Date: 2006-04-10
From: Glasgow

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: clear sky

10 Apr 2006 - Destination: Punchbowl Shelter(10.5 Miles)I awoke about 06:15 and transcribed until about 07:51. The hot dogs and chocolate milk made for a very loose stool, (as I expected), and I made sure to evacuate everything possible. Because of the contremps yesterday, and what could be time limitations for the C'ville connection, I plan to skip directly to the Punchbowl Shelter, which is where I would have been going to, if last night had not gotten so mixed up, so I am going to go back to bed, soak, and then go. I got the weather report and the next three days should be nice, with the possibility of rain after that.11:00 - I finally got my lazy bones up, cooked a raisin and spice oatmeal and hot chocolate breakfast using the little stove, dressed in shorts, and put the pedometer, pen and paper memo book in the belly bag.11:39 - I hoisted the pack, left the key on the counter where I had been instructed to leave it, and headed for the Puchbowl Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway around mile 51.7. My right foot hurt when I initially got up, and when I got up at 08:00 but it did not hurt when I got up at 10:00. I went back to bed each time, with the usual impossible dream.12:11 - I strolled over the Baldwin G. Lecher Bridge over the Maury River, leaving Glasgow. It is a calm, sunny day that would have been beautiful for hiking. I reached VA 130 in about 12 minutes and sat on a crash roadside fence at a house numbered 3696. This is the road back to the James River Pedestrian bridge. I am sitting just past the road indent for the house while waiting for a ride. The house has a white picket fence surrounding a large area below road grade. There is an old chinked log building about 5ft by 10 ft with a tin roof, probably dating to the middle 1800s. Nine cars passed me then "Philip" known as "pnut butter" picked me up around 13:00 and took me to the restaurant on the Parkway at Otter's creek, which is closed. He is a upper echelon manager for a major multibranch local jewelry company. Having done some contract work for the head of the company in the past, we had some common points of reference besides hiking, and had a very pleasant conversation. He hikes all over the area, and told me of a couple, "Hit & Miss", who were at McAfee's Knob Friday and were doing 20 to 25 miles per day. He said they should pass me tomorrow or the day after. He would have taken me the final 10 miles, but he was on a tight time schedule that required him to go in precisely the opposite direction. When we split, he gave me two bars of trail mix granola and tried to get me a hitch with a couple of Mormon missionaries who were behind us, and who he waved down. He seemed to know them, and he first asked me if I had any objections to riding with them, which I did not. However, they refused, saying they were not allowed to have anyone else in their car. Since the restaurant was closed, I walked to the other side of the exit driveway, and then continued to the Riffles Overlook, elevation 892 feet. I ate two chocolate granola bars and one of Philip's trail mix cinnamon bars. I disturbed a bevy (15-20) yellow winged, black trimmed butterflies (Monarchs?) on the ground to the right of the litter can. Eight cars passed me, at the rate of about 1 car per 5-10 minutes, before I was picked up by "Frank" at 13:36.NOTE: I have not bitten my nails since Roanoke, which is amazing, since I can't even remember when I last did not bite them for any time period in excess of a day.14:02 - Frank said he was only going part way to the Punchbowl overlook, as his exit to his house was only five miles down the road, but he took me all the way and showed me where the AT crossed the BRP. I need to go SOUTH 0.4 miles to get to the Punchbowl Shelter, as it it to late in the afternoon for me to try the 8.4 miles to the next shelter.15:00 - It took me around 1280 steps up a rather steep ascent to reach the shelter sign, which is about 0.4 to 0.5 miles at around 2 feet per step. this climb up was exhausting. From the sign it is about 400 steps down to the shelter.This shelter is a basic 6 person shelter with an uncovered picnic table and a fire ring. There is a pond off to the right (when facing the shelter) and very near the shelter. and the privy is off to the left. The shelter itself faces east, so the afternoon sun is behind it. Someone has engraved a chessboard into the floor of this shelter, toward the front and center.There was a huge amount of trash scattered around. I put the still damp (from the handwashing in Glasgow) socks out in the sun on the table to dry. It helped but it did not finish. The two dry pair that I have were dried directly on the heat vent at the motel. The gentle breeze from the north is nice16:00 - I attempted to start a fire with the magnifying glass in the knife, using a dry leaf. After 15 minutes I quit, and went to set up my bed.16:35 "Lewis" and alaskan husky "Sasha" showed up on a day hike. I talked to them for a few minutes and then they left. I then went and got about a liter of untreated pond water for supper, disturbing a nest of about 30 salamanders in the process. For the next hour or so, I played with the fire and burned a lot of trash. Fun, but useless. For supper I am trying the Raman on he stove. 3 minutes and it works very well.NOTE: Everything in the little stove, including the liners, was wet. I think I left some water in the cup. 2+ cups of water fill the stove.NOTE: Heet, once open, leaks. Need some way to stop this. Currently using double bagging.NOTE: My feet are getting cold at night because they extend beyond the thermarest pad. Use the trash bag (which normally holds the sleeping bag) under the silnylon ground sheet with socks and / or red fleece pants flattened in it. Then my heels never touch the cold, and my feet, in the bag, stay warm. Two full cups of water and a package of Raman is to much - the little pot overflows. Use 1 to 1.5 cups of water. The 2 cups made a mess of the floor and dripped all over. The burner had about one eigth of an inch of heet still in it after the flame was quenched. I could not pour it back into the heet bottle. The Raman is hot and good, but next time use 1/2 to 3/4 fuel and less than 2 cups of water. Boiling the water means I can (and I do) use untreated water.NOTE: found my vitamins. The bag with them in it had slipped below the sleeping bag, but turned up when I turned the bag upside down.NOTE: Hot chocolate worked, although store brand not as rich as name brand. It is hot and sugar and will do.18:51 - Five hikers just showed up, but they will be tenting outside, so I will have the shelter to myself. Felix, "Pumba", Pyle (son of Felix), Eric (brother of Felix) and Pete. They are section hikers who hike one week a year. They came in from Hog Creek Camp. They built a huge fire. One of them, who is a competition swimmer, did "the full monty". i.e. he went skinny dipping in the pond. Brrr. Felix is a graduate of SU College of Forestry. They offered and fed me some Raman and some beef stroganoff when they had supper.