Date: 2017-08-21
From: Wise Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: broken clouds

When morning came, I was convinced I could not continue hiking. I could not bear any weight on the knee. I had decided I would try to take the trail to the VA State Park Headquarters, which according to one of the hikers who stopped by the night before, was only a mile away. There, I could arrange for transportation, if needed, to a medical clinic. Darrell and Spencer left camp, and I packed with the intention of finding the trail to the State Park Hqs. Problem was, I couldn¢t find the trail. Did I misunderstand the hiker¢was it a mile away to the trail, or was it a mile away to the State Park Hqs? I debated staying put for another day in the hope that someone else might be able to provide more information and/or assistance, but instead chose to keep moving forward on the trail. The pain had abated, and it seemed I was able to bear weight on the leg. The next shelter was only 6.7 miles away, and even at a slow pace, I knew I could make it there. I toyed with the idea of taking a short cut by way of another trail, but opted to stay on the AT, which I understood to be a smoother path. For the most part, this was accurate. After clearing the rocky path that took me out the day before, the trail turned into a mucky, muddy mess from last night¢s rain before eventually clearing to a trail that led through a large farm pasture. I enjoyed eating the blueberries from the bushes alongside the trail, and chatting with a farmer who was out collecting huckleberries. The sounds of the pasture¢s residents soon caught my attention and, when I looked, I was surprised to see Texas Longhorns!!! I asked the famer if the steer would bother me while hiking through their territory, and his response was ¢they shouldn¢t.¢ I wasn¢t feeling so great about that response. I continued forward when one of the steer decided to cut in front of me¢not in an aggressive way, but more like lumbering. It was odd seeing the four-legged, long-horned ¢hiker¢ in front of me on the trail, but I gave him his space, and he eventually crossed to the other side of the pasture.The pasture ended at a large clearing that some referred to as a car-camping area. The grass was neatly trimmed, there was an actual restroom/privy on the grounds, and nearby road access.  I passed through this area to the graveled road access and stopped to chat with a woman who had thru-hiked the AT in 2015 and was now re-visiting some of her favorite sections.  The encounter was brief, but her sense of humor and enthusiasm stuck with me throughout the day.I stopped for lunch at the first inviting rock in the shade. I welcomed the break, but the knee pain returned with a vengeance with the first step back on trail. I sat back down and waited a few minutes to allow the Tylenol to kick in before trying again. My supply of anti-inflammatories was dwindling. After the first few steps, the pain was more tolerable, and I pressed on. I was hoping to reach the opening uptrail that the Southbounders mentioned would be a good spot to witness the eclipse. Andy, who had visited the Wise Shelter yesterday, had already forged ahead to find that opening.   After hiking under the cover of trees for a couple of miles, I saw the opening ahead. I scanned the area for Andy, but I didn¢t see him, and I kept going. Not long after, Andy came up from behind. He had been at the opening, but cloud cover kept him from really seeing anything. I looked through the special glasses he had, and I also couldn¢t see anything. Before continuing on, Andy offered¢and I accepted¢a handful of Ibuprofen. The new supply would surely get me through until I could get medical attention. Another trail angel moment.Andy went ahead, and it wasn¢t long before he was out of sight.  Not long afterwards, the sky darkened. Was this cloud cover or the eclipse? I tried to peek upwards through the trees; it did not appear to be cloud cover.  It felt surreal to be in the wilderness during the eclipse. Was it my imagination, or did all wildlife come to a standstill? I did not hear the birds, the crickets, the frogs¢nothing.  It was completely silent, very ominous.The bum knee and the darkness were not the only things that slowed my pace. I was about a mile from the shelter when I looked ahead and saw nothing but rock trail. I hate the rocks. Ankles roll one way, knees the other; poles get stuck in between. Unfortunately, rocks seem to be the norm, and if I want to hike the AT, I better just learn to deal with the terrain. I was glad to be at the shelter. One Up¢s message to me in the register pointed the way to blackberry bushes behind the shelter. I took advantage of the free fruit before getting water and settling in for the night. A couple of tenters came later and set up camp at the clearing uptrail, but I was alone in the shelter. I wondered how many bears would be snacking on the berries behind me, but I tried not to think about that.  I slept well.