Date: 2018-05-07
From: Four Pines Hostel 

To: LambertÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: broken clouds

I had already decided last night that I was getting back on the trail with Next Step today even if I had a bone sticking out! I have never been good at relaxing, and I had been SITTING for 2 1/2 days in the middle of nowhere, just wishing I was hiking with my Next Step! I even woke up on my own before 7, which is a big deal. Of course, Next Step was already up and finishing up yesterday¢s journal. He was so glad to be caught back up! We started our day with scrambled eggs which were fresh from the free- range chickens that live at four Pines Hostel. There is nothing like fresh eggs!! We had also saved a country ham biscuit from last night¢s supper to go with our eggs. One thing for sure, it was all much better than my normal breakfast of instant grits. It didn¢t take long to eat and get packed up. I was soooo ready to go! Midnight gave a few of us hikers a short ride back to the trail head. Plod Along, Grandma Shortie and Half Moon (three hikers we had met at Woodshole Hostel) were already at the trailhead when we arrived. Next Step and I hiked in almost a mile and stopped to filter our water and stretch. I was feeling really well, but was just super worried that my blister would come back. I honestly was worried that I wouldn¢t be able to hike up the mountain after so much time off and all the food I had eaten while I was healing my foot. So far, so good. We hiked through a meadow and the trail continued to be soft under our feet. Next Step had told me how the flowers and trees had come to life, but it was even more than I had expected. Everywhere you looked was a different kind of flower and a different color...so beautiful!!! Just before we started our climb up to the highlight of our day, we stopped at John's Spring Shelter to filter more water and have lunch. Next Step walked down the hill from the shelter and ran into a group of firefighters that were working on a restoration project from last week¢s fire. As we headed north we saw the charred remains of the forest floor for about a mile, the air still smelling of smoke. The fire had stopped at the trail, which thankfully, had kept it from spreading farther into the woods. We continued to ascend and finally reached McAfee Knob!!! This was a day we had dreamed about for years. McAfee Knob is probably one of the most iconic sites on the AT, mainly because of the amazing photo op of hikers sitting on the edge of the cliff. Unfortunately, just as we walked up, a thru hiker was just finishing up his photo shoot in his birthday suit!! Seriously?!?! I can never ¢unsee¢ that! Next Step (wearing ALL of his clothes, lol) was brave enough to dangle his feet over the edge of the huge rock formation that jutted out from McAffee Knob, but not me! However, I have definitely gotten braver from my days on the trail. A year ago I probably wouldn¢t have even thought about getting anywhere near the edge and now here I was just inches away!!! We hung out with a few of our hiker friends before heading on to our next exciting spot for the day, Tinker Cliffs. We had heard that the views from the Cliffs were even more spectacular than those at McAfee Knob. First, we had to do a bit of a rock scramble through The Ledges. However, there was just one problem. The closer we were getting to the cliffs, the darker the sky was getting to our west. Next Step checked the radar and there were several storm cells headed our way. Now I can think of several places I would enjoy being when a storm passes, but on top of the cliffs on the side of a mountain wasn¢t anywhere on the list!!! The only good thing about that situation was that it helped me COMPLETELY forget about my blisters for the two mile hike up to the cliffs and the 1.5 mile hike down to the shelter. We had a pretty good climb up. I just put my head down and dug in my trekking poles. Sadly, when we reached the top, we couldn¢t even really stop to enjoy the absolutely incredible views because we wanted to keep moving to beat the storm. It started sprinkling just as we reached the top, so I put it into even higher gear to get down. We decided we would just camp in the shelter just in case the storms moved in. Not only would we not have to deal with a wet tent, but we would be able to get a quicker start in the morning. He didn¢t have to convince me. I eagerly agreed because tomorrow is TOWN DAY!!! I obviously do not need more relaxation time, but Next Step is way overdue!! Not only was he cranking out crazy miles, but I know he was going at warp speed just so he could get back to me. So even though it¢s not QUITE as exciting as it normally is because I¢m still full from my 3 nights in a row at the all-you-can-eat country cooking buffet, the thoughts of a hot shower and a real bed to sleep in are enough to get this hiking gal up at 6 am and ready to go!Hugs ¢ Which WayElevation Data:               Weather:Ascent ~ 4,150                  Day ¢ 69 degrees / Sunny with ThunderStormsDescent ~ 3,900                Night ¢ 53 degrees / Partly CloudyGrade ~ 9.3Over the Horizon: Shenandoah National Park