Date: 2007-06-06
From: Stealth site 3 miles past Helveys Mill Shelter VA

To: Stealth side 1 mile past VA 606, VA
Miles today: 14.3

WOWEEEE!! What a crazy crazy nite!! Having grown up in Tornado Alley (Oklahoma) I'm well versed on severe thunderstorms, which are categorized as such according to wind speeds. Well, if last nite's storms weren't severe, I don't know what is. And as you all know, my dumb ass was on a totally exposed ridge! LOLActually, unless I had stayed back at the last shelter 3 miles back, there was no other place to be but on a ridge, so it was actually of out of my control. My options were to stay put or pack up and hike in that weather to get lower, which I think would have been more dangerous. And in some sick way, the adrenalin junkie in me was thrilled to be facing such circumstances (I know...sick huh? LOL)The side of my tarp receiving the wind was bowed in so far, it was touching me, and with each gust, my hammock would get rocked\pushed back and forth! I kept looking @ my stakes (which were holding the tarp down) and just waiting for them to get pulled out, but they never did!Unbelievably, I stayed totally dry as did all of my gear! This was the closest thing to a miracle I've seen considering the conditions! Because I intuitively pitched the side of my tarp closer to the ground, that was getting beaten, the blowing (sideways) rain did not get to the bottom of my underquilt, but my crocs that were sitting just a foot below my underquilt on the ground, got soaked! I am so freakin lucky. I have so much faith in my gear now...I'm in love with it for protecting me last nite. LOLIt was a cool nite though, the wind stayed around and again, it was whipping both over and under me, so I'd get a bit chilled. I grabbed my micro-puff vest (which I usually use as a pillow) and my long sleeved shirt and put them under me for a little extra insulation. It worked good enough for me to be able to fall asleep. It was 52 degres when I woke up this morning. I smiled when I woke, because I realized I survived the nite. So today it was off to my resupply point @ a place called Trent's Grocery, about .5 west of the trail on VA 606. The hike to this place was very much as it has been in days before. Rolling hills, no views, and the trail is almost overtaken by bushes and leaves in some places. Wildlife was scarce. They probably decided to take the day off to recover from last nite too! LOLThe only view I got today was where power lines were cutting into the mountainside, so it was cleared there. Hey, I'll take what I can get though.Water has been pretty far apart, as in shelter to shelter, which have been about 10 miles apart. It was 77 degrees today, but luckily the tree cover keeps things cooler.Just before you get to the road VA 606, there's this awesome wooden suspension bridge hanging over Kimberling Creek. Pretty cool to walk across and feel it sway.Then, at 2:00 p.m., I was at the road that had Trent's on it just .5 miles west. There were several hikers headed that way, and once I got there, I noticed everyone went directly to ordering food, so I went ahead and took a shower and did a load of laundry. $3.00 for both laundry and shower. Can't go wrong with that.I noticed this great 3 legged cat running aroud the place chasing bugs. It was adorable, and had a stump for its left front paw. I asked the store clerk if it had a name and what happened to it, but no one knew. I got a pic though. Finally, I ordered a burger and fries and mmmmm did that hit the spot! I sat outside @ a picnic table eating while reading all of the wonderful guest book comments all of you left. Seriously folks, thanks so much, the encouraging words and knowing someone gets up in the morning excited about the scribble I type out each nite, really touches me.Resupply here is pretty tough, but to my surprise, I'm only 24 miles from Pearisburg, so I only needed enough to get me by for 2 days (hmmmm...and to think it took me 5 days for the 28 miles to Neel's Gap my first week! LOL).As I was packing everything up, lots of good ole boys drove up in their pickups and every single one of them walked out with only beer. LOL Then it happened, this guy walks out, sees me packing my pack and he goes, "Woooo Weeeee, that's my kind of trail hiker...a woman." He asked if I was headed to the falls (which I'll see first thing tomorrow) and then said he thought it'd be fun to party up there and how he didn't think he'd be an imposition if he showed up. Ummmm ya...seriously boys, if you want to hit on a woman, I'd recommend another opening line other than "Wooo Weee." I wanted to ask this guy where the General Lee was and if Boss Hog was still harassing him, but I didn't figure that would be well received, so I just smiled and went about my business.So, I WAS going to hike to the falls and camp there, but not now..damn. I got everything together and in a record breaking 3.5 hrs I managed to do all of my town chores, and start hiking again!I'll admit, my foot is pretty painful today, so I decided to get a safe distance and find a really stealthy site. I hiked about a mile in (which was all up) and found a great spot way off the trail. Not sure anyone would notice me, and that's the point. It's 8:00 p.m., 74 degrees and I'm beat. I think I may need to give my foot a day of rest and ice in Pearisburg. I've been asking a lot of it, and guess what, tomorrow I hit 600 miles! I will have done 100 miles in a week for the first time!Again, thanks for all the positive and encouraging comments. They give me strength.Oh, Rachael got me another camera and I'll have it next week right beore McAfee's Knob and the Tinker Cliffs. Can't wait to see these 2 places.~Certain