.November 14, 2006
Lynn dropped me off at Big Horse Gap, and I headed north.
On the way to the trailhead we had seen the trail at the intersection of VA 663 and VA 612 (Sugar Run Gap) so Lynn stopped there to meet me. This gave me the opportunity to go the first mile and a half without a pack. Once I met up with Lynn, I decided to let Madison come along for the rest of the hike. I passed another hunter today. He was laughing.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked.
"I've never seen a dog with a backpack before," he said.
"If she is going to come, she needs to carry her own things". I then added, "..and a few of mine."
"That's the way to go."
Madison and I reached Doc Knob Shelter.
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Before the shelter my map was showing a picture of a camera, representing a scenic view. I missed this one. Even with the leaves off the trees, I didn't see anything. It must have been on a side trail that I missed. Madison and I headed into the 'green tunnel'.
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It took a while today, but I finally reached my first scenic view when I crossed some powerlines.
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After a couple more miles I came to an unnamed overlook that offered an even better view.
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My next stop was Angels Rest.
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I walked down the 50 yard side trail and got a great view overlooking Pearisburg and New River.
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Lynn and I had been staying in Pearisburg for the last couple of days so I was able to make out some of the roads and buildings. I even found the motel where we were staying. I zoomed in with my camera and could even make out the door to our room. The car was gone so Lynn was out doing many of the tasks necessary to keep me going such as doing laundry, buying groceries, getting gas, or driving to pick me up. In the picture below, I have an arrow pointing to the room where we stayed.
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If you are hiking this section of the AT, I highly recommend this motel (Rendezvous Motel). It wasn't fancy. It was a plain, simple, but clean room. The nightly rate was as cheap as we had seen yet, and they didn't charge extra for a dog. Most motels charge a $10 pet fee per night. That adds up quick, so this motel was a real bargain. I didn't meet the owners, but Lynn said they were very helpful and kind.
In the picture below, I drew in with a red line the approximate location of the AT that I will be hiking later today. As you can see, the motel is in an ideal location for hikers.
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Part way down the mountain I met my only hiker of the day. A sobo thru hiker who left on August 17th. I have seen so few hikers, I was looking forward to talking with him. Hiking this time of year is kind of lonely, and he looked like he wanted to talk too. Unfortunately, Madison, who I have to still keep an eye on, noticed I was distracted and decided to run way ahead. I really wanted to find out how this man's hike was going so far, but decided I better find Madison. Within a couple minutes I found her, but the hiker was now long gone. Bummer.
The descent from Angels Rest was fairly
steep. My knee had held up fairly well today until now. Every step hurt after this. I know, I know, I really need to let it rest a few days. I climbed down the rest of the mountain and walked between two rows of trees.
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Then I came out on Stump Street in Pearisburg. The motel was just up the street from here. I had already planned to hike a couple more miles today, and Lynn was probably waiting for me so I kept moving.
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The trail ducked back into the woods for a few minutes.
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New River Bridge then came within sight.
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I walked across the bridge ...
... down some stairs ...
... followed the blazes ...
... walked under the bridge ...
... and walked up the road a little before reentering the woods.
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A few minutes later and I saw Lynn. Madison was glad to see her and ran ahead to greet her.
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~ ~ I left the woods for the last time and walked up this gravel road.
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~ ~ A look back at Pearis Mountain (Angels Rest).
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~ ~ That night we were all pretty tired. I caught this picture of Lynn and Madison. Looks like I am wearing out my crew.
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~ ~ They looked so sweet. I just knew they were dreaming about me.
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