Day 68
Start: Radio Tower Campsite
End: Dirt Road Stealth Site
Miles Hiked: 19.5
Miles on AT: 642.8
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This morning we awoke to weather we hadn’t seen in a while. It did indeed rain last night and it was pretty chilly. Looking outside, we were surrounded by clouds. We were in a damp, cold cloud – not the best weather for an AT morning. Frozen by the unexpected chilliness, I moved at a glacial pace while getting ready. We didn’t hit the trail until 8:30 am – still a good time to leave, but a bit off of our 8 am goal.
The morning hike involved a mix of uphill and down. Everything around us was green. I looked forward to getting a view, but I completely missed the side trail to it – oh, well.
We stopped for second breakfast at Doc’s Knob Shelter and, wow, what a place! This shelter had a full deck complete with a picnic table, 2 side benches, and even a love seat. To top it all off, the water source was right next to the shelter – ultimate convenience.
We stayed there for about 45 minutes before moving on. I could tell that today was going to be a long day of hiking. Yesterday, we got into camp around 7pm and today it looked like we might get in even later. I typically like to get into camp around 6 or 6:30 pm so that I can relax and eat dinner. But, I’d rather get the miles done even if it means getting in later.
The next few miles were relatively flat. I spotted a few boundary markers that I hadn’t seen before. I had passed plenty of property markers in the past, but this one was unique. It was an official Appalachian Trail survey marker – so cool!
There were some great views of the valley below at many spots along this ridge. It was nice to be able to peek out and enjoy a view every once in a while.
Next up: a huge downhill. Janitor likes to take the downhills slowly while I like to get them done as quickly as possible, so we split up with a plan to meet at the bottom. I flew down the hill, letting gravity do much of the work, got to the next trailhead entrance, and immediately set in the shade and ate a snack.
Water was starting to get scarce out here. One water source that I was counting on that had been marked reliable turned out to be dry. I had about half a liter to last me for the next 5 or so miles. It was going to be a little rough, but I could manage.
Once Janitor arrived, we re-entered the forest. It was around 5pm and we had about 5 miles left. We were near the town of Pearisburg, VA, and what looked like an industrial center popped up when we exited from the trees. We crossed a river and walked along a huge bridge that fortunately had a separate area for pedestrians. Cars zoomed by us and a railroad track snaked below.
Back in the woods, we had a couple more climbs to complete before we found our stealth site. Luckily there was water there; I was looking forward to that the most. Climbing wasn’t getting any easier. At this point, it was past my dinner time and I was starting to feel a little dizzy. I ‘m very sensitive to low blood sugar, so I felt my dropping levels having an effect on me. At one point, I was afraid I would pass out on the trail. That was my cue to sit down right where I was and eat a makeshift dinner.
I had a few food items that I was saving for tomorrow, but since I wasn’t about to cook dinner right then, I ate those easy-to-eat items anyway. The additional carbs, fat, and protein brought me right back to life. I got back on my feet, ready to take the last 2 or so miles.
By the time I got in, it was 8 om. Janitor had gotten in about 10 minutes before me and had started to set the tent up. Whew, what a long day! I collected water and completed the rest of my camp chores as quickly as I could. Darkness was coming on rapidly.
Tomorrow is a short day, so hopefully we’ll get into camp a bit earlier.
And that’s day 68.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.