Date: 2004-05-19
From: Va. 612, Kimberling Creek

To: Jenny Knob shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: light rain

3:00 PM Brushy Mountain view NE to Kimberling CommunityI am taking today slowly to savor every inch of the trail. I don¢t know how many more days I will be walking in these woods. It was very hard to walk away from John this morning. While I was with him, I wanted to go home. Now I am at peace with where I am right now. The night in the tent with road noises and intermittent rain was not my ideal of the AT experience. I had hoped that Bland would have laundry facilities, but I was disappointed. The breakfast at Bland Square Grill was worth the trip into town, as was the belated Mother¢s Day letter in the Post Office. I also was very happy to get cheese at the IGA, plus a banana and an orange. I loaded up on candy bars. My pack was too heavy when I left Kimberling Creek, but it won¢t be for long. I took advantage of the creek to wash socks, bandanas and underwear. I had plenty of fuel for heating the wash water, since the can of alcohol going home with John still had several ounces in it. I tried to get the clothes dry on my lunch break at Helveys Mill shelter by hanging them on a line inside. It was still raining off and on all the time I was at the shelter. The shelter was busy at midday. A southbound section hiker was there for water. Dacks arrived shortly from her previous night at Jenkins shelter. We then were visited by a large group from the Forest Service and a Power Company conferring about the impact of running a large power line near the existing shelter. Dacks and I were in a photo speaking with one of the Forest Service employees. Our lovely hiker faces may end up in a Forest Service poster. Yipee! Cuppa Joe arrived a little later for lunch and water. Dacks and I left. So now the sun is shining pleasantly, and there is a cool breeze blowing some of the moisture off my clothes. But this break has lasted long enough, and the next water is 9 miles away at Jenny Knob shelter. I must keep moving or end up very thirsty.11:00 PM Jenny Knob shelterI have had another wildly satisfying day of hiking. My decision to carry only 1 and 1/2 liters for all day was a good one today. I planned to walk slowly and not sweat as my way to conserve drinking water. I started to worry a little at 6:00 PM that I hadn¢t come to the road that is 3.1 miles from the shelter. I started to pick up my pace, since I didn¢t want to get caught by darkness without reaching water. I crossed the road at 6:45 PM with 3/4 liter of water. I figured I could make 3 miles in 1 and 1/2 hours and still not run out of water before I got there. I figured correctly, only because the trail was relatively smooth. It was steep in places, but I didn¢t have to negotiate boulders, as I did on Garden Mountain the day before yesterday. The flame rhododendrons encouraged me whenever I was tired or anxious about getting to the shelter before dark. I saw 2 pink lady¢s slippers beside the trail, one in the early afternoon and one about 6:30.I spent some of my contemplative time today planning a hermitage in my future country retreat. I was thinking of how to make a place where I am comfortable and where I might meet with people in therapy or spiritual direction. I stopped my daydreaming when I realized I needed to make a dash for the shelter. I really did get to the shelter just in time. The sun had already set, and it started to rain. I was able to get my tent set up before the rain started really pouring. It slacked up a little, but rained off and on all through my hanging the bear line, getting water, cooking and eating.