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Journal
| About Downunda | Trail
Facts | Hiking the Trail |
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11th May 2002 From:
Wapiti Shelter There were four of us in the shelter last night. I had a very fitful sleep, which is unusual for me in a shelter. Another bonus is that there were no mice….most unusual for a shelter. The trail out this morning took me up a long, steep hill for one and a half hours. The weather was overcast and cool but later in the day the sun broke through and it was a lovely, sunny afternoon. The trail levelled out for the next 4-5 miles and the forest opened up. I kept my eyes open for various wildlife but all I managed to see were numerous squirrels. About four miles north of the shelter I suddenly heard a rushing sound coming up the hill at 90 degrees to the trail. It was a border-cross collie dog, and as it crossed the trail in front of me, I gave it a whistle. It thought it might be someone's pet that had strayed (I was about 12 miles from the nearest town), however, it looked scared and just kept running away. Twenty seconds later another dog, looked like a Labrador-cross, came from the same direction. I whistled him also; he turned 90 degrees and ran north up the trail. The dogs looked in good condition so I don't think there were wild, just lost, and scared.
I stopped for a short lunch break at Doc's Knob Shelter and Choir Boy, the Virginian, and the Wedding Singer arrived minutes later. All of us had decided to push on the additional seven miles to Pearisburg. For the last week, I have been having problems with my Sweetwater water filter. It was leaking as I pumped it, plus it was starting to jam. It looked like one of the O-ring seals was disintegrating. Fortunately Choir Boy had some Vaseline, which has temporarily solved the problem. There's a hiker's store at Troutville, about six days north. I will probably send my Sweetwater home and switch to chemical water treatment. Quite a few hikers are using it. It's lightweight and purifies water in 20 minutes. I am now at the Holiday Motor Lodge in Pearisburg and plan to have a "zero" (no miles) day tomorrow to do my laundry, get photo processed, and have a look around Pearisburg, and most importunately, give my feet a rest. Tomorrow will be interesting as I plan to shave my legs! No, I'm not turning into a cyclist, I'm shaving my legs so it will be easier to find any ticks that latch onto me. Deer ticks carry Lyme disease, which has long-term debilitating effects and apparently there are plenty of them around. With that, I'll now say goodnight all. |
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Today was a day for azaleas (I think azaleas originated in the
Appalachians). The sides of the trail (pictured
right) were covered by them for miles, many coming into bloom. I expect I'll see more as days go by.