Week 6: Coasting Farewell to Virginia

Jenkins Shelter > Damascus

Days 36-42

Week 6 AT miles: 101

Total AT miles: 559.7

As I neared the end of Virginia, I slowed down a bit to savor the last of the state, the halfway point of this southern leg of the AT, and likely some of my last days alone on the trail.

I’d driven through Virginia many times but never hiked here. I’ve been amazed at how beautiful and varied the landscapes are. And at how well supported hikers are.

In most areas the shelters are so abundant that I’d pass two or three between the ones where I spent the night. The vast majority are well-designed and well-maintained, offering a privy and convenient water source nearby. Most stretches of trail were also well-maintained. Although I grumbled to myself as I climbed over blowdowns, there were relatively few, given that I’ve hiked over 500 miles.

Moving indoors, every hostel I stayed at was wonderful. I took fuller advantage of that option than many hikers and still skipped most of them. The owners, staff, and handful of other hikers I met introduced me to what a remarkable community has grown up around the Appalachian Trail.

Hiking in winter, I enjoyed hours of beautiful views almost every day. When I marveled at the scenery to one hostel owner, she said that she hears that from every hiker until sometime in April when the trees leaf out. I also enjoyed the peace and quiet of having the trail to myself more days than not, a welcome period alone with my thoughts as I transitioned from ordinary life to this thru-hiking adventure.

Day 36: Jenkins Shelter > Knot Maul Shelter

20.1 AT miles (4,921 ft up, 4,577 ft down*)

Today was slower hiking than the past couple of days. Some sections were still smooth trail, but rocky sections covered in lingering snow also made a return. I didn’t mind the slower pace because it was another beautiful sunny day up on the ridge.

For much of the day I enjoyed frequent views down to Burkes Garden, a large bowl-shaped agricultural area filled with picturesque farms. (Or at least they looked very lovely in the distance.)

Even though I’d only spent two nights out, I was tentatively aiming for Bear Garden Hiker Hostel, which I’d heard great things about from several people. But unfortunately, between the slower trail and sleeping in a bit to recover from two big days, I’d be arriving after dark. The owners are basically on-call from their home next door, so I didn’t want to bother them so late, especially when there was a perfectly nice shelter just two miles before.

* Whoops, completely forgot to include elevation last week.

Day 37: Knot Maul Shelter > Chatfield Shelter

19.3 AT miles (4,281 ft up, 3,832 ft down)

The highlight of today was without a doubt lunch at the Mexican restaurant located right on trail attached to a gas station. But I didn’t get there until around 3:00 p.m., so I’ll try not to get ahead of myself.

This stretch of trail passed through many meadows and pastures. Although they were usually slow going because of the lumpy ground, I appreciated the change of scenery. With pastures come stiles and some of today’s were especially tall. I always lean my poles through the fence before very carefully climbing these agricultural jungle gyms.

Beautiful old farmhouses overlooked many of the pastures (and today I saw them up close so can say that with confidence). Like many spots along the trail, these always provide at least half an hour’s immersion in an imagined alternate life lived in that home. The freedom to fully explore these thoughts and experience paths not taken is one of the great joys of thru-hiking and having my mind to myself for days on end.

Speaking of interior life, I had been dreaming of a fresh cooked lunch at the Mexican restaurant for a couple of days and it exceeded expectations!

The man who seemed to be the owner, manager, lone waiter, and cashier all rolled into one was very welcoming, and the ladies from the gas station came through the swinging door to chat as well. They were excited to see a hiker.

They had been surprised that there wasn’t really a SOBO bubble* in the fall, so I was able to share what I’d heard from a hostel owner farther north. Apparently, the main SOBO bubble encountered three straight weeks of rain and flooding in New England and most of them ended up getting off trail long before they reached Virginia.

To top off a wonderful day of interesting scenery and delicious food, I also passed the 3/4 of the way to Georgia sign this afternoon (or 1/4 of the way to Maine if you’re looking at the other side). Harpers Ferry is spiritually rather than technically the halfway point of the AT, so I wasn’t quite half finished the southern side of my flip flop, but it still felt momentous to have come so far.

* a group of southbound hikers who start from Maine in the summer; much smaller than the northbound or NOBO bubble that starts from Georgia in the spring

Day 38: Chatfield Shelter > Mt Rogers Visitor Center

6.8 AT miles (1,732 ft up, 1,709 ft down) + 2.5 bonus miles roundtrip to the supermarket

I planned a short day today so I’d have plenty of time to resupply in Marion. One of the town chores on the list was picking up a package at the post office and mailing home some other gear that I no longer needed. On the list of stuff to mail back was an ankle brace I’d been carrying as a precaution because of my terrible ankles (first severe sprain/fracture in third grade).

You can probably see where this is going, but it was definitely a surprise to me. I was cheerfully striding down the ridge, dreaming of fresh fruit to be purchased in town, when my ankle rolled and made that nauseating crunching sound.

Rather than take this as a sign to keep the brace, which was certainly my first impulse, I used it as an opportunity to test the theory behind sending it home.

The first two pairs of boots I used on this hike had weird design aspects that prevented them from being tightened into an effective makeshift ankle brace. My new beloved Topos, however, have a more traditional hiking boot ankle that I thought could serve that purpose. They did indeed tighten nicely, and I walked the rest of the way to my pickup location with only a few twinges.

By the time I got to Marion, I was feeling fine and had no trouble walking across town to the supermarket. I’ve found it funny to learn that some thru-hikers are determined to avoid even the shortest of walks that don’t count as AT miles. The very thoughtful shuttle driver was circling a few blocks after finding no spots in front of the hostel, and when I pointed out a spot two blocks away, he said, “Oh, a lot of hikers don’t want to walk that far.”

I guess that’s consistent with another surprising finding: a lot of thru-hikers don’t especially like walking. When we’re talking about motivations for hiking the AT, many people are surprised that I love walking and share that they endure the walking because they enjoy other parts of the trail experience. This is both baffling and impressive to me.

Day 39: Mt Rogers Visitor Center > Hurricane Mountain Shelter

19.3 AT miles (4,012 ft up, 3,389 ft down)

When I woke up this morning, I was badly tempted to take a zero in Marion and only convinced otherwise by the fact that I’d already scheduled a shuttle back to trail at 7:00 a.m.

The Merry Hiker Hostel is in a beautifully updated 100-year-old building in the middle of a vibrant small town business district full of charming shops and restaurants. Everything you could need is within easy walking distance, including an excellent outfitter right downstairs. I even got to enjoy a downtown Galentine’s event last night with some tasty punch and lots of fun local women.

The Merry Hiker was also the first hostel where I wasn’t the only current AT hiker! Many are owned or staffed by past thru-hikers, but I’d so far been the only guest or joined by folks who were in town for other reasons. A friendly section hiker was in the other bunk room, so I had the best of both worlds: a fellow hiker and a room to myself. Talking trail and exchanging info about upcoming sections was wonderful and made me look forward encountering my first NOBO thru-hikers.

But anyway, with a promise to myself to come back for a longer stay in Marion, I hit the trail bright and early. I had planned to hike to Old Orchard Shelter based on the mileage, but the weather forecast and helpful comments on FarOut changed my mind. Rain and gusty wind were supposed to roll in this afternoon, and Old Orchard was described as “drafty” and “leaky.” (I walked past the next morning and there were giant gaps between the logs that form the walls!)

Luckily, Hurricane Mountain Shelter, only five miles closer, was much more storm-worthy and turned out to be the best shelter I’ve seen so far. Not a drop made its way through the perfect walls or roof, or under the extra deep overhanging porch. Even the floorboards were perfectly joined, meaning that my routine sweeping on arrival was much more satisfying than usual. Mother Nature kindly waited until minutes after I reached this refuge to let loose the rain.

Day 40: Hurricane Mountain Shelter > Lost Mountain Shelter

22.5 AT miles (my AT mileage rather than mileage via the official AT; skipping elevation because I’d have to cobble it together from multiple sources)

Today I hiked over the Grayson Highlands, renowned for beautiful views and feral ponies. I however saw mostly the inside of clouds and horizontal rain. And the ponies were wisely hunkered down somewhere out of site.

I was excited, though, to finally spot an appealing blue blaze, although not one actually marked with blue blazes. (Blue blazes are also used to indicate side trails to shelters or water sources, but when hikers refer to “blue blazing,” they’re usually referring to alternate routes, in contrast to the white blazes on the official AT.) I’ve passed several blue blaze trails, but some were bad options in winter and others skipped nice sections of the AT that I didn’t want to miss. My only figurative blue blaze so far had been the two snowy days on Skyline Drive.

Today’s blue blaze skipped a section of the AT that’s supposed to have great views, but I’m guessing that the inside of the clouds looked pretty much the same from the AT as from the Crest Trail that I took. Amazingly, I passed a large group of backpackers who I later learned were headed for their cars to get out of the rain and head home early. One of them paused to chat and his excitement about my thru-hike was a great reminder how lucky I am to be out here and how many people hope to eventually be in my shoes.

Even before this lovely encounter my spirits were high. Hiking in windy, rainy conditions certainly has its challenges, but it also makes me feel like I’m having a proper adventure. I enjoyed many beautiful wet hikes when I lived in Scotland and Washington State, so those conditions also give me pleasant nostalgia. I sloshed along singing to myself beneath my poncho.

Today was way too wet to eat while walking, as I usually do, so I stopped off at Thomas Knob Shelter to try to shovel in a day’s worth of snacks in one sitting. Here I found the four remaining members of the hiking group from Atlanta I passed earlier, hoping for a break in the rain to dash back to their cars. They were fun to chat with between mouthfuls. We had a good laugh when we realized that they were trying to avoid a 4.5-mile hike in the rain, while I had 12.5 miles left to do.

The trail had become an ankle-deep stream for most of those remaining miles, and the leaves floating on the surface meant I often had to slow down to feel my way over the rocks and roots hidden underneath. I was glad that my shortened route made up for most of that delay and I reached Lost Mountain Shelter soon after dark.

Day 41: Lost Mountain Shelter > Damascus

13 AT miles (most on the Virginia Creeper Trail) + 2.5 bonus miles roundtrip to the supermarket

Another fun blue blaze today!

I was planning to get an early start to make it into town for a late lunch, but since it was still pouring, I decided to wait for full daylight so I could see where I was going. In heavy rain and mist the light from the headlamp bounces off the water making it hard to hike in the dark.

Happily, the rain that was forecast to last most of the day let up shortly after I started walking. I soon came out from under my poncho but left my pack covered to superstitiously ward off the next wave of rain (like how taking an umbrella often seems to hold the rain at bay).

I only hiked a few miles on the official AT before it intersected with the Virginia Creeper Trail. When I was living nearby in Johnson City, TN, I always meant to come ride my bike on the Creeper Trail but somehow never got around to it. So I was delighted to discover that I’d have this opportunity to finally check it out. I had the path to myself on this rainy Sunday morning and enjoyed my peaceful walk along Whitetop Laurel Creek, raging after the heavy rain.

Thanks to a quick pace along the rail trail, I made it into Damascus in time to eat lunch before heading over to Lady Di’s B&B, a very nice hiker hostel run by a thru-hiker who fell in love with Damascus. Lady Di has bikes available to borrow, but once free of my pack, I was happy to stroll farther down the Creeper Trail to the supermarket for resupply.

I was excited to meet my first NOBO thru-hiker at the hostel, a sweet and interesting young guy who made me hopeful to meet lots of good people over the coming weeks. Again, we each had our own bunkroom — I’ve been very spoiled hiking so early in the season and will need to get used to sharing soon.

Lady Di invited us to join her small Super Bowl party and stuffed us full of delicious tacos. Despite having no football fans in the group, we stayed up through the exciting conclusion, way past hiker midnight. (Yes, I realize that this gives away how far behind I am in posting updates!)

Day 42: Zero in Damascus

0 AT miles

I spent a restful day at Lady Di’s, eating lots of fresh groceries and getting Week 5 of the blog posted. I was planning to also get Week 6 ready, which ended today, but I met another great hiker whom I enjoyed talking with too much to get back on task. He was nearly finished a month-long LASH (long-ass section hike), and we may overlap again this fall during his next LASH in Maine and New Hampshire.