Shin pain was quite bad today, but managed 22 miles to give me a nice easy 5 miles into Waynesboro tomorrow where I'm going to take a day and a half off to recuperate. Hiked this afternoon with Hermes which was great as it took my mind off my shin, but also as we talked about football for a few hours.
At lunchtime today as I was sitting on some cliffs with my bag unpacked eating a peanut butter tortilla wrap, a dog ran over, slobbered on my food bag, jumped on me (headbutting me in the process) and then ran off with my red fleece jumper in its mouth. The owner eventually showed up and persuaded the dog to give the fleece back. The net result is that since I use my fleece as a pillow, I am sleeping this evening with my face resting on dried dog slobber. Don't say the trail isn't glamorous.
Tuesday 19 May 2009
Sunday 17 May 2009 - Harper's Creek Shelter
Have had better luck with the tent since the last entry - another thunder storm last night caused me no real problems and it's wonderful to have the reduced pack weight.
Have been hiking some big days (yesterday 23 miles, today 25) and getting yet more trail magic - got some apples and muesli bars from a Canadian couple yesterday and then yet more apples and candy from Hermes' Aunt and Uncle today (as they were dropping him at the trail head). In fact I've done so well that whilst most people have to hitch into a town to resupply in the 134 mile section between Daleville and Waynesboro, I haven't needed to.
Feeling my shin a little this evening but only a day and bit to Waynesboro when I can rest it. Very excited about Lisa arriving in the States in just a weeks times.
P.S. Passed the 800 mile mark today.
Have been hiking some big days (yesterday 23 miles, today 25) and getting yet more trail magic - got some apples and muesli bars from a Canadian couple yesterday and then yet more apples and candy from Hermes' Aunt and Uncle today (as they were dropping him at the trail head). In fact I've done so well that whilst most people have to hitch into a town to resupply in the 134 mile section between Daleville and Waynesboro, I haven't needed to.
Feeling my shin a little this evening but only a day and bit to Waynesboro when I can rest it. Very excited about Lisa arriving in the States in just a weeks times.
P.S. Passed the 800 mile mark today.
Friday 15 May 2009 - John's Hollow Shelter
Last night was one of the most crazy topsy-turvy evenings on the trail so far. I arrived at the Thunder Mountain shelter at around 6pm having hiked a 24 mile day and met a guy just leaving carrying a large gas stove and a big cool bag. He said that he had just cooked dinner for the people in the shelter, but that he'd happily set up again for me. So it was that last night I ate sausage, scrambled eggs and pancakes and drank orange juice (with ice!) until I was full to burst. The chap's name was John Hasty and he said that his son had hiked the trail 2 years before and he'd been coming out to two shelters that he could get his car close to to occasionally cook dinners for hikers ever since. I was more grateful than I could say.
So I settled into my tent with a full belly only to be greeted with the most intense thunderstorm on the trail so far. Water pooled under my tent and was soaking my pack which was sitting in the vestibule, so I decided to bail out and sleep in the shelter (albeit terribly).
In the tent again tonight hoping for better luck...
So I settled into my tent with a full belly only to be greeted with the most intense thunderstorm on the trail so far. Water pooled under my tent and was soaking my pack which was sitting in the vestibule, so I decided to bail out and sleep in the shelter (albeit terribly).
In the tent again tonight hoping for better luck...
Wednesday 13 May 2009 - Bobblets Gap Shelter
After the excellent day documentedin my last entry came another shocker. I hiked into Daleville on Monday with incredibly painful feet - they were so bad that I found it hard to stand by the end of the day. Decided to take a day off from hiking to let them recover so I treated myself to a motel room just for me (for the first time).
My feet healed pretty well and it was really nice to have some space to myself - I watched a baseball game on TV and relaxed. At the outdoor store in town I bought some new insoles and a new tent - the MSR Hubba for anyone interested (I've sent my old one home).
Hiked 18.5 miles today and the rest and the new insoles seemed to do the trick - the pain has gone away and hiking is fun again!
My feet healed pretty well and it was really nice to have some space to myself - I watched a baseball game on TV and relaxed. At the outdoor store in town I bought some new insoles and a new tent - the MSR Hubba for anyone interested (I've sent my old one home).
Hiked 18.5 miles today and the rest and the new insoles seemed to do the trick - the pain has gone away and hiking is fun again!
Sunday 10 May 2009 - Catawba Mountain Shelter
The AT really does provide some crazy contrasts - yesterday was so tough and today was just awesome. As I planned I got up early to hike with Snuggles. The sun shone as we reached Dragon's tooth a famous tower of rock - I climbed it and Snuggles took an awesome photograph of me - one of the best on the trail so far (see below). The hiking was very technical but really good fun.
We then resupplied at a grocery store just off the trail before hitting the legendary Homeplace Restaurant. We picked up an easy hitch in and the sight that awaited us was staggering - around 100 people milling around in their Sunday best waiting to get a table. We waited for one and a half hours, but the time passed quickly as lots of locals asked about the hike (one woman stood open mouthed for literally 20 seconds when I told her the trail was 2,178 miles). Then Snuggles, Ninja and I got out table and it was genuinely mindblowing. Imagine all you can eat fried chicken, roast beef, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits (like savoury scones), beans, coleslaw, spiced apples and homemade lemonade. And then cherry cobbler and ice cream. We sat giggling and stuffing our faces until we could eat no more then dozed on the lawn in front of the restaurant. Snuggles and I then hiked 2 miles to aid digestion and camped at a shelter.
To finish off a fantastic day I got mobile phone reception and spoke briefly to Lisa (whic was wonderful as always) and then checked the cricket scores to see that England won the first test against the West Indies by 10 wickets.
What a day!
P.S. Passed the 700 mile mark today.
Saturday 9 May 2009 - Pickle Branch Shelter
Had my first taste of the Virginia blues today - my feet were killing and my water bladder leaked inside my pack (fortunately my dry bags did their job and kept my clothes and sleeping bag dry). Only did 16 miles but found it really tough - felt genuinely like I was hiking through the pain at times. Will be hiking on painkillers tomorrow for sure, but we are headed for Catawba and the famous Homeplace Restaurant - it's all you can eat is meant to be fantastic. Only problem is that there are about 20+ other thruhikers with the same idea and tomorrow is also Mother's Day - could be pretty busy. The guys I've been sheltering with the last few days (Wags, Gangsta, Dutch, 1Pint , Stretch, Tinman, Hermes and Cricket) are all getting up at 3am to nighthike and be there when it opens. I'll be leaving camp about 7 with Snuggles who I saw today for the first time in weeks (we started the trail together). One of the best things on the AT is seeing people that you haven't seen for a long time - it's always raises a smile.
Thursday 7 May 2009 - Camping
Quite a lot of time has passed since the last journal entry - since then I've been in and out of Pearisburg, VA and stumbled upon some awful weather.
Pearisburg was good - I stayed in a motel room with Truckin', Narwal and Young Gun and unexpectedly it had cable TV so I was able to watch the Manchester United vs Arsenal game in the Champions League. Although the match itself was a little disappointing, it was great to watch some football again. Also ate an incredible amount typified by my breakfast on Wednesday morning. I drank a cup of coffee and a bottle of orange juice and ate 11 croissants and a jar of jam. And I wasn't full. Crazy.
Hiked out of Pearisburg on Wednesday but the weather was awful with torrential rainstorms so I ended up calling it a day after only 7 miles. I stayed in a very crowded shelter and slept terribly between two people that were snoring (and whose faces were just six inches from mine).
Am back in my tent tonight after a much more respectable 20+ mile day. Think I have finally decided to get a new tent as my pack weight is beginning to get to me and I could shed an easy 2lb with a lighter tent (that would also be quicker to put up in the evenings). Will aim to do that in Daleville next week.
Unbelievably sleepy now so will sign off here...
Pearisburg was good - I stayed in a motel room with Truckin', Narwal and Young Gun and unexpectedly it had cable TV so I was able to watch the Manchester United vs Arsenal game in the Champions League. Although the match itself was a little disappointing, it was great to watch some football again. Also ate an incredible amount typified by my breakfast on Wednesday morning. I drank a cup of coffee and a bottle of orange juice and ate 11 croissants and a jar of jam. And I wasn't full. Crazy.
Hiked out of Pearisburg on Wednesday but the weather was awful with torrential rainstorms so I ended up calling it a day after only 7 miles. I stayed in a very crowded shelter and slept terribly between two people that were snoring (and whose faces were just six inches from mine).
Am back in my tent tonight after a much more respectable 20+ mile day. Think I have finally decided to get a new tent as my pack weight is beginning to get to me and I could shed an easy 2lb with a lighter tent (that would also be quicker to put up in the evenings). Will aim to do that in Daleville next week.
Unbelievably sleepy now so will sign off here...
Tuesday 5 May 2009
Saturday 2 May 2009 - Helveys Mill Shelter
Had a really long day yesterday (23.7 miles) which left me very tried and with painful feet - looking forward to Pearisburg (the next town) to give them a rest. We were rewarded for our efforts with a campsite that had an amazing view out over a valley with a dairy farm (exactly as I'd imagined Virginia).
The most memorable moment of the day was coming across a 3 foot long black snake lying across the trail. You could see that it just eaten something quite large so was docile enough that we could just walk around it.
Today I walked 17 miles and they flew by as I had an ipod day - sometimes music really helps to eat up the miles. Other than that today was laregly unremarkable - bit too much road walking (which is very rare for the AT). Will hit a small grocery sotre tomorrow and then hopefully campout by a waterfall.
The most memorable moment of the day was coming across a 3 foot long black snake lying across the trail. You could see that it just eaten something quite large so was docile enough that we could just walk around it.
Today I walked 17 miles and they flew by as I had an ipod day - sometimes music really helps to eat up the miles. Other than that today was laregly unremarkable - bit too much road walking (which is very rare for the AT). Will hit a small grocery sotre tomorrow and then hopefully campout by a waterfall.
Thursday 30 April 2009 - Camping (Crawfish Valley)
Am camped tonight at the 25% mark of the Appalachian Trail - have sore feet, but otherwise feel good. Hitch hiking was a doddle - we got taken into town by a woman in a pickup truck and taken back to the trail in the back of a van.
Met some very unusual folk in Atkins - it's the first time I've been served at a supermarket checkout by someone smoking a cigarette. One of the guys in the store asked me 'So how is it in England?' When I asked what he meant he said 'Is its very clean? I hear England's very clean.' He then went on to tell me, Paul and Peg at length about how marrying a hillbilly womand had caused him to lase his hair (at least I think that was what he was saying, I could only really catch one word in five).
Got back on the trail this afternoon after speaking to Lisa but decided to call it a short day (just 10.8 miles) ahead of hitting another 20+ day tomorrow. Onwards to the next 75%!
P.S. Had my first bona fide culinary disaster this evening. I bought a can of BBQ pork from the store in Atkins that looked like low grade dog food when I opened it and tasted little better. It was more than 800 calories though, so I chowed down regardless - it was not pretty.
Met some very unusual folk in Atkins - it's the first time I've been served at a supermarket checkout by someone smoking a cigarette. One of the guys in the store asked me 'So how is it in England?' When I asked what he meant he said 'Is its very clean? I hear England's very clean.' He then went on to tell me, Paul and Peg at length about how marrying a hillbilly womand had caused him to lase his hair (at least I think that was what he was saying, I could only really catch one word in five).
Got back on the trail this afternoon after speaking to Lisa but decided to call it a short day (just 10.8 miles) ahead of hitting another 20+ day tomorrow. Onwards to the next 75%!
P.S. Had my first bona fide culinary disaster this evening. I bought a can of BBQ pork from the store in Atkins that looked like low grade dog food when I opened it and tasted little better. It was more than 800 calories though, so I chowed down regardless - it was not pretty.
Wednesday 29 April 2009
As predicted the weather broke today with several thunderstorms - the afternoon saw me hiking along an exposed ridgeline as storms threatened all around. I was trying to hike the 7 miles to the next shelter as fast as possible, but was impeded by the fact that at lunchtime I'd eaten a large pizza, some cheesy bread sticks and drank 1.5 litres of fizzy pop. Finally made it to the shelter, but the storms were all bark and no bite.
Into Atkins tomorrow to resupply - looks like I'll need to take my first steps into the world of hitch hiking as the town is 3 miles off the trail and I'm not walking extra miles if I can avoid them.
Into Atkins tomorrow to resupply - looks like I'll need to take my first steps into the world of hitch hiking as the town is 3 miles off the trail and I'm not walking extra miles if I can avoid them.
Tuesday 28 April 2009 - Camping (No Shelter)
Odd but interesting day today. It was beautifully sunny again and my calves joined the catalogue of body parts that I've sunburnt.
This morning, through a rocky section of the trail I somehow managed to get truned around so that I began retracing my steps south - fortunately some of the people I camped with last night were following close behind so I realised my mistake quickly (but not without embarrasment). Shortly afterwards one of my trekking poles with which I've been having some problems finally gave up the ghost and broke - I need to call the company to see if they can ship me some replacement parts.
I hiked with Monkey Wrench to the shelter that we were aiming for, but we arrived early (around 3:30) and so with Peg and Paul decided to hike a little further to find a campsite. However, there were no campsites forthcoming and so our planned 16 mile hike became a 22.7 miler. Finally found a campsite with lots of other folk (Skip, Truckin, Young Gun, Narwal, Gritty and Gromet) some of whom had packed in some beer from a nearby town. Was nice to sit by a campfire and drink a beer.
Apparently the weather is scheduled to break in the next day or so with rain on the way - at least it will give me abreak from sunburn...
This morning, through a rocky section of the trail I somehow managed to get truned around so that I began retracing my steps south - fortunately some of the people I camped with last night were following close behind so I realised my mistake quickly (but not without embarrasment). Shortly afterwards one of my trekking poles with which I've been having some problems finally gave up the ghost and broke - I need to call the company to see if they can ship me some replacement parts.
I hiked with Monkey Wrench to the shelter that we were aiming for, but we arrived early (around 3:30) and so with Peg and Paul decided to hike a little further to find a campsite. However, there were no campsites forthcoming and so our planned 16 mile hike became a 22.7 miler. Finally found a campsite with lots of other folk (Skip, Truckin, Young Gun, Narwal, Gritty and Gromet) some of whom had packed in some beer from a nearby town. Was nice to sit by a campfire and drink a beer.
Apparently the weather is scheduled to break in the next day or so with rain on the way - at least it will give me abreak from sunburn...
Monday 27 April 2009 - Thomas Knob Shelter
Following on from the last entry, I hiked 27 miles on Friday so that I was just 2 miles out of the trail town of Damascus, Virginia (having crossed the border from Tennessee). Hiked into town on Saturday morning to use the post office and the internet. Met some guys who had hiked a short (70 mile) section of the AT then rented a house in Damascus - they'd bought 200 beers and were inviting thruhikers over to party with them.I popped in and had a beer, but I'm tryin to avoid it at the moment as hiking is substantially more difficult even after just 2 or 3 beers the night before.
Did the usual things in town (resupply, waste money at the outdoor store, stuff my face) then hiked out with Peg and Paul on Sunday. We got about 7 miles from town when, because of the heat, we decided to take a dip in the river running alongside the trail - it was awesome to cool down. We camped alongside the river with Skip and I got a campfire going - happy days.
By the way, it's now coming up to 2 months since I had a shave and the beard is coming on a storm (although it's very ginger). It's reached the stage where food gets caught in it - I love it.
Did the usual things in town (resupply, waste money at the outdoor store, stuff my face) then hiked out with Peg and Paul on Sunday. We got about 7 miles from town when, because of the heat, we decided to take a dip in the river running alongside the trail - it was awesome to cool down. We camped alongside the river with Skip and I got a campfire going - happy days.
By the way, it's now coming up to 2 months since I had a shave and the beard is coming on a storm (although it's very ginger). It's reached the stage where food gets caught in it - I love it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)