Samwise Hikes the Appalachian Trail! - Trail Journal -
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May 15, The Place

My last day to hang out here at The Place, enjoying the comforts of running water, electricity & ice. Two rest days are good for the knees, I guess, but I am really itching to get back on the trail, too. I can barely imagine hanging out here for a full week to wait for Trail Days.

Tonight promises to be a special treat. I met a day hiker on Sunday when I was coming in who was very interested in what I was doing & after we hiked a couple miles together, he ended up inviting me to dinner with his family. I didn't go last night since I was still limping around so much, but I did call him today to accept the invitation. They actually live 15 miles away but he's going to come here after work & give me a ride. He has a wife & four year old son who I'll get to meet, & I've already promised to "pay" for my dinner by sharing AT stories. Now I just have to remember some good ones to share.

Later---- dinner was a lot of fun! I got a ride into town with John & we met his wife Denise & son Ian at the restaurant. What a great family! I told as many stories as I could remember & also heard all about their adventures traveling for 6 months in a VW van. Not only that, the dinner was really great - I'm still full from everything I ate.

May 16, Lost Mountain Shelter - mile 470.9

Nothing like a long series of thunderstorms to make one really appreciate seam sealer! I got to the shelter tonight just in time for our first thunderstorm of the day to quit. I had been hiking double time for the past hour, hoping first to beat the rain here, then just hoping to get here before the heaviest of the rain, then just hoping to get in before every inch of me was soaked & the trail a stream. Finally, after I had given up all hopes, I rounded a corner & here it was. After a few minutes, it stopped raining & the sky cleared so most of the people found tent spots & got set up including me. Little did we know that an hour later, we're in the middle of our third! This is one of the very few times I wish I had a bigger tent, but on the other hand, I'll be going to sleep soon enough & then I'm plenty comfortable. It's just this in-between time of writing journals & reading my maps that I get a little cramped in here.

For my first full day of hiking in Virginia, I saw a deer & a huge black snake. They're harmless but apparently have a "nasty disposition" according to the guidebook. Still, it was exciting to finally see some wild life. The trail so far is very nice, too. It's extremely well-built & the shelters so far are really beautiful. I must say I'm really looking forward to the next 500 miles in my state!

May 17, Wise Shelter - mile 488.3

Today was the most beautiful day of hiking. WOW! Days like this make me thrilled to be alive. I do have to admit that the day got a pretty rough start. It rained hard all night long & by morning, my rain fly was so drenched that the rain drops were coming right through. My down bag got damp in many places, although I did stay warm anyway. It wasn't soaked, but I was still concerned that it was wet enough to start smelling bad. I dried it out at lunchtime, though, & everything seems to be fine.

Eventually, around 6:30, the rain tapered off enough that I felt safe going out to visit the privy. As everyone does, I carry my TP supply in my pocket, along with various other things like my comb, chap stick & so one. This morning when I pulled out my TP, I heard a clinking sound, which is unusual for TP. So I looked down & saw my case for my sunglasses on the floor --- but unfortunately it was only the case. My beautiful favorite clip on shades are now composting in a pile of crap! What a sad, sad way to start one's day!

But after a couple hours of fog, the weather started to clear & I also started running into a lot of people who I know that are hiking south through this section. Most of them arrived in Damascus a week or so ago - to long to wait around for Trail Days. So they hitched north 60-70 miles & are now hiking south into Damascus just in time to catch the festivities. I must have stopped to talk to at least 10 people, which made my hiking speed really slow, but it was also a lot of fun. I also went by the Konnarack Trail Crew, a roving trail maintainance crew that actually gets paid by ATC to do their work. It was great fun to meet them & get a chance to say "thanks" to some of the people who keep this trail in such great shape. I didn't know there was a paid crew like this, but their work is just as awesome as volunteer work.

By afternoon, I crossed into Grayson Highlands State Park, described in my book as being "speckled with magnificent rock outcroppings & blessed with plenty of sky". That still doesn't begin to convey the "big sky" quality of the area. It was like I had suddenly been transported to Montana for five miles.. Feral ponies roam the area & I saw a couple dozen of them, one with a young colt that was nursing. They happened to be just off the side of the trail, so I took some pictures. It was really cool.

Eventually, around 6PM, I pulled into the shelter here, which again is crowded but nothing like last night. There's a couple week-enders & 3 former thru-hikers headed for Damascus, plus 4 of us who are north-bounding. For the first time tonight, I finished my supper off & was still hungry, so then I ate half a bagel with peanut butter & a bunch of dried fruit. That's a big step up for me! I usually end up choking down the last half of my dinner, or giving ti to some one else. Maybe I really am getting a thru-hiker appetite.