5/7-5/12/08 to Front Royal, VA

5/12/08  

I am at the Front Royal Post Office, satisfied with the Chinese Buffet, where I found a hitchhiker from millionaire baby boomers with kind words!

5/11/08  16 miles from Elkwallow Wayside to Tom Floyd wayside  

(5/10 was not worthy of a journal entry, but the 22 miles from Rock Spring Hut to Elkwallow wayside were a small chapter in today’s triumph)

               As much as I have rehearsed over and over in my mind what I would write tonight, still the words slip away when I am given the chance to finally express myself.  However, I can begin with my current situation to shed light on feelings past.  Currently I am sitting in the Tom Floyd Wayside, at 4 PM, listening to the violent intensity of a thunderstorm rage outside.  At 2PM I arrived.  Between 10 AM and 2 PM I was ferociously covering ground, racing through the 10 miles of terrain that separates these last two shelters, literally outrunning the storm.  My pace only quickened as I watched the dense layer of fog descend on the ridge, and felt the bitter chill of westerly winds growing.  And just 3 and a half hours before that, at 6:30 AM, I woke up in my hammock, a curiously early hour for me to start my day, but one that fate had it done to deliver me from the storm.

               Anyway, the greatest triumph of the day was walking out of the Shenandoah National Park, knowing that I had conquered 150 more miles of distance between here and Katahdin.  The ecstasy I feel when seeing the boundary of any section – whether it is a state line, highway, or forest gateway – is a surge of pride that I can hardly imagine the glory of seeing the sign at the Northern end.

               Upon completion, though, I think that the Shenandoahs are hardly worth the visit of a hiker’s feet.  The National Park was actually formed around the highway that meanders North to South, Skyline Drive, and is structured to provide tourists with astonishing vistas and glimpses of wildlife all from the secure convenience of their car seats.  The AT, however, winds along the lower shoulder of the road for most of its distance in the park, shielded from any spectacular sights, but in a comfortable range to constantly hear traffic.  However, several times the trail intersects the asphalt on scenic overlooks, where hikers can have the privilege of begging food from tourists.  Otherwise, it winds its way through a corridor of brush devoid of much wildlife, which has all gone to frolic in traffic or also beg for food.

               Now I am only relieved to be in a shelter, proud to have finished the Shenandoahs, and excited to step onto new ground.  I finally decided I would go to the Trail Days festival next weekend, since I have become somewhat of a hiking rogue at my pace.  It’s been a week since I’ve seen thru-hikers my age. Until more pages, good night.

5/9/08  12 miles to Rock Spring Hut

Today has been a leisurely celebration of my two month achievement on the Appalachian Trail.  For the first time in what seems like weeks I chose a relaxed pace to reach the Big Meadows campstore for lunch, where I encountered Whiplash and Applecore, and carved away the rest of my afternoon in the company of Bill and Jesse of the AsaDachi clan, who were shuttled north to provide trail magic in the company of Jesse’s step-dad.  For once my muscles and mind do not feel fatigued.

5/8/08  21 miles to Bearfence Hut

These 20 miles days are exhausting both my mind and body, and I feel that tomorrow I am due for some true relaxation, maybe only 12 miles. However, I am certainly honing my abilities of concentration, and can now easily walk 9 miles in a meditative state.

I stopped at the Lewis Mountain Campground store to resupply and indulge, and I am grateful all these wayside points exist in the Shenandoahs. Also, I did not wear socks today and it was great success.

5/7/08  25 miles to Pinefield Shelter

Reporting for yesterday is practically unnecessary and would be both full and pretentious, since the hiking kind of sucked.  I walked 26 miles from Rock’s Gap to Calf Mountain Shelter, on bleak Rocky terrain devoid of company.  But in order to feel the sweet sensation of hiking I have to swallow the bitter days as well.  I did enjoy staying at the Dutch Haus, which was the closest feeling to home I have had.

Today I intended to take an easy day to Blackrock shelter, until the Park Service intervened.  After walking 13 miles in arid heat without finding water, the Park Rangers shuttled me around the shelter where I could have found both rest and hydration. Since there was a controlled burn in place they insisted on shuttling me for my safety. “Do I have a choice?”  “No,” the Ranger replied. “Is the Loft Mountain Campstore (where I intended to resupply) open?”  “Not yet.”  “Is there water where you’re taking me?”  “No, but there is about a mile away,” he replied in an aloof, not-my-problem tone as he drove away.  The Park Ranger in the parking lot greeted me with a cordial “I hope you have a poncho for tonight.”

Foolish government agents, they have underestimated the thru-hiker’s power!

On the other side of Momentum

Today I reached Harper's Ferry, mile 1,011, the traditional halfway point of the Appalachian Trail. Going without a shower or dry clothes for the last 200 miles was certainly a test of my comfort, but the new lens I have for viewing the trail was worth every rugged mile.
Recently, because of flooding in Northern Virginia, I have had to cope with fording creeks, walking through mud, stepping over fallen trees, and swarms of greedy insects- but they cannot have my blood! Ironically, however, after all of this success, I am being shuttled 500 miles south today, to the Trail Days celebration in Damascus, Virginia. However, it seems like due time for some relaxation. After this weekend though, I am onward to the second half of the trail, to keep the pendulum swinging!

4/30-5/3/08 to Cow Camp Gap Shelter

5/3/08  16 miles  Cow Camp Gap Shelter

I have only outrun fate for a while, but now the inevitable has caught me---I’m confined with the Boy Scouts!  After 50 miles in the past two days and an impending storm, I have been forced into this shelter for warmth and rest. I think I concealed my insane ambitiousness tonight after suppressing my urge to hike the extra nine miles to the next shelter. Tomorrow however, I should have ample time to resort my thoughts at the Dutch Haus Bed & Breakfast. For now, however, I live in the void of thru-hikers.

 5/2/08   26 miles  Punchbowl Shelter

Today was a desolate hike, punctuated with bursts of company. The 13 miles to Matt’s Creek Shelter was arid and tortuous, but afterwards I was rewarded with a ride into Glasgow, VA and a pint of Cherry Garcia Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. This sustained me for another 9 miles to the Punchbowl shelter. Hiking into the night was somewhat disquieting, especially after seeing the silhouettes of looming creatures, including a bear!

5/1/08  23 miles Thunderhill Shelter

As the season unfolds and the woods become more hospitable, they become more crowded as well. Luckily my dirty, emaciated looks have solicited enough sympathy for food. Donations from section hikers have included prunes, cheese, almonds, chocolate, ramen noodles and M&Ms. Unfortunately, my food bag seems to hover at a constant weight, never getting lighter. Today I conquered Apple Orchard Mountain, devoid of orchards but adorned with a panoramic radar tower. It is also the highest point until Mt. Moosilakee, New Hampshire. Also I caught Handyman at the shelter, a surprise encounter since I have not seen him since before Hot Springs.

4/30/08  18 miles Bobblets Gap Shelter

It has been another lonesome day rounded at the end with company.  However, as I grow more capable as a hiker, I become more sufficient as a person, more secure and peaceful in my mind. The terrain is becoming more moderate, the weather is getting warmer, spring is unfurling its majesty all around, and my mind is clearer than ever before.

               In Daleville I bought open shoes by Keen, which have significantly improved my footing. Tonight I am camped with an eclectic band of section-hikers, all much more savvy of the AT than normal and at least wise enough not to wear denim!  The pride of my evening was building a fire on which to roast s’mores from a package I carefully toted 18 miles from the highway, left by a charitable trail angel.

Mile 800

This morning I rushed away from the slovenly den of Boyscouts at 5:00 am, breaking my 800th mile somewhere around the time of sunrise. Only the pictures can come close to doing my journey justice, because words just don't capture the feelings of standing on the roof of the world! Things seem to get better everyday too- springtime is settling in, and the hiking community is becoming tighter. Also, I have gained about 7 pounds- hopefully accountable in muscle mass. Here is a cyberspace thanks for my mom, for posting all my previous entries and pictures!

4/26/08-4/28/08 to Catawba Mountain Shelter

4/28/08 14 miles Catawba Mountain Shelter

Today the weather turned from a comfort to a crucible. It rained incessantly until noon—almost 20 hours of precipitation since last evening. But climbing the Dragon’s Tooth to meet a glorious gap in the sky was definitely a triumph greater than the challenge. My resupply trip to Catawba proved to be far more rewarding than I could expect. Railroad King was present to witness the luck my hitchhiking thumb wields. Two students from Virginia Tech drove us to the General Store and even paid for our supplies! We returned the favor by presenting them with our gluttonous eating spectacle. After a few fertile pasturelands and rocky ridges, I arrived here in the company of three section hikers who helped build a superb fire. Tomorrow morning I will reach McAfee Knob for Sunrise.

4/27/08 23 miles Pickle Branch Shelter

The rain is gently falling on this placid shelter and the garlic is gently digesting in my violent guts…the essence of camping.

4/26/08 19 miles Laurel Creek Shelter

I have finally broken the threshold of a new hiking crowd—leaving my lonesome void. This arid morning I met Jukebox, Popeye, Thorny and ‘lil Mac, all seemingly disillusioned with society, yet enchanted with the wilderness. They chose to stay at the last shelter, but I braved the oncoming thunderstorms, ascended a monstrous mountain and arrived at this shelter to meet Twiggy, Spoc, Snake and Whitefish. The threshold of a new crowd!

4/16-4/23/08 near Damascus to Pearisburg, VA

4/23/08  24.2 miles  Wapiti Shelter

Today’s’ hiking followed another series of patience-thinning ridges littered with jagged rocks and dismal views. But unusual surprises halfway through served to enlighten my mind. Descending the ridgeline we seemed to walk into spring—unfurled in all of its glory. The blooming trees and bushes were the most captivating part of the day. In addition to my sensual luxury we journeyed half a mile down the state road to Trent’s Grocery Store where I took the $4.50 fried chicken, mashed potato, macaroni and cheese special without hesitation. The last eight miles of the day wound through pine flats, spongy black dirt and dense wetlands, all a part of an ecosystem I have only just discovered. In addition to the evening’s benefits, I soaked my feet in the numbing water of Dismal Creek, and built a fire later. Pearisburg tomorrow!

4/22/08  14 miles  Helvey’s Mill shelter

A day of Bland hiking and Bland town exploration concluded quietly and peacefully. I wrote a long letter home and have a chance to read—things that I have had regrettable little of in the timeless land of freedom. It is hard to remember tat there is utter lawlessness when surrounded by other competitive people.

 4/21/08  19.1 miles   Jenkins Shelter   Bland, Virginia

Virginia is certainly not as easy as the popular conception. A 2,000 foot ascent to the Chestnut Ridge and eight miles of walking a jagged ridgeline were both challenging yet mundane. The Chestnurt Knob Shelter was gorgeous; unfortunately I moved on to stay here (Jenkins Shelter) and devour close to 5,000 calories. Tomorrow is the stop at Bland. I hope it is not entirely confined to its name.

4/20/08  18 miles Knot Maul Branch Shelter

After escaping the clutches of hotel living and childish thirty-year olds I returned to the sweet solace of the woods. Today’s terrain sloped over pasturelands and grassy hillsides—conducive to stopping, relaxing, and eating many Nutella-laden tortillas. Rabbit’s Foot and I changed places many times today being the only two on the trail and so relaxed by the landscape. I saw many bovine today. Virginia really is the territory of private lands and hungry cows. Tonight we cooked a whole bag of marshmallows, courtesy of Furniture.

4/18/08  30.6 miles   Partnership Shelter  Marion, Virginia

It seems an eternity has passed within the last two days. Time and space are intertwined, and I feel like I have crossed the plane of them both so rapidly. After reaching Trimpi Shelter, Furniture urged me on to another 10 miles to Partnership Shelter, a challenging test but an excellent medicine for sleep.  This morning Furniture and I made a swift resupply in Marion, VA after the ease of quick hitchhikes. I planned to walk another 3 miles past my current location tonight, but violent thunderstorms forced me into a room with the Asa Dachi Clan who are surprisingly hospitable. I just have to drift with the wind.

4/17/08  18.9 miles  Wise Shelter

I feel like I have already conquered the hardest stretch of Virginia; that I have already harpooned the biggest whale. Climbing Whitetop Mountain was an invigorating challenge, but Mt. Rogers, Virginia’s highest peak, was hardly memorable. I spent another day almost alone, and in sparse company when I wasn’t. The statistic says that half of thru-hikers are gone by Damascus, and I can easily see a thinning crowd. Furniture and I had the adventure of encountering wild ponies, a practically unbelievable episode.

I am unfortunately situated between two ends of the hiker spectrum—the full pacifying of Lady and the Tramp, a couple in their mid-fifties and the trite asinine thirty-year old crew, men who come to the woods to escape authority. Otherwise things are sweet on the AT.

New clever food technique… “fruit leathers”… dehydrated fruit and coconut puree, blended first, then dried.  (From Steadyon, Texas) 

4/16/08  15.8 miles  Lost Mountain Shelter

It is difficult to capture life out here on the lines of a journal and it is easy to transform the simple joys into pompousness and pride in writing.   Between the time I spent in Damascus and the campfire I enjoyed tonight, I learned that companionship really is the strongest force on the trail. I wish I could elaborate more in writing, but telling stories around a fire and a full moon are some of the greatest joys.

Lady and the Tramp stayed holed up in the shelter while the Asa Dachi crew-chief Daddy, Bill, Scooter, Hammerdown; Beavis and Dog, Major Miles, Captain Jack, Furniture, Free Hugs and I relived what it means to be young. 

 

4/12 Hampton, TN 2 Zero Days

My first extended relaxation from hiking put an entirely new perspective on life on the AT. Just as the corporate peons and cubicle workers deserve 2 days of leisure for every 5 days of work, so do we hikers need our time off. Yesterday was my first zero day; a day which includes no mileage and total vegetation. I used the opportunity to eat inhuman amounts of food, and play a tense game of Monopoly with Furniture on the porch of the Kincora hostel. I felt that Bob Peoples is extraordinarily generous in all the services he provides to hikers, and I am grateful that he opens his doors to tired hikers.

Today was my second sabbath day, which I spent with my loving mother and brother. We hiked about 4 miles of trail, and I was able to demonstrate a little piece of life on the AT. Afterwards we basically enjoyed the comforts of town living, including barbershops, antique stores, and restaurants. I feel reborn from all the great relaxation, but also eager to rejoin the trail and resume homelessness once again.