Another 130 Miles and a Yearning For Ponies

On our second day on the trail, we woke up, packed up our gear, ate breakfast, and then we hiked.  After we were done hiking for that day, we found a place to set up for the night, ate dinner and we slept.

The next morning, we woke up, packed up our gear, ate the same breakfast, and then we hiked further along the trail.  We found a place to camp for the night, ate dinner and we slept.

On the fourth, fifth, and sixth day?  You guessed it?  We did the same thing.

It’s almost like living the movie “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray.  If you haven’t seen Groundhog Day, Bill Murray’s character lives the same day over and over, eventually driving him crazy.

Bean and I?  We love the routine of a thru-hike.  Yes, it can get boring.  It doesn’t matter how beautiful it is out here, the trails and views start to look the same.  That doesn’t seem to matter to us at all.  Bean and I are different in many ways, but the love and passion we share for this challenge are the same.

No matter what happens, I get to hang out with my best friend and our dog every day, and we don’t want it to ever end.

As we hiked towards Virginia, we remembered hearing that many thru-hikers get the “Virginia Blues,” and quit the trail because they get sick of it.  We heard that hiking the AT in Virginia can be mind-numbingly boring.  With over 550 miles of the AT in Virginia alone, we can certainly understand why someone could get the blues.  You will have to wait weeks before checking off another state.

Not us.  We were hiking home and couldn’t wait to see all that Virginia has to offer.  We were looking forward to the iconic views from Virginia’s Triple Crown, confessing our sins at the Priest shelter, and the feeling of home as we trekked through Shenandoah National Park.  We can practically taste the beer from Bear Chase Brewing in Bluemont, VA.  The big bad roller coaster heading into Harper’s Ferry?  Bring it on.  We would soon be in our home state and where many hikers consider the quarter mark of the trail.  Damascus, VA.

While in Damascus, Bean and I bought new shoes for the next five hundred miles.  This is standard for most hikers, and we were no different.   I ordered another pair of Hoka Speedgoats to be delivered 60 miles ahead to Marion, VA, and Bean ditched her Speedgoats and switched to the Topo Pursuit trail runners.  She loved them.  Her knee issues seemed to melt away when she tried them on.  We were full of hope for the next 500 miles.  Ahhh… Virginia.

We also filled up everything else we could.  We picked up a resupply box and filled our packs.  We ate at the Diner three times and filled our bellies.  We stopped at the Broken Fiddle for the second time (more on that later) and filled our batteries.  I imagine us walking away from town with a “full battery” icon above our heads.  We felt great.

We hiked through Damascus and towards the next challenge.  We found a campsite along the AT about two miles from the edge of town.  Even with some high winds rolling in, Bean was excited about the next part of the trail.  The Grayson Highlands.  She couldn’t wait to see the ponies.

Bean, Beo, and I had been to the Highlands and seen the ponies two years ago for her birthday, but this time would be different.   We didn’t hike through three states two years ago.  I get her excitement.  I felt it too.

It was special two years ago, but this time was going to be even more so.

I also spoke with my brother Justin, who wanted to bring my father, niece, and nephew to surprise us on the trail.  He realized that he couldn’t really “surprise” us if he didn’t know where we were, so we made plans to meet in Grayson Highlands state park in three days.  The kids would love the ponies.  We would love to see them.  They all had the next few days off and wanted to see us.  Even better.

We went to sleep that night less than thirty miles from ponies and family.  Look at me.  Excited to see some ponies.

The next morning, we woke up, packed up our gear, ate breakfast, and then we hiked.

The plan was to hike 14.5 miles to Lost Mountain Shelter.  The plan included a stop at Saunders Shelter for lunch and a break.

The plan was to eventually find a place to set up for the night, eat dinner, and sleep.  Even closer to ponies.

What do they say about plans on the AT?

Passing by the Creeper Trail, we hiked up switchbacks towards Saunders Shelter.  I pulled ahead a little bit by myself and got to the spur trail for the shelter alone.  I waited. And I waited some more.

Where was Bean?

I started to head back down the mountain when Beo came running up alone.  In what seemed like an eternity, Bean limped towards us two two seconds later walking with a significant limp.  She leaned all of her weight onto her poles and looked at me with tears welling up in her blue eyes.

Shakily, she said, “I heard something pop.  In my calf.  It hurts so bad.”

We decided to head to the shelter and access.  She could barely walk.  The tears were now streaming.  A sight I don’t often see.  How did she get hurt?  Why wasn’t I right there to be there for her?  Was it the new shoes?  Will she be able to walk back down the mountain so we can get picked up?

We sat in the shelter with so many questions and our future on the trail was murky, at best.  All that hope we had turned to sadness.  We needed to get Bean off the trail and to a doctor.  She was only able to take baby steps.  Why did this happen to her?  She was so happy and ready to enjoy Virginia.  We both were.

My brother who was supposed to stop by and see the ponies with us in two days, was asked to pick us up and take us home for a doc appointment.  Bean, Beo, and I packed up our gear and headed back down the mountain toward the Creeper trail and Damascus.

That night, we would find a place to camp and sleep.  We wouldn’t eat much of our dinner.  We wouldn’t get all that much rest.

We sat in silence most of the night until sleep did kick in.  My thoughts were all over the place.  An injury was not something we planned for.  What do we do now?  We have come to love our boring life out here on the AT.  It is a thousand times more exciting than our boring days back home.

The next morning we woke up, packed up our gear, and hiked off the trail unsure if we will ever get to see the ponies.

The highlights and lowlights of miles 350 to 480

1 – Don’t Forget To Take Pics Of The People Too.  We have hiked with many different people up to this point on the trail. Through this section, we did quite a bit of our mileage with Ben “Double Puff” and Mitch “Firehoser”.  Ben and Mitch are best friends from Canada and are here on a six-month visa.  They started right around the same time we did, but they were planning on doing bigger mileage right after Damascus so they could meet their deadline.

They weren’t the only amazing people we met during this section!  Unfortunately for us, we didn’t take enough photos of the people we met.  I took photos and videos of the trail, the views, the food, and everything else but the people.  With Bean, Beo, and I having to get off trail due to the injury, we realized that we may never get to see these amazing people again.  My advice?  Take pictures of the people first.  That view will more than likely always be there.  The amazing people you meet, will not be.

2 – Miss Janet and Angels Helping Angels.  When we need a ride from the AT and back, we are basing your choice on availability first.  Cell service is hit or miss, and there usually aren’t any Ubers hanging around trailheads.  On those occasions where we do have multiple shuttle drivers to choose from, we go with the who is available.  As I have said previously, everyone has been amazing on the trail.  The shuttle drivers have been no different.

With a  particularly cold and wet night on the way to Jerry’s Cabin Shelter, we decided that we would get picked up the next day and head into Erwin, TN to warm up and resupply.  That is when we called Miss Janet.

When I called her the day before ICE-AGEDDON, I told her that we needed to get out of the woods to avoid some of the storms and get to Erwin, TN.  It’s almost as if she knew all of the answers before I asked them.  She told us to meet her at Devil’s Fork Gap and that she would pick us up.

The next morning, everything was frozen, including Beo’s harness/pack and Double Puff’s Ursack.  Additionally, other hikers now needed a ride.  I called Miss Janet and when I told her there were now potentially six of us needing a ride, she said she would make it happen even if her car can only fit four hikers.  When we got to the pickup point, she was waiting with a warm car and a huge smile.

Next to her car in the parking lot were two other former thru-hikers “Hip” and “Ladybug”, who were giving out trail magic!  Bean, Firehoser, Double Puff, Hyde, Blacksburg, and I were able to eat some food and drink a beer or two before Miss Janet shuttled us into town.  Before we left, Miss Janet’s car battery died and she needed a jump.  “Hip” moved her car over and gave her a jump.  Angels helping Angels!

On the ride to Erwin, I was able to speak with Miss Janet.  She has been involved with the Appalachian Trail for many years as a hostel owner/shuttle driver/trail angel and has so many stories and great advice to give.  I asked her what the best advice she had.  She said, “Slow down.  Enjoy the trail and don’t worry about doing big miles.  Nearly every hiker who completes the trail ends up regretting the fact they didn’t stop and enjoy themselves more.”

3 –  The Roan Highlands.  After spending a day in Johnson City avoiding the weather and resupplying (we couldn’t get a hotel room in Erwin that accepted dogs), Miss Janet dropped us back off at Devil’s Fork Gap.  We said goodbye to Lane as they wanted to do bigger mileage than we were ready or wanted to do.  Bean, Beo and I hiked over Big Bald, Little Bald, and eventually Uncle Johnny’s Hostel along the AT in Erwin.  Our experience at Uncle Johnny’s was great!  Bean and I have talked about starting our own hostel/B&B someday, so speaking to the owner was a treat.

We also got to meet Steve, from Unicoi Shuttles when we hiked towards Spivey Gap.  We didn’t use him to shuttle, but he was walking down the mountain picking up a hiker and we spoke the entire time.  He gave us trail magic and was extremely friendly.  If you need a shuttle around this area, he is the one to call!

On day 45 on the trail, we made our way from Clyde Smith Shelter to Stan Murray Shelter.  It was a 13.7-mile section and there would be nearly four thousand feet of elevation and over three thousand feet of descent.  It would all be worth it.

The climb up to Roan High Knob Shelter was my favorite climb on the entire trail, so far. As we neared the top of the mountain and approached the shelter, the terrain changed.  It was as if the screensaver changed and we were seeing a completely different picture.  The trail became rocky and then icy.  I felt like I was an explorer discovering a new area.  It was beautiful.

Climbing down the other side of the mountain through the pines and eventually to the bald, was a true roller coaster.  My breath was taken away.  I used two GoPro batteries and a whole SD card for footage of that day.  Hiking to the shelter, Round Bald, Jane Bald, and Grassy Ridge Bald were an unforgettable experience.  The weather was perfect.  Hiking with friends was perfect.  I could do that day over and over again and never be bored with it.

4 – A Plethora Of Hostels And An Incredible Breakfast. “Would you say that there is a Plethora of Hostels?” using my best El Guapo impersonation.  Why yes, yes I would.  During this stretch of hiking, we stayed at Uncle Johnny’s in Ervin, TN, Mountain Harbour B&B in Roan Mountain, TN, Black Bear Resort in Hampton, TN, Boots Off Hostel also in Hampton, TN, and Broken Fiddle Hostel in Damascus, VA.  Bean and I have a limited budget for this adventure, so we never intended to stay in as many hostels as we have over these last one hundred miles. We decided to mail resupply boxes to only a couple of them but ended up forwarding some resupply to the other hostels in between.  As all of you have probably heard, you shouldn’t make too many plans before a thru-hike.  Unless of course, you like making plans for no reason at all.

All of these hostels turned out to be exactly what we needed.  We were able to get a bed, a hot shower, and a resupply if needed. Most importantly, we felt welcomed.  I felt comfortable in all of them, because of the incredible people that ran them.

The biggest highlight from our hostel stays?  The breakfast at Mountain Harbour B&B.  We originally didn’t plan to stay there, but we decided to splurge and rent the tree house and get breakfast the next morning.  Sooooooo incredibly good!  The tomato casserole, which I had never heard of before, was fantastic.  I may have gone back for thirds.

5 – A Zero With No Power.  When we were heading into Damascus, the weather forecast didn’t look that great.  There were some storms headed our way with wind gusts over 60 mph.  Firehoser, Double Puff, Bean, and I decided to catch a shuttle into Damascus and stay at Broken Fiddle.  We were planning on taking a Zero, so we thought it would be better with terrible weather instead of being on the trail.  We got in on a Friday and zeroed on Saturday.

Saturday was a great day!  I was able to spend some time at the Library (highly recommend if you need to use the computer.  You can also recharge your batteries there.), eat a few meals (the double bacon cheeseburger at the diner was demolished), and enjoy a beer (or 2) at the Damascus Brewery (try the Beaver Rage IPA).   Double Puff, who had never had a beer, had his first beer ever with us at the brewery!  Once we got back to the hostel, we went to cook the hot dogs, baked beans, and macaroni cheese we bought for the four of us.  The weather did not cooperate, as the storm rolled in and the power went out for the entire area.  No oven and no microwave.  Bummer.  Zero days are not supposed to go that way.

No problem for “Treehouse” (he runs Broken Fiddle). He was able to find some charcoal for us, and we made hot dogs for everyone at the hostel.  With power out in the town, no one was able to get their resupplies and town food.  It turned out to be a great night.  We heated our baked beans and macaroni with some extra propane Treehouse had and we now had sides to go with our feast.  Freddy, the shuttle driver, gave us a few shots of bourbon and all was right with the world.

 

6 – I still can’t believe we hiked 400 miles.  I can’t believe I am actually typing those words and we actually did it.  That settles it.  We are badasses.

 

Biggest Lesson Learned:

Out here we have had to learn how to be flexible and roll with the punches every day.  Storms will hit you out of nowhere.  Gear will break.  We will get sick, or even, worse… injured. Challenges will pop up.  We could not plan for them.  After hiking 430 miles, we have shown the ability to handle those challenges.  Bean, Beo, and I are now being hit with new adversity.  Bottom line?  We are resilient.

We aren’t ready to go home.  We have ponies to see!