.November 10, 2006
We had another beautiful drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway while driving to the trailhead today. The deer were everywhere.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I began today's hike where I left off yesterday at Bearwallow Gap. Lynn walked with me for a while. She was a little cold. Can you tell?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The trail began going up right away. After about 20 minutes, Lynn headed back, but Maddie stayed with me. Yesterday by the end of the day, my knee felt sore. I didn't think anything of it, but it was back again. Oh well, I'll just keep going. I would cross the Blue Ridge Parkway four times today. The first time was at Mills Gap
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The views from the parkway would be magnificent today.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Madison, who was wonderful on the trail yesterday, was not minding me at all. She was running far ahead and not waiting for me. The trail for the next 8 miles parallels the parkway very closely, often within feet. I was afraid she would run off and be hit by a car. I actually had to add some rocks to her pack to slow her down to my pace. Sorry Maddie, but it's for your safety. She still had a great time.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Peaks of Otter
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The trail went right up to this stone wall which was a supporting wall for the parkway just above.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The next overlook was Harvey's Knob. I didn't see any hikers today, but met several people along the parkway at the overlooks. A woman by Harvey's Knob gave Madison a treat and then she offered me one. At first I thought she was offering me a doggie treat, but then she pulled out some pretzels. She lived locally in Salem which is west of Roanoke. She was very sweet, and it was great to experience some Virginian hospitality.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I bypassed Bobblets Gap Shelter. My sore knee was really starting to bother me. What's up with that? More great views.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
If you are ever down this way and your not up for hiking, I strongly recommend driving part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is beautiful with many, many places to pull off the road and enjoy the overlooks.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Madison finally started to calm down and actually stopped for a rest so I figured it was time to pull most of the rocks out of her pack.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I crossed the parkway for the last time, followed the road for a hundred feet or so, and ducked back into the woods.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The trail went uphill again. It was actually a small hill, but fairly steep. My knee was really, really bothering me. I was near the parkway so this was a good bail out point. I considered giving Lynn a call, but figured I "only" had another 15 miles. I probably should have stopped, but I'm stubborn.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After Black Horse Gap, the AT slowly starts to turn away from the Blue Ridge Parkway. The two have paralleled each other for about 100 miles. The parkway will continue heading southwest while the AT starts to head in a northward direction as it goes around Roanoke. This was my last possible bail out point. Once I made this decision, I had no choice but to finish the hike.
After a couple more miles, I stopped at Wilson Creek Shelter to give my knee a rest. I am not sure what I did to it. I guess I just over did it trying to cover 105 miles in 5 days.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Madison sure was thirsty by the time we reached Wilson Creek.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Crossing Curry Creek
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Next was my biggest climb of the day. It had a 1000 foot rise. This would have been a piece of cake on any other day, but my knee really, really hurt when going up. About half way up I met a man doing some trail maintenance for the Roanoke Trail Club. He asked me how I liked their weather. This was a gorgeous day, and it turned out to set a record high temperature for the Roanoke area.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I'll push on another 2.8 miles and rest at the shelter.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The shelter was a tenth of a mile off the trail but I decided I better stop. It was an easy trail and I needed to rest my knee.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On the back of the shelter is a water collection system. The water from the roof goes into a gutter and then drains into a tank. This is the only shelter along the AT that uses this system. The tank was locked, and there was a sign stating that any water taken from here still needed to be treated.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I had a long gradual descent off Fullhardt Knob. I am glad it was easy because it was starting to hurt to go down steep hills now. I still had a couple of miles to go. I was really looking forward to the end of this hike. We would be spending the night with our friends, Sue (Runtrails) and Jim. We had really wanted to take them out to eat tonight, but last night when I called her she offered homemade lasagna. There was no way I could pass that up. With this on my mind, it definitely helped me to push through the pain in my knee. There was lasagna at the end.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Now the trail was just taunting me. I looked at these stairs and almost cried. I could barely bend my knee so getting up these stairs was a trick.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A little less than 1% of the Appalachian Trail is still on private land.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Just try going over this stile with a knee that won't bend.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
At least bridges were flat. Anything but a smooth flat surface was now bothering my knee.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Madison was very nervous around these cows so I had to put her back on the leash.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I finally saw Lynn coming from the other direction. We met at I-81, and I had about another mile to go. Considering its close proximity to I-81, I thought the next mile of trail was beautiful. There is nothing that can be done about the noise from the traffic, but visually the trail was nice. I finally finished a little before dark. I am sure that Sue and Jim, who are ultramarathon runners, will have some tips on keeping my knee going. It was great spending the evening with them along with Cody and Tater their ultra running dogs. Sue's lasagna was delicious. I was half starved and gobbled up three pieces. Sue will be hiking with me tomorrow. Sure hope my knee holds up.
| 
