Date: 2007-07-25
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: South of VA 611
Miles today: 18.0

It rained all night. A good soaking rain. I know that the southeast needs the rain, but I hate hiking in it, especially when its cold. I want to start hiking, but I wait for it to stop a bit. Finally hit the trail around 8:15. I cross about a million little streams, many of them though empty stream beds. I'm hiking along Dismal Creek so the trail is pretty flat and nice. I do get into an overgrown rhodo area that just soaks me. I decide to take the .3 mile trail to see Dismal Creek Falls even though its too cold to go swimming. Besides, now its raining and I'm already soaked. Another mile and I hit the road and walk .4 mile to Trent's Grocery. It's right across the street from a logging company which I could hear from the trail. I order lunch, cheeseburger and fries and a chocolate milk. While I wait for my order, I check out the place. They have the oddest things for sale. Everything from fishing supplies to hardware supplies to taxodermy supplies, videos to rent, clothes, and of course beer and venison fixings. The ladies working the store are real friendly and you can tell this is a small tight knit community, but one that is welcoming to the thruhikers.   Among the variety of items ! for sale, I am able to get a vinyl poncho to hopefully help keep me a little drier and warmer. Then I set out to climb the first of many Brushy Mtns. As I walk back down the street to the trail, I see something I have only seen in magazines or on tv - a horse drawn buggy with an Amish man and young boy. We smile and wave at each other and by the size of their smiles, I think they are just as excited to see me as I am to see them. I think this was the highlite of my day. I cross the suspension bridge over Kimberling Creek and start climbing. By the way, I dislike suspension bridges. They wobble. This Brushy Mtn sucks and I hope the next 6-7 Brushy Mtns aren't as bad as this one. It's pouring rain, the trail is overgrown, rocky, on a ridge and seems to climb forever. My mantra becomes "I wanna go home!" My feet ache with every squishy step I take. My right knee (which has had reconstructive ACL surgery) and my left foot (which had a stress fracture a couple of years ago) are also telling me with each step that they want to go home too. But I can't quit. I'm in no-where VA and besides I only have ~150 miles, 10 days, and I'm completely finished. I'm just having a bad scene.Finally, I start descending which means I'm close to the shelter. The rain begins to taper off as I cross the road and as I start to climb up to Jenny Knob I take advantage of a not-so-dry-after-the-rain creek and fill up on some water. The sun is starting to peek out as I arrive at the Jenny Knob Shelter and I take off my shoes and socks and de-prune my feet.   My feet look like they belong on a zombie, they are so strivelled and white. I assess my scheduling situation and give Chief a call to let him know I may be a day behind. He gives me some advice on the trail and I decide to hike on another four miles, hopefully, putting me in a better position to make up the lost miles. There is a nice campsite right before the road, but there is a dog there unattended. I think I hear his owner in the woods. This site is just too close to the road. So I hike on about another .5-1 mile and find a nice campsite on a ridge with a view. I really hope that it does not rain tonigh! t!