Date: 2003-04-30
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

To: Camping, 1/3 mile past Dismal Falls side trail
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: light rain

Last night I slept great. Only woke up once at 5:45 a.m. I sleep better in my tent (especially if I am exhausted). Wench and I (did I mention she has a real name? Teresa?) got up, took our time and left at about 9:45 ¢¦sleepy heads¢¦After an hour or so we took a break and saw a south bounder (something ¢downhill¢ was his trail name). He said Fly and Smoothie were ahead of us (so all is right with the world). We figured we would catch them 10 miles into the day, as they ate lunch at the next shelter. But the sun came out, the day heated up, and I started feeling worse. Wench was up ahead, and I was dropping back more and more with each step. I felt overheated, fatigued, hungry, thirsty, Bleh!!! It was 1:30, and we were going to the shelter for lunch, but I couldn¢t make it¢¦I hit the ¢wall¢ and had to stop¢¦NOW! I dropped everything and sat on a log, I ate lunch, drank water, rested my feet and legs, then started hiking again. Unfortunately the next 2 miles to the shelter weren¢t any better. I got there as ¢Pop Pop¢, ¢Fly¢, and ¢Smoothie¢ were getting ready to leave, and ¢Wench¢ was finishing lunch. I got water from the spring and collapsed into the shelter. They were all going to hike 7 more miles to a road crossing and walk to a store, for soda and beer. I said I would catch them later that I didn¢t feel good (exhausted), I meant to follow them, but you never know. As Wench packed up to leave, the thunder rumbled in the distance and the sky got darker. I laid down to rest and she left. A little later ¢Scheemer¢ showed up, then ¢Charly¢, then ¢Fireball¢. I sat around and talked to them as the rain started and the thunder and lightning got worse. I was so tempted to stay in the shelter for the night (Jenny Knob), and so I just sat to see what the storm would do. They all decided to stay for the night (it was 2:30), the lightning and rain were pretty intense. I told them I would be hiking on and they thought I was a bit crazy (but I thought so too, so it was ok). When I thought the storm was going by I put my rain jacket on and hit the trail. Boy, WHAT A MISTAKE!! The storm hit me with a vengeance as I tried to get off the ridgeline. I half hiked, half jogged down the mountain. 2 times I ducked and cringed as lightning and thunder blasted and flashed at the same time! Scared the crap out of me, but I made it down off the ridge, then the storm let up and I hiked to meet the others. (Very fast!!) Right before the trail crosses the road the store is on (VA 606), it crosses a very cool suspension pedestrian bridge. Very cool. I sat to take a break and wait for them to return, but after 45 minutes they still were not there. I went to the road & saw the signal they left me (a wooden arrow & an old Bud can). They said they were going to the store and coming back out, but I also knew there was a tenting area there, too. I didn¢t know what to do, I was tired & frustrated, I sat, then I headed to the store, then I stopped (I didn¢t want to walk almost a mile, just to walk back). Finally, I packed up and kept heading up the trail (to get a couple more miles in). Amazing how much better I felt once the weather cooled off. I was having a heat problem¢¦I felt great once the rain started. Now I am camped a couple miles farther up the trail, tenting (north of Dismal Falls), one other thruhiker joined me (the guy with the straw hat & the hammock, I forget his name). Should be an easy two days to Pearisburg from here. But now I need to sleep¢¦Tired but happy. Life is good. Note: Saw 2 more black snakes today.