Date: 2009-02-19
From: Pearisburg (1600')

To: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area
Miles today: 8.0

Fraser FirSection Hike 2009-Appalachian TrailSouth Fork Holston River to Pearisburg February 19, 2009 (Entry #1 for day one)Without an alarm clock, I am up around 5 a.m. for the day and on the interstate by 6:00 a.m. After taking the wrong turn in Charlotte, I re-navigate and make it to Pearisburg, Virginia around 11:00 a.m. or so.Before I entered Virginia, I called Buck at the Rendezvous Motel and confirmed my shuttle. I told him that I was about two hours out and he said that he would get a hold of Brenda. I dropped my wife, children and dog off at my father-in-law¢s house last night and have taken my wife¢s car. I drive a 1993 Ford Explorer and do not have the luxury of an inside thermostat that advises you of the outside temperature. Well, my wife¢s vehicle does have this feature.Point being: once I crossed into Virginia and made way across the first Pass, the temperature dropped fifteen degrees. The winds picked up dramatically and semi-tractor trailers were doing well to keep their lane. Once over the pass, the skies remained partly cloudy with a beautiful view of South Western Virginia. Snow flurries were blowing pretty good. Right outside of Pearisburg, I pulled off onto a gravel shoulder and literally changed from shorts and t shirt into full winter hiking gear. The snow is starting to fall a little bit more, primarily just flurries.Cell service is good. I call my wife and tell her that everything is fine and that I am minutes from Pearisburg. Driving into town, I immediately identify Angel¢s Rest off in the North West Corridor. I remember seeing pictures of it in one of my copies of ATN. I pull into Dairy Queen and order a sandwich and a blizzard-of all things. It is almost counter-intuitive to order a blizzard in such cold weather, I suppose. I ask an employee of DQ where the Rendezvous just might be and they are uncertain. A local man of the area told me how to get there and much appreciation was obliged. Next, I pull into the motel. Plenty of vacancies. It is hard to compare Pearisburg to Erwin, Hot Springs or other trail towns. Each has its own unique thumbprint-if you will. I suppose that you could say that most of my trail town experiences, such as Hot Springs and Damascus have been in the dead of winter, so it has been hard to get a fair assessment of what it is really like.For example, last summer, we spent the evening in Brevard, North Carolina while we were camping on the Blue Ridge Parkway. My wife and Bryson danced on the main street in down town with perfect strangers. It was a wonderful evening of bluegrass and waltz.I ring the front desk to the office and no answer. The lights are out-it appears as though no one is here. I notice a sign to call Brenda on her cell. I save the number for any future ¢need¢ and call for my ride.Brenda arrives momentarily with her beautiful four month old son-Connor. She offers a key to room eighteen. I go to warm up and use the rest room.My ride will be along shortly, so I hang out by sitting on a lawn chair in the direct sunlight, eating away at my Blizzard.The outside thermostat reads thirty degrees. This does not take into consideration any wind chill. Snowflakes are bouncing off of everything, harmlessly. My ride arrives. For the life of me I cannot remember the gentleman¢s name, however, he has lived in Pearisburg for most of his life. He is a farmer and a welder. I tell him where we are going and he is not familiar with the drop off, so I pull out my map and direct him to the Holston River. We agree on a fair shuttle price and we are off.I keep the strip map out as we travel along I-81 southward to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Snow is blowing good now.Once we get off in Sugar Grove, I ask to stop at a filling station to get a Coke and use the restroom. The temperature has dropped. I feel it as I get in and out of his car. It is colder than Pearisburg.Fifteen minutes later, I am dropped off where I started last summer.The South Fork of the Holston River.Instead of going south towards Damascus, I am headed north towards Pearisburg. Damascus is a tough sixty miles to the south. Pearisburg is a tough 106 miles to the north east.I will never forget when Damascus Dave dropped me off here last summer and I thought that I was doing fifty miles. He informed me that it was actually sixty, due to trail relocation. You just never know. It is all good though.First, I filter water in the Holston River. A tradition, I suppose. I filtered water last summer. It is too cold to drink. I add Gatorade and make myself drink, knowing ascension is coming. A few ups this evening and I want to stay hydrated!!Funny though, after my first two climbs today, and I am already shedding layer number one!!Wow, it is three o¢clock and I am just getting going. Time to get moving. The winds are at a constant 15-25 m.p.h. A great day for a hat and ear protection!!How exciting, I am back in Virginia!!