Date: 2005-05-09
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Stealth Campsite Near Audie Murphy Monument
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Virginia is not flat, contrary to what some hikers will tell you. And where the elevation charts show flat, that's just code for many smaller ups and downs of several hundred feet all day long, mostly over rocks. It was a challenging day. I left the shelter around 7:30 and finished the descent to the valley floor that I had begun very steeply yesterday afternoon. About 1.5 miles into the day I came to what I will call the ruins of an old mountain house situated in a hollow up on the side of the mountain. It was a two-story structure with all windows and doors gone. There were holes in both the main floor and the upstairs, but the stairwell and fireplace/chimney were fairly intact. I explored a little and wondered at the history of the place and what stories those walls could tell. I imagined a happy family living there, maybe generations of families. I got pictures inside and out. As I stood outside of the building in the remote woods, I noticed that it was almost completely quiet. Not even a bird calling. Looking off through the trees I noticed a small clearing about 100 feet away, with some very bright green grass on the near end. I supposed that was the water source for the house. I could have stood for hours to daydream about the days when this place was alive and active. It would have been a special place to grow up with so many things to explore, both nearby and in the surrounding mountains. Moving on another couple of miles, I finally reached the valley and traveled through pastures, along farm lanes, and climbed several stiles over cattle fences. I saw and heard many cattle, and also a mule or two, their hee-hawing echoing across the open pastures. It is a well-watered valley and I crossed many streams on small bridges. Somewhere along that stretch the famous 300 year old Keffer Oak stands next to a stile over the fence. I must have been pre-occupied in thought because I did not see it. I wonder how that happened. Crossing the farmland was a beautiful picture of the Virginia countryside up close, and I enjoyed it. There was another climb up to a ridge and it was extremely difficult because the ridge was formed by tilting up and breaking off high chunks of bedrock which are exposed along the ridgeline. The entire ridge was a huge rockpile and very difficult to hike. The hot weather and bright sunshine were an added challenge. Along the way I passed the Sarver Hollow Shelter and then began a descent to the Niday Shelter, arriving there about 3:00. I stopped in for a rest. I had cooked lunch on one of the rocky spines of the ridge and used almost all of my water in that process. I rationed my remaining water and made it to a small trickle coming out of the mountainside. There I filtered enough to get me to the creek at the bottom of the descent. At Craig Creek, I filled my 2.5 liter water bladder plus a 1 liter gatorade bottle since I would find no water on the next ridge I would climb. While there filtering I had an extra big snack. Then I crossed the valley and began a very tough climb of about 1500 feet. It was steep and continuous. Again I got good views to where I had been on other ridges and in the valley as I slowly gained elevation. I stopped several times along the way to snack and rest, making it to the ridge top by around 6:15. Right at the top is an old logging road, and someone has placed a wooden park bench there. It was so good to sit on something resembling a chair and rest after the extremely difficult climb. About a mile along the ridgeline north is the Audie Murphy Monument. He was the most decorated WW2 soldier, and he died near this spot in a light plane crash around 1971. The monument was placed there in 1974. I got several pictures and thought of that era and what that generation faced during their time on the world stage. Virginia ridges are hit-or-miss when you are looking for a campsite. I am camped in my tent about one mile north of the monument site at a makeshift spot in the woods. The best I can do on the rocky ridgeline. I am very tired. There was a great sunset over the ridge I was on in the middle of the day today, and I can look east to see the next ridge I will climb in the morning after I descend to the valley below. So I am on a ridge between two beautiful valleys, with a ridge off to the west and the east. Great views! I spent alot of time thinking about my family today and also about my relationship with the Lord. I also thought about the end of the hike. I will probably be finished on Friday - one day ahead of schedule. I will pick up my supply box in Catawba either late tomorrow or early Wednesday. Then three more days to hike, according to plan. I will call my shuttle guy from Catawba to make arrangements for getting to a rental car place, probably in Roanoke. I hope I can rest well tonight. Night is closing in around me and I am tenting alone. It is a beautiful night. I really like this spot even though it's not ideal. It feels remote up here on the ridge, and I'm guessing no other hikers are anywhere near my location tonight. The forest is sizable hardwoods mostly, and I'm on a nice layer of soft leaves. The breeze is about right. It just has that cozy feeling. I should see the stars later. Goodnight Sweetheart.