Date: 2016-04-25
From: More of Brushy Mtn.

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Coming down the hill to Va 615, I couldn't help remembering the fabulous "Trail Magic" I had received there in 2013 from "Team Jaybird". They had come a long way to give all kinds of useful things to hikers.Somehow that memory had left my mind by the time I crossed the road. I found about a dozen people who looked like hikers gathered near a couple of vans, but nobody giving out anything. I asked, "What kind of gathering is this?" The only answer I got was "A very smelly one." No other info from anyone, tho I'm sure I looked like a hiker, even tho going the wrong way.I continued on up the next hill, meeting a number of hikers coming down. I've lost their names, & most of them didn't want stop to talk. They told me they were in a hurry to get down to the road, where a nearby church was taking hikers to breakfast, an event announced on a poster at the Jenkins Shelter, where they'd stayed last night. Of course, there had been nothing posted on the other side of the road for the benefit of SOBO hikers. I'll admit there aren't many of us this time of year.As I kept meeting more & more hikers, it began to dawn on me that I was now in a "bubble" of many more NOBO hikers than I had been. I can look forward to a much more crowded Trail [including shelters] than I've been used to. There must have been as many as 30 people staying at Jenkins shelter last night, & before I'd met all of them, I met a fast hiker who had started from Chestnut Knob Shelter, 10 miles farther South.Nevertheless, by the time I got to Jenkins Shelter, there was only one person there. As I prepared my lunch, 6-8 more arrived, including one who immediately started spraying bug spray around the picnic table, even tho there weren't any bugs in sight & several people had their food exposed. Annoying!I didn't see a good water source near the shelter so I continued on about a mile to get some at a stream that looked good. Going on up Garden Mtn., I found a lot more rocky spots on the trail. After an initial 1500-foot climb, it leveled out for 5-6 miles. I think Burke's garden is one of the prettiest views on the Trail, but it's getting harder & harder to see from the ridge. A few days ago, I had thoughts of trying to go down to a church in the valley here, but my search for my wallet caused too much delay.The church did have trash barrels for hikers at the Va 623 road crossing. At this point, a van pulled up, & a group of Amish young men got out. The driver was obviously not Amish, & I spoke briefly with him & the white-bearded man who appeared to be the chaperone. The other 8 just started walking up along the ridge where I was heading.   They were dressed in their Summer uniform, with identical beards, blue shirts & white straw hats. I met them as they were coming back down from the highest point in the vicinity. One of them explained that they were on their way to live in Illinois, near St. Louis, but that he had previously worked in Burke's Garden and wanted to show the place to the others from this vantage point on Garden Mtn.Several hours later, I missed the spring at Walker Gap but went on because I knew I'd find water in the morning, a few miles beyond the shelter. It was getting dark at the end of a long day as I reached Chestnut Knob, but I could still get a couple of pictures of the valley below [not so many trees in the way from here].I hadn't met many hikers in the afternoon ¢ maybe 4-5 ¢ I found a half dozen staying in the shelter & at least that many camped in the area. It's a stone cabin with a door & few windows, but there was a upper bunk available. I got my supper & set up mostly in the dark.