I've been posting my previous section hike trip reports on Trailplace, but having the site go dark last year doesn't give me much motivation to keep up the effort. Might as well post my new ones here.

Background

My high school buddy (and best man) Smoking Sox and I have been section hiking the AT since 2003. We usually get a full week away from family and work every other year, so it's been a combination of 2 - 3 day trips mixed in with the occasional week-long outings.

In March of 2014, we set off northbound from Damascus expecting to finish all but ~30 miles of Virginia. On Day 2, a flash snow / ice storm hit us just as we crossed Whitetop and left us wet, shivering and miserable inside the privy at the Elk Garden road crossing. Here's a few pictures from that afternoon and the following day.

Freezing temperature, 30+ mph wind gusts, snow and fog at Elk Garden
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Rime ice at elevation - no question about the wind direction
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The I-81 valley got straight freezing rain
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Bottom line: we bailed from the trail and rode out the night in the Relax Inn in Atkins. Pushing onward to the Thomas Knob Shelter near the highest point of VA (Mt. Rogers) didn't seem like a smart idea at the time. We did get out and complete a day hike the next day from the Mt. Rogers Visitors Center back to the motel, then continued northbound the following morning until we reached our last completed VA Section. That left a 40-mile 'Orphan' Section between Elk Garden and Mt. Rogers Visitors Center as our only remaining miles in VA. Our goal for Section Hike #29 was to finish the VA Orphan and add some miles in northern TN.

Pre-Trip

Sox lives near Boston and I'm south of Harrisburg PA. It's always a logistical challenge to get us both to a trailhead and then back home after the hike. For all of our VA Sections, Sox flies into Dulles on Friday evening and I pick him up before heading south.

Friday, April 1st

Sox was at the Arrivals curb at 20:00 with his pack as I pulled up. We made one quick stop for a late dinner and made it as far as Christiansburg VA by midnight. Going straight from a desk to the trail is one challenge. Doing it on a short night's sleep is another...

Day 1, Saturday April 2nd

Up at 06:30, out of the motel by 07:00, and parked outside of Mt. Rogers Outfitters in Damascus by 08:45. We met up with our shuttle driver Matthew, owner of the Trails Art store in town, and were soon on our way south to Dennis Cove. By 10:15, we had successfully posed for the start of the section photo and took our first steps northbound back to Damascus.

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It didn't take long to reach the visual highpoint of the day - Laurel Fork Falls. Note the person standing at the top of the falls for reference.

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We had a few more miles of warm-up following Laurel Fork downstream before it was time to turn uphill and tackle the 1700' ascent of Pond Mountain. I had every intention of working out for the month preceding this hike and even used the 1700' climb as motivation. Then a project deadline got accelerated and I found myself working 10 - 12 hour days leading up to the hike. I only blame myself for skipping the gym workouts and I paid dearly on that climb. The only solace was crossing Pond Flats and watching Watauga Lake get closer and closer on the ensuing descent. At the bottom, there was a cooler of trail magic (sodas) and I was very tempted to suck a can down on the spot. But with only two cans remaining and it being my first hours into a hike, I chose to leave them for someone who could appreciate them more.

The hike around the lake to the Watauga Lake Shelter wasn't difficult but those last two miles seemed to drag on forever. I staggered into the shelter at 16:30 to find Sox already settled in. Strange... I expected to run into a bunch of thru-hikers on this trip and finding an empty shelter on a Saturday afternoon was not what I expected. As if on queue, the thru-hikers started rolling in with tales of 18+ mile days and stops in Hampton TN for McDonald's burgers. We shared the shelter area with Large, White Rabbit, Magic, Quick, Ash and North Star. 10.3 miles for the day. A LONG 10.3 miles.

Watauga Lake Shelter - not much level ground for tenting
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Day 2 - Sunday April 3rd

Normally, a shelter full of thru's would be a beehive of activity in the morning. Not today. A family was putting on a lunch feed at the Wilbur Lake Road crossing a mere 2.5 miles to the north, so all of the thru hikers were sleeping in and taking their time. Sox and I had intentions of covering 15 miles to the Iron Mountain Shelter so we reluctantly extracted ourselves from the depths of our sleeping bags and completed our morning chores. It was after 8 before I finally got moving down the trail.

I've found that some days, you have your hiking mojo and some days, you don't. Today was the latter. I struggled over the first couple miles of easy terrain and had to take a pack-off break at the Watauga Dam to catch my breath.

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The 2000' ascent up Iron Mountain wasn't any better. I had to keep reminding myself how many mountains I have climbed by taking 50 steps, resting, and repeating. Sox took a long break at the Vandeventer Shelter to make sure I made it that far. I think he was also enjoying his stone chaise lounge with a view.

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A constant thought during the day was not it, but when the thru's would pass me. I certainly tried to make it easy on them by taking two afternoon naps on the side of the trail - gotta love warm & sunny days. Still, only Large and North Star blew by me along with another thru that had been camped south of the shelter. The rest of the gang stayed at the feed until early afternoon, allowing me to reach the Iron Mountain Shelter and settle in just before their arrival.

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Quite a few more thru's showed up through the early evening - good thing there was plenty of tent space around the shelter. It seems that the lure of Damascus had everyone positioning themselves for a long 24-mile day tomorrow or a short day into town on Tuesday morning.

Day 3 - Monday April 4th

No need to be quiet this morning. Everyone was up and packing to make as many miles as possible. It looked like Sox and I were the only ones looking to have a 15.9-mile day to the Abingdon Gap Shelter. Everyone else was either pushing for the full 26 miles into Damascus or a campsite two miles outside of town. Today didn't have any of the large climbs of the previous two days but I was still working on getting full strength in my hiking legs. The first two miles passed quickly and I made my initial stop of the day to check out the Nick Grindstaff memorial. It was a little worse for wear but I had to appreciate the fact that someone lugged the marker and mortar up to the top of the ridge in order to honor their relative.

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Next up was the road crossing of Route 91. There were two things I was looking forward to: a half-mile of handicapped-accessible trail and a reported trail magic box. First came the bear box stocked by the girls outreach club from the local church. I enjoyed an ice-cold can of Dr. Pepper then crossed the road to follow a gentle crushed stone path through a pasture. So far, so good!

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Shortly before this hike, I found out that my good friend and VT / NH shuttler Sue was battling breast cancer. Any time I would drop the pack and start thinking about the difficulty of the hike, I saw a reminder that lots of women out there are battling a tougher foe than rocks and mountains. Hey Sue, send cancer packing!

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I took my time today and only started to pick up the pace when I noticed the sky darkening in the late afternoon. The first drops of rain hit me as the shelter came into view. Sox insisted that I stop and pose for a picture before dropping my pack inside. Thanks pal!

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There were a few light showers between 18:00 - 20:00 and then all hell broke loose. No, not rain or hail, but thru hikers! Two (Thor and another dude) set up camp while the next three dropped their packs to make dinner and filter water for the night hike into Damascus. Phat Sister, Seam and a third guy only stayed long enough to eat their remaining rations and head down the steep water source trail before saying goodbye. I ducked my head into my bag and settled in for a quiet night of sleep. But a quiet night of sleep was not to be had inside the Abingdon Gap Shelter. A thru-hiking couple rolled in around 22:30 and proceeded to clang, bang, stomp and generally make more noise than any other hiker I have shared a shelter with. When they finally crawled into their double bag around midnight, they decided that it was time for pillow talk. You would think that after setting up camp for 30+ days since Springer, you could do it without much discussion or thought. Not these guy... Oh well. I turned off my guilt alarm, cranked the snore-o-meter to jackhammer, and rolled onto my back for the night.

Day 4 - Tuesday April 5th

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Sox was up and packed when I finally pulled my head out of my bag. I rushed through my morning chores knowing that a restaurant lunch was in my immediate future. The 10.3 miles flew by quickly and I only took a short pack-off break at the state line marker. Normally, crossing a state line would be a big deal but I only just started Tennessee and I still had 40+ miles of Virginia remaining.

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Passing through the Damascus arch was cool, although I still had to walk the full length of the park to reach the point where we departed town two years earlier. And after that, I still had to walk a few more blocks to get to my car. Dropping my pack downtown and grabbing a cold Coke from my vehicle made the strong effort worth it. 50 miles down, 40 to go.

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There was one big difference between me and all those thru hikers that blew past me - I had a car! Sox and I drove to the Subway for lunch (big mistake - Mojo's next door would have been much better) then drove to the Old Mill Inn to find a room. Luck was on our side as the hot water heater was shot and the desk clerk pointed us to the Virginia Creeper Lodge. The rooms were half the cost (hiker rate of $75), the beds were awesome, and having a full kitchen for cleaning up our gear and prepping for the second half of our hike was a bonus. After a shower and a soak in the bathtub, Sox and I drove to Food City to pick up a few supplies, drove to Mount Rogers Outfitters for some more supplies, then drove to dinner before driving back to the Lodge. Can you tell I was thrilled to be off my feet for a few hours?

I'm glad we decided to spend a half day in Damascus. Smoking Sox and I both decided to purchase bricks so we'll have to return some day to see them.

Day 5 - Wednesday April 6th

In my first post, I mentioned that we had hiked out of Damascus in 2014 and got as far as Elk Garden before leaving the trail. I arranged for a shuttler to pick us up at the Mt. Rogers NRA Visitors Center and bring us back down to Elk Garden this morning. To give us the maximum amount of daylight for today's hike, we got out of the Lodge before 07:00 and were standing outside the doors of Mojo's Cafe as they opened for business. The plan was to be in the Mt. Rogers Visitors Center parking lot shortly after the 08:00 opening and be hiking north from Elk Garden by 09:30 at the latest.

Breakfast at Mojo's was really tasty. Between the cinnamon roll and the bagel egg sandwich, I was carb-loaded and ready to hike. We pulled into the Mt. Rogers lot at 08:15, got our parking permit, and waited for our shuttler to arrive. And waited. And waited some more. At 09:30, we drove back down into the valley to get cell service and I received two voice mail messages asking why we weren't at Mount Rogers Outfitters in Damascus. The third message contained an apology along with the realization that the shuttler screwed up and went to the wrong pick-up point. Bottom line: we didn't get to Elk Garden until just before 11:00.

So what to do... we had 40 miles of hiking to make it back to the Mt. Rogers Visitors Center and the parking lot gate would be locked for the weekend at 16:30 on Friday afternoon. I'm fond of saying "God hates a coward" so we looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and decided to push for 15 miles in order to stay on schedule. As we started up Mt. Rogers (the mountain, not the visitors center or the outfitter), I turned around and appreciated the view of Elk Garden that we couldn't see two years ago.

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I was passed by a bunch of thru hikers on the ascent and three remained at the Thomas Knob Shelter along with Sox when I arrived. Talked turned to weather and a pending storm starting on Friday evening. Sox and I provided as much information on the trail north of Atkins and the best options for getting off the trail if the forecast was accurate. One thing was perfectly clear - the view. I was so glad to be passing through the Highlands on a beautifully sunny day vs. the fog and snow of 2014.

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Even with the late start, I was enjoying my hike through the Highlands, Fatman Squeeze, and a surprise visit with the Konnarock Trail Maintenance Crew. Those guys rock!

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Nothing could prepare me for my first encounter with the ferocious mid-Appalachian saber-toothed pony.

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I was hoping to see at least one. By the time I reached the Scales, I had lost count. Even though the daylight hours were rapidly waning, I still had a smile on my face. The last climb of the day wasn't too bad and I mentally counted off the tenths on the descent to the Old Orchard Shelter. Lucky for me, I was descending on the west side of the ridge so I had as much daylight as possible. The shelter came into view at 19:30 - just enough time to make a quick dinner and get into my bag before darkness. We did it - on track despite a late start.

Day 6 - Thursday April 7th

Forgot to mention that I got passed (again) by Quick yesterday - a thru that I last saw at the Iron Mountain Shelter on the morning of Day 3. He caught us even though we jumped 25 miles up the trail from Damascus. Wonder how he got his Trail Name...

As I approached the Old Orchard Shelter last evening, I could see gaps between the wall logs and figured it would be a cold and windy night. I was right. It also rained pretty good overnight. There were five of us squeezed in there - Sox, a Brit hiker that we met at Thomas Knob during lunch, two guys from the Swatara Gap area of Central PA, and myself.

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Compared to yesterday, today was a stress-free day with no worries of chasing the last minutes of daylight. We stopped into the Hurricane Mountain Shelter for a quick lunch break and then ground out the remaining 10 miles in conditions that ranged from hail to rain to bright sunshine.

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The Trimpi Shelter was a nice improvement over the Old Orchard Shelter, complete with bunks and a fireplace. I strolled down the access trail at 16:30 with plenty of daylight left to get my camp chores completed and prepare for an early departure tomorrow morning. Sox was filtering water from the stream and a thru named Slow Hiker was setting up his tent. Slow Hiker was doing a flip-flop using Hot Springs as his start and end point. His goal was not to pass any other hikers for the entire length of the trail.

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Two thru's rolled in near dark. One (Seam) stayed in the shelter and put the effort into collecting wood and warming us with a welcome fire. The shelter didn't hold the heat for long, but it sure felt good. Another 15 miles in the books and we're in great shape to finish early tomorrow afternoon.

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Day 7 - Friday April 8th

There's something about the last day of a section hike that gets me extra motivated to get moving in the morning. Take your pick - an empty food bag, the promise of a shower, a celebratory restaurant meal...

I hit the trail by 07:30 with Sox just a few minutes ahead. We didn't know exactly when the weather front was scheduled to hit so getting an early start was a safe option. Upon descending from the ridge and exiting the woods, I got my best view of the day.

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Not much to say about the rest of the hike today. There were a few easy climbs and then I was at the final road crossing before the Partnership Shelter and the Visitors Center. With under 4 miles to go, I thought I was home free. And then I bonked. Damn, how did that happen? I guess I was pushing too hard without enough calories in my diet over the past few days. Fortunately, I still had a baggie of S'more pretzels (hell yeah S'more pretzels!) and they did wonders to bring me back. The shelter came into view and then I could see the Mt. Rogers Visitors Center and my vehicle. Woo hoo! With those last few steps, I did it. Virginia shifted into the complete column and we hit 67% of the total AT miles under our feet.

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Jumping in the car and driving north gave us an opportunity to re-live our 500+ miles of hiking in Virginia. 10 miles up I-81 was Atkins and the Relax Inn, where we rode out the ice storm. Passing I-77 North reminded us of that long 22-mile day from the Chestnut Knob Shelter to Route 52 and a ride into Bland for food and showers. And I always love passing Exit 150, where the AT comes off the high ridge to the west, crosses Route 220 near Daleville, then passes under I-81 to parallel the Blue Ridge Parkway. We stopped there for truck stop showers and a post-hike feast at the Three L'il Pigs Barbeque restaurant.

As we turned east on I-66, we crossed the AT in the area of our first section hike in the state - Route 522 to Harpers Ferry. Did that one with a nasty case of pneumonia, much to the chagrin of my wife and the disbelief of my doctor. Before long, Smoking Sox was deposited at his hotel near Dulles and I finished the last two hours of driving up into the Cumberland Valley and the east towards the Susquehanna River.

Thanks for joining us!