Day 127, 18.8 miles
Burke’s Garden Hostel/SOBO mile 1627.1 to campsite by Reed Creek/SOBO mile 1645.9
So many gorgeous views today!!
Slept extremely well in the hostel’s bunkroom. The mattresses were memory foam! Excellent. Got up at my usual 6am, quietly made myself waffles and coffee, and was shuttled back to trail at 7:30, all before the other two hikers woke up. During my northbound leg of this flipflop, everyone was up and moving by 6:30. Seems all the SOBOs and section hikers sleep past 7 or 7:30.
Climbed up to the shelter which sits on top of 4407-foot Cheatnut Knob and wowza! What a view! According to FarOut, the view to the north from the shelter (and the three-sided privy!) is Burke’s Garden, an 8-mile by 4-mile limestone sinkhole. The shelter is enclosed and I did not peek inside since it was possible someone might be in there and still sleeping.
Descended Chestnut Ridge and enjoyed spectacular mountain views as I walked through open grassy terrain. So incredibly beautiful.
The rest of my day was up and down through the woods followed by ups and downs through open pastures and treed farmland. So many lovely views from the pastures!
The water situation today wasn’t as dire as it has been lately. I am even camped right next to a creek that, while not flowing, has large and clear puddles into which I can dip my bottles. That feels like a luxury considering how many times I’ve dry camped lately. I don’t have to ration my water tonight or go to sleep thirsty. Yay!
My ankle is hanging in there. The double compression stockings keep it from getting worse, I think. Both feet hurt at the end of the day, but no more than they have off and on throughout my entire hike. My knees are both manageable. As long as things stay as they are, I’m good.
Day 128, 18 miles
Campsite by Reed Creek/SOBO mile 1645.9 to Mt Roger’s National Recreation Area HQ/SOBO mile 1663.9
The problem with camping by the only decent water source in a four mile radius is that all the local woodland critters also want to partake of that water. And they all did, from approximately 8:30pm until 5am. Pretty sure there were multiple deer, hare, perhaps a bear (though my canister wasn’t disturbed), chipmunks, porcupines, and some other noisy creatures, all making a racket, like toddlers plowing through freshly raked leaves.
I eventually decided to find the cacophony cute and managed to fall asleep.
Got up at 5, packed up in the cold (needed my puffy for the first time), and was hiking by 6:15. Witnessed dawn from the top of a wooded ridge, passed the 3/4-of-the-way mark (yay!), then gradually hiked down to the outskirts of Atkins, VA. Went through a pasture and said hello to some cows. Grabbed second breakfast at a gas station, then hiked through meadows and past the Settlers Museum. The museum had an old schoolhouse with trail magic – yay! That is only the second time I’ve had trail magic while heading south. Chips and juice and peanut butter packets. After that it was a 1500-foot+ long long ascent to a ridge, then some more ups and downs until I reached the Mt Rogers National Recreation Center Headquarters. The building isn’t open due to the government shutdown.
And here I sit at the HQ building waiting for a trail angel named Paintsplash to come take me to Marion, where I will zero before continuing through Grayson Highlands toward Damascus. Should take me three hiking days to reach Damascus…and then I will leave Virginia and enter Tennessee!
All my joints behaved today. Minimal pain.
Days 129 and 130.
Day 129. Zero day in Marion. Rested and watched Task (HBO)
Day 130. 22.4 miles
Mt Roger’s National Recreation Area HQ/SOBO mile 1663.9 to State Route 603/SOBO mile 1686.3
Slackpacking!
Mellow day, only two minor (less than 500 feet each) and two major (1200 feet each) ups/downs, plus the usual smaller PUDS everywhere. No viewpoints, but I did go through a pasture in the morning, and I saw a little waterfall with nice stone steps in the afternoon. Other than that, it was trees all day. Pretty leaves, though.
Arrived at 603 to a parking lot crammed with cars. This surprised me since this isn’t that close to Grayson Highlands – nine miles or so, which means an 18 mile day for a day hiker. Maybe there are other pretty sites before reaching the land of wild ponies? I’ll find out soon enough.
Temps up on the balds are going to be in the 40s and 50s tomorrow with wind speeds of 28mph and gusts up to 45mph. That I can handle. The kicker is the 1.25 to 1.75 inches of rain that are supposed to fall between noon and 3am followed by nighttime lows in the 30s. This all means cold sideways rain on completely exposed 5000+ foot terrain for miles followed by a chilly night with more rain. A shelter for the night would be a must as I do not want to set up my tent during a cold and windy downpour. I am not sure if I can make it to a shelter before that cold rain begins, and I am not sure the shelter would keep out the cold rain with those wind gusts.
So you can guess what I am thinking. Another zero!! I have only two full hiking days plus four miles to the state line, so eventually I will indeed leave Virginia and continue south. In the meantime, my left ankle and both knees won’t mind an additional day of rest. By the time I get to Georgia I think only duct tape, compression stockings, and multiple wraps will keep those joints functional.
Day 131. Rest day avoiding major rain and wind.
Day 132. 19.3 miles. 20.3 when including Mt. Rogers summit
VA State Route 603/SOBO mile 1686.3 to campsite just before Whitetop Road at SOBO mile 1705.6
Gorgeous and cold day. Wore my puffy wile hiking for the first time.
Grayson Highlands!! Beautiful high elevation balds and wild ponies.
Paintsplash brought me back to the trail. She painted many of the murals at hostels along the AT. Super talented lady.
Ascended about 1500 feet right away, then ascended another thousand after some flattish miles. Saw a couple ponies high up and photographed them as I stood on the trail. Open expanses of meadows, views everywhere.
After Grayson Highlands came the summit of 5726-ft Mt. Rogers, the highest point in VA, which is on a 0.5 side trail off the AT. I visited that summit 15 years ago with my daughters, but I did it again today since the trail is a National Recreation Trail and I wanted to check it off for my LifeQuest goals. The summit area contains a pristine and never-logged Fraser fir forest.
Went back to the AT and continued south. Passed the 500-miles-left mark! The trail became narrow and stayed in the trees with minor PUDs all the way down to Elk Garden. I saw dozens and dozens of backpackers between Elk Garden and Mt. Rogers – and it’s a weekday! Elk Garden’s parking area was packed.
Saw a large group of young military guys on a training hike. Nice fellas.
Went back up about 700 feet and am now camped in the trees 0.2 mile from Whitetop Road at 5177 feet. This is the coldest night I’ve had on trail. Temps are in the high 30s. So far I feel warm. If the nighttime temps drop into the 20s while I’m on the AT then I will need to add a couple things to my kit.
It’s so nice not sweating through my clothes. I feel so much cleaner at the end of the day.
Day 133, 21.6 miles
Campsite just before Whitetop Road at SOBO mile 1705.6 to Damascus, Lady Di’s B&B/ SOBO mile 1727.2
Was never all the way warm last night. I didn’t close my tent all the way though, so maybe that’s why. Temps were in the upper 30s. They may drop another ten degrees or more before I finish my hike, but I really really really do not want to get a different sleeping bag or carry more gear. My 20-degree quilt plus liner plus my layers should do the trick if I buy some hand warmers for cold nights and maybe one thin fleece. And I can try to sleep inside when really cold nights are in the forecast. And of course close my tent vestibule/flaps.
Woke up at 5 and packed up in the dark. Cold! Started hiking and got to see the sun rise from Buzzard Rock. Gorgeous views.
After descending Buzzard Rock in open grassland, the rest of my day was mostly in the trees. One can see the devastation caused by last year’s hurricane. The trail crews did a great job clearing most everything.
Saw the military guys again and exchanged pleasantries. Nice lads.
My feet hurt by the end of the day, but I dragged myself up and down the last giant PUD and entered Damascus. Grabbed dinner at a Subway, then continued to Lady Di’s B&B, which is only a block off trail.
Lady Di is a former thruhiker who now runs a hiker-focused B&B. Huge gorgeous home. Comfy beds. I am in one of the shared rooms tonight but only one other person is here, and he’s in the other shared room.
The other person is First Class, a guy I met in Harper’s Ferry. He recently took a week off and now looks like a different person. Before, he looked tired and done. Now, he looks happy and rejuvenated.
I don’t want to take a week off – I worry about getting through the Smokies before seriously cold weather/heavy snow arrives in that stretch – but I can do everything possible to make the next 471 miles easier. There are tons of hostels in the south, and I think I am going to stay in as many of them as possible.
