Bobblets Gap Shelter to Cornelius Creek Shelter

Saturday, 5/16

AT Miles = 18.3 / 755.4
Other Miles = 0.2 / 30.5
Total Miles = 18.5 / 785.9

It was warm and very muggy last night. Given that, I didn't expect to sleep very well, yet I did.

I was up and out early this morning. I always seem to be the first one up in the morning so I have to tip toe around eating breakfast and packing up.

Soon after leaving the shelter the trail crosses the BRP two times. At the second crossing an older couple were pulled over at the overlook and we chatted for a few minutes. They were very impressed when I told them I had hiked over 700 miles, and they asked to take my picture. See, everyone really does get their 15 minutes of fame!

The rest of the day was hike, hike, hike. It was pleasant enough, just nothing special to report. In this section the BRP swings east to go to Peaks of Otter, while the AT stays west, so I wasn't crossing the road during the day.

I stopped for first and second lunch -- I eat lunch twice every day when I am hiking -- and when I left from the 2nd lunch around 2:00PM I could hear thunder in the distance. It was getting closer and closer. I was still 5 miles from the shelter, and the first 4 of those 5 were a steady uphill. I hiked quite hard -- it was very sweaty work -- and managed the 4 uphill miles in 1:30 and the last dowbhill mile in 20 minutes, expecting the skies to open up every minuite. Well, the rain still hasn't arrived.

There is a weekend hiker named Andrew here tonight. After I cleaned up, set up my hammock, and did other chores, we were sitting and chatting when another man walked around the shelter from an unexpected direction. Apparently there is a side trail from the BRP (about 0.3 miles away) to the shelter, and John asked us if we would like some trail magic. Well, of course we would! So John and Andrew both walked back to John's car parked on the BRP, and a few minutes later came back with a two burner Coleman stove, a soft-sided cooler, and a backpack. John then proceeded to fire up the stove, warm up the griddle, and cook us eggs and sausage and pancakes. He also had a full gallon of orange juice. John kept cooking just as long as we could keep eating. Being the only thru-hiker here, I easily ate Andrew under the table. Then we all sat around and chatted about this and that. What a wonderful way to spend the evening! Thanks, John.

I asked John why he was doing this and he told us that his son, Snakebite, hiked the trail a coujple of years ago and had told him about all the wonderful things people did for him, so John was tgrying to pay some of that forward. A great guy.

Andrew is just here for the night, but he said he packed some extra food just so he could give it to any threu-hikers he met, so he gave me a bag of gnocchi along with some fresh cheese and sauce mix. That sounds like a great meal and I will eat that tomolrrow night.

So I had been planning to hitch iknto the little town of Glasgow on Monday to resupply, and have been worried because all that is listed in the book for Glasgow is a small convenience store and a Dollar General. But now I think I have enough food to wait until Tuesday when I can hitch into Buena Vista, which has a real grocery store.

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Daleville to Bobblets Gap Shelter

Friday, 5/15

AT Miles = 18.5 / 737.1
Other Miles = 0.4 / 30.3
Total Miles = 18.9 / 767.4

I didn't want to hike today. It rained cats and dogs last night, and it was cloudy and warm and muggy this morning. Just lying in bed watching TV really appealed to me. But I am trying to get up to Shenandoah NP by Memorial Day weekend, and I'll never get there sitting in a motel room.

I was lucky and talked the motel clerk into bringing my bounce box to the post office, so saved myself a long road walk. I was off around 9:30. The trail leaving Daleville just follows along the right of waqy of I-81 north for a couple miles, which makes for a very strange walk.

Eventually the trail worked its way out of town, through some farm fields, and up into the hills. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make the 18 miles I planned, since I got such a late start. But once I started walking I was feeling good and after two short days I made great time.

This afternoon I reached the point where the AT meets the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP), and then parallels it north. It felt like an old friend, as way back in '97 (?) I did a bike tour along the Skyline Drive and the BRP as far south as the James River. That's quite a ways north of here, but being alongside the BRP again felt nice. I even had a nice chat with some people at one of the overlooks where the trail comes out of the woods and crosses the road.

I haven't seen any turtles the whole hike so far, but today I have seem three. I also saw a rabbit, and quite a large black snack; all actually on the trail.

It is quite muggy and heavy tonight. I expect it's going to be a hard night to sleep. I am hoping to do another 18 mile day tmorrow. Till then...

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Lamberts Meadow Shelter to Howard Johnson Express, Daleville VA

Thursday, 5/15

AT Miles = 9o.4 / 7`8.6
Other Miles = 0 / 29.9
Total Miles = 9.4 / 748.5

Quite a crew of thru-hikers showed up last night, and joined myself and the two Marines already at the shelter. Everybody was talking about the AYCE buffet at Pizza Hut in Daleville, and they all decided to get up at 6:00 so they could be there by 11:00.

It was strange not being the only one awake early in the morning, as I am usually tip-toeing around trying to be quiet and not wake everybody else while eating my breakfast and breaking camp.

I was on the trail by 7:00 and in Daleville a few minutes after 10:00. The two section hiking Marines agreed to join us for the big feed, and arrived just a few minutes after me. By 10:30 the whole crew was assembled, and when the restaurant opened at 11:00 we were very disappointed to find out that they did not do a buffet!

All was not lost as we repaired next door to a Mexican restaurant that had lunch specials. Several margaritas, and boat load of chips and salsa, and a couple of lunch platters later, I was sitting sated and happy. The two young Marines said they had to hit the road home andleft. A bit later I asked for my check and was informed by the waitress that "thos two guys that were sitting on the end" had already paid everybody's tab. Wow. There were about a dozen of us so that must have cost them a couple hundred bucks. Thanks Bulls-Eye and friend (sorry, I only remember one trail name).

When I left the restaurant I headed across the road and got a room at the motel. After showering I walked up the road to do my shopping, then wasted the rest of the afternoon and evening staring at the TV. It's amazinf how enjoyable TV is when you don't get to see it much.

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

New Photos

New photos here:

http://www.allenf.com/gallery2/main.php/v/AT2009/PearisburgToDaleville/

--
~~~~~
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Catawba Mountain Shelter to Lamberts Meadow Shelter

Wednesday, 5/13

AT Miles = 8.4 / 709.2
Other Miles = 0 / 29.9
Total Miles = 8.4 / 739.1

I purposely made it a very short day today. It was actually quite difficult. I slept an extra hour late. I took my time making breakfast. I walked slowly.

I got up to McAfee Knob about 9:30, and I hung out there until 11:30, then I mloseyed on to the Tinker Cliffs and hung out there until after 3:00, then finally walked the last mile or so to this shelter.

The highlight of the day, other than the great views, was nearly getting run over by a deer. I was at a place where the trail comes around a large rock outcropping, and as I came around one way the deer was coming around the other way. That was one startled deer!

Tomorrow it's off to Daleville. We are only about 9 miles away and the plan is to be there when the Pizza Hut AYCE buffet starts at 11:00. Then I'll get a motel room, do my shopping for the next leg of the hike, shower, wash my clothes, and enjoy all those town luxuries like flush toilets, TV, a bed with clean sheets, etc.

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Seven Hundred

So did you notice in my last entry that I have reached the 700 mile mark? Sa-weet!

Only 26 more miles and I will have walked 1/3 of the trail.

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Brush Mountain to Catawba Mountain Shelter

Tuesday, 5/12

AT Miles = 18.6 / 700.8
Other Miles = 0.2 / 29.9
Total Miles = 18.8 / 730.7

Last night was an awesome night. I had a few brief showers blow over me, then the moon came out orange through the clouds. It was so bright some of the birds even started singing! It got quite cold and around 3:30 this morning I took the down sweater I use as a pillow and put it on inside my sleeping bag.

I spent the day hiking up and down mountains, clambering over rock ledges, and strolling through cow pastures (one even had a bull watching over his harem). The weather was perfect, cool and sunny.

I nbroke my "unbreakable" lexan spoon while digging Nutella out of the jar at lunch time. That gave me something to think about as I hiked this Afternoon, as I tried to think of various schemes to splint my spoon back together until I can buy a new one in Daleville. BNut as it turned out, I don't need to. A formeer thru-hiker out for a section hike stopped by the shelter here, and she gave me a spoon. Score! That is what is known as "trail magic".

I've got a really short day planned for tomorrow, and intyend to spend most of the day just lazing about at McAfee Knob and along the Tinker Cliffs. Then on Thursday another short day into Daleville so I'll be there early and will be able to make the most of my town stay.

I am here with three section hikers from South Carolina tonight. They should be fun company.

Oh! Since I ate so much at the Hiker Feed yesterday I didn't have to cook my dinner last night, so I am having TWO dinners tonight.Now that's living large!

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Laurel Creek Shelter to Brush Mountain

Monday, 5/11

AT Miles = 18.5 / 682.2
Other Miles = 1.0 / 29.7
Total Miles = 19.5 / 711.9

Today was about contrasts. I started the day with my mood matching the weather; cold and wet. But I ended the day feeling absolutely wonderful.

After hiking in a steady cold rain for hours, I managed to arrive at the Hiker Feed in Craig Crek Valley just as it was starting at 2:00PM. Lots and lots of food, drink, and wonderful company, and a warm fire to sit around as well. I stayed there for three hours, and never stopped eating. Beer, soda, hot mulled cider, chips, cookies, cakes, an amazing lasagna cooked in a dutch oven, fruit salad, hummus and pita bread, homemade brown bread, quesadillas, and some kind of berry dessert cooked in another dutch oven and topped off with ice cream! And on top of all that, by the time I finally left at 5:00PM the sky had cleared and the sun was out.

I was feeling so good, both physically from the infusion of real food, and emotionally because it's just wonderful when people do something nice for you just because they can, that I cruised the four uphill miles to where the Audie Murphy monument is on Brush Mountain, then walked about another mile until my watch said 7:00Pm, and I found a place just off the trail to hang my hammock and climbed in for the night.

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Bailey Gap Shelter to Laurel Creek Shelter

Sunday, 5/10

AT Miles = 14.6 / 663.7
Other Miles = 0 / 28.7
Total Miles = 14.6 / 692.4

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

It didn't rain last night, and the sky cleared this morning! The sun came out! It was a glorious day! Thanks, Mom!

In honor of Mother's Day, I would like to note that this hiker never would have taken place if it weren't for my Mom . Not in the sense that sher planned it, or always wanted me to do this, or anything like that, but rather because she raised me to believe that I could pursue my dreams and if I tried hard enough, I could attain them.

The plan was for this blog entry to be headed by a photo I have on the photo gallery of my web site of my mother from back in the day. Unfortunately I couldn't get it to download to my cell phone.

In any case, my Mom is a pretty remarkable woman. She's suffered the loss of a child, and she has raised a husband and three sons more or less to maturity. I shudder when I think back on the stuff we put her through while we were going through our teenage years. But she never gave up on us. And Mom is always proud of the things I do, in the way that only a mother can be. She even thinks I'm a good writer!

So Mom, thank you for being my mom, and I hope you had a wonderful Molther's Day!

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Rice Field Shelter to Bailey Gap Shelter

Saturday, 5/9

AT Miles = 16.4 / 649.1
Other Miles = 0 / 28.7
Total Miles = 16.4 / 677.8

Water. The theme for today was water.

A series of storms rolled through last night. Storms with wind and rain and lightning and thunder. Five storms came through while I was in my hammock last night. The first one had winds coming in such a way that they lifted my tarp straight up and allowed the wind-driven rain to lash straight into my hammock. Fortunately that one didn't last too long, and my sleeping bag as a water repellant outer shell. After the rain I just wiped it down with my bandanna, and it stayed dry.

The other storms all woke me up, and there were some exciting moments, but for the most part I stayed dry and comfy, with the exception of some spray driven in under the tarp by the winds.

I left camp at 8:30 and at 9:00 another storm came through and got me soaked, but once it passed I dried out quickly.

There was LOTS of water on the trail today. Many, many sections of trail were running in several inches of water. It is amazing just how much raiin fell last night. After a few hours of slogging through water, things really got interesting when I got to what is usually a small stream that one would hop across on a coujple of rocks, but today it looked more like a white water river. It roared like the Colorado River pouring through the Grand Canyon (editor's note: the author has no idea what the Coloroado River sounds like going through the Grand Canyon. Please forgive his flights of fancy)

There was nothing else to do but take off my boots and socks, put on my sandals, and ford the raging stream. It was challenging and fun, but doing it with nobody else around is a bit uncomfortable since there is nobody to help if anything goes wrong.

There was also a couple places with blown-down trees where I had to take my pack off and crawl under dragginbg my pack behind me.

Then after lunch, there was an even bigger and deeper stream that had to be forded.This one had water up to my thighs, and it was nearly waist deep on some shorter hikers.

So I am at the shelter with a bunch of other hikers. It is raining again. There is so much water the ground all around the shelter is flowing in water. I am really happy I use a hammock and not a tent. I don't have to worry about trying to find a spot that is both level and dry.

I will be retreating to my hammock soon, and read my book and listen to the radio, and leave the overpacked shelter to the shelter dwellers.

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com