minutes for $45-60) - one of the best I've ever had. I also participated in one of her yoga sessions (can you believe that?).
Dinner and breakfast is a huge community event. The meals are prepared with all local grown or raised food stuffs so everything is super fresh. The bread is baked fresh every day and the recipes go back to Neville's grandmother's days when she was running the hiker lodge. Michael has a huge organic garden.
To top it all off for me was being able to sit around the campfire at night as the younguns' pulled out their guitars and other musical instruments and made wonderful music. Hazard, a very talented young man, took the lead in rousing the group into an entertaining sing along. But off to bed for me early in the evening.
I ended up staying at Woods Hole two nights - first night in the lodge, second night in the bunk house because we decided to "slack pack" the next day. (Following post).
What an experience!
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