Day 43 - 50

Day 43: Distance hiked: 21.8 miles. It was very hard to get out of my hammock because it was freezing cold, all my clothes were wet, it was still raining, and it was foggy.  I finally crawled out at 8 AM and left camp about 45 min later. The sun came out around 11 AM and it felt amazing. I saw my first doe which was cool and then at night spoke Spanglish to a construction worker who sat down next to me on a rock at one of the trail crossings. After about 10 min of chit-chatting, his final remarks were pretty much, "So it's 6:30, it's getting dark soon, you have 4 miles left to go to shelter, it's overcast skies, the woods are already dark (heavy foilage), and there are bears out there. You are really going to keep hiking?" Now I hadn't thought of it like that since about the first week so I was like, "Yep, that's right."  Of course, I got drenched a half hour from the shelter and heard what were probably bears on a ridge.

Day 44: Distance hiked: 22 miles. Left War Spur Shelter at 7:30 AM and got rained on the first two hours of hiking. I was really cold but kept plodding along. When I came to a road crossing, a really cool couple from a bed and breakfast let me come onto their porch and charge my phone and camera.  That was so nice of them!  I saw the Keffer Oak (largest oak tree in the South) and there were great views along Sinking Creek Mtn. That night I made an awesome camp near the top of the Audie Murphy Monument, dried out my stuff by the fire, and saw a few more deer and another orange salamander.









Day 45: Distance hiked: 23.4 miles. Awesome day! (and extremely tough). Hiked over Audie Murphy Monument Mtn, Dragon's Tooth, and McAffe's Knob all in the same day.  Dragon's Tooth was the most technical climb so far and I really enjoyed it!!! (I've always been more of a "climber" than a "hiker") Some girls sitting on top of Dragon's Tooth chit-chatted with me, offered me food, and took pictures for me. Thanks girls! Then I continued on, made up some random songs..."If you have a blister on your foot clap your hands!  "clap clap" If you have a scar on your calf clap your hands," and on and on with the verses getting wilder, self-deprecating, and very amusing--ahh the joys of self-entertainment (remember, I'm my only amusement for about 12-13 hours a day, sometimes for days on end). Anyway, made it to McAffe's Knob just in time for sunset and 10 min before another total downpour.  I was able to squeeze in a great photo on McAffe's (did anyone notice the rainbow in the background?) and then climbed down to the shelter about 2 miles from the top.






 Day 46: Distance hiked: 15.4 miles. Left the shelter in the morning and climbed Tinker Cliffs.  Walked along the cliffs for miles and it was really enjoyable. I didn't feel quite right (stomach issues) and ended up staying the night off US 220 in the town of Cloverdale.  I rested up and hoped for the best.






Day 47: Distance hiked: 22.7 miles. I left town and had a rather uneventful day (I was pretty bummed my camera was broken and had not been able to update my blog while in town). The AT met up with the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped off at some of the Overlooks which was pretty cool. I then made another awesome camp on top of Cove Mtn and slept through the night for the first time of the trip.





Day 48: Distance hiked: 22.8 miles. Left camp around 7 AM and made good time to Jennings Creek.  I decided to take an early morning swim in the creek (mountain water is SOOO cold but sooo good to a disgusting, sweaty, nasty body). Swimming in the creek was really fun! Then, as I was hiking Floyd Mtn a deer came out of the woods and walked directly up to me.  I later had to call my family to make sure I was still alive and not just a spirit or something (that's the first deer that's done that, and there probably won't be another...). I sat on Black Rock for a bit and enjoyed the wonderful vista. I then camped at Harrison Ground Spring with Zie Germans.




Day 49: Distance hiked: 21.8 miles. Just as I finished taking down camp it began to rain again.  So I walked in the rain again all morning, saw some deer, crossed the James River (and almost fell into it--the bruises on my hands and butt tell that story), and ended the day in the fog near total nightfall climbing Bluff Mtn, where a little boy's body was found in the 1890's.  It was spooky but kinda cool that I had the spookiest type weather for that climb. I then got drenched about 10 minutes prior to making it to Punchbowl Shelter.

Day 50: Distane hiked: 11.3 miles. Hiked through the rain all morning, getting completely drenched.  Luckily I had decided the day before (before I was drenched and miserable) that I would take a half day and stay in town for the day.  So here I am in Buena Vista updating the blog and re-energizing for another bout of full hiking days.