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AT Blog: 37 and 38

Rain again... really?

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Day 37:

Time to leave Damascus! Stomach was a little upset last night from all the food I ate, but it’s feeling much better this morning. Lobster, Taxi and Tigger all decide to leave early, but I decide to eat some breakfast and hang out at our place till around 10. I’m not stressed because I know we are only going 16 miles today.

Eventually I get out of there around 10 am, and head out onto the AT/Virginia Creeper Trail, where old train tracks got converted to a trail. The AT follows it some, but swerves off to the North, to climb some mountains. There is not much of a view today due to the overcast, it does get darker, due to the partial eclipse, but nowhere close to nighttime.

I stopped by a shelter for lunch and met another through hiker named Rocket Man, and a section hiker heading south from Harper’s Ferry.

The unfortunate part of the AT is how it has unnecessary up and downs, where we climb mountains just for the sake of it. So eventually we climb back down towards the Virginia Creeper Trail again. I go past the creek and cross a very large bridge on the AT, where trains used to cross.

Eventually I make it to Lost Mountain Shelter where it turns out that Lobster, Taxi and Tigger changed their plans and hiked another 2.5 miles. Unfortunate for me, but I decide to stay since I started much later then them.

The shelter is very busy as we get a good mix of section hikers and through hikers coming out of Damascus. No name and Footloose are there and I meet more new hikers then I can count. Overall a good day, and looking foward to the next one.

Day 38:

23.5 miles. That is the plan for today’s distance. I’m about 2 and a half miles behind Lobster, Taxi and Tigger; they have a shorter day than I do.

I get up and go by 7:40 AM. No name let’s me know his dad will be by Elk Garden with goodies, so I keep an eye out for them.

About 2-3 miles into the hike, the rain starts. Right now it’s about 50 degrees so the rain is very chilling. I put on my rain gear and get moving. White mountain is a hassle to climb. But eventually get past if, before Thomas Knob Shelter, I get a treat from No Names Dad, including fruits and chocolates.

The rain keeps going and eventually I make it to Thomas Knob, about 12 miles into today. And Tigger and Lobster are packing up to head out. I was glad to see them as it meant I was catching up. The short break there is hard. All my clothes are wet so I get out of them for lunch. By the end I am chilling and head out again. I enter into the Grayson Highlands proper, with various balds and grassy trails. Additionally it has wild ponies in it. The weather makes it pretty sad to see plus there is lots of pony crap in areas.

I get through the park without seeing any ponies, passing by Wise Shelter. I do see one pony just beyond the shelter. It’s literally on trail. As Tigger later said, the ponies looked as miserable as we were.

The last few miles are grueling but I make it eventually. When I get there Taxi, Lobster and Tigger are all in the shelter. I also see Footprint who was with me at Lost Shelter the previous day.