Date: 2008-10-12
From: Harrison Ground Springs

To: James River
Miles today: 11.3

I got up early and as I packed up to go I disovered that mice had chewed considerably on my orange PCT hiker bandana I had left on a log to dry. Bummer!!! I was so proud to get one at the kickoff this year. Now it is holey and one whole edge is gone. I suppose they got a lot of salt as I had been wearing it for two days as a sweat headband. Non-hikers are probably most worried about bears and mountain lions in the wilderness but crittrs who do the most damage are, without a doubt, mice.The day began rather chilly, 48, and windy too. I actually hiked for a bit with shirts and coat on. But that did not last for long. Soon enough I was stripped as usual.I climbed 700 ft or so this morning over Highcock Knob. Going uphill is interesting. The trail started gradually. I set the altimeter to tell me how I am doing and then play mind games with myself.Hey, this first 100 ft went by in a flash. I only have to do this 6 more times. I try to walk past that tree with the bend in it near the trail before glancing at the altimeter again. Can't look at the altimeter too much. I want to look and see some real progress. How come it takes longer for each successive 100 ft? The trail gets steeper and now there are rocks. The right leg gets the majority of the work. It is getting tired. I am puffing now trying to maintain the pace. My friend Kathy puts on her Ipod to distract her from her own mental garbage going uphill. Maybe I should have done that. But now I only have 250 ft to go. Surely I can do that without an Ipod. Have I really only gone 40 ft since the last time I checked the altimeter? And then, finally, I am on top for a few brief yards and then the trail goes down the other side.In spite of mind games it was a beautiful morning. After that one climb I had trouble making forward progress because I wanted to stop and take pictures of every tree. The colors were fantastic! Even if I am hiking along looking at where I put my feet on the trail I am aware of the changing colors. The ambient light filtering through the colored leaves changes color too. Under the bright red leaved trees the light is a rosey hue. It is much the same effect as walking in a church with sunlight coming through stainglass windows. Today is Sunday and I am in God's cathedral with beautifully colored windows crafted of leaves and sunlight streaming through them.There were views today too, no named overlooks, but numerous places mountains and valleys to the north and west can be seen. Beautiful!I stopped at Marble Spring to get water. It too was just a puddle with water running over and into the ground a short distance away. But this puddle had much less silt as it had a rocky base.I saw a salamander? here. It was very small, about the size of a 4" pencil with eyes in the eraser end. I would have missed it if it had not moved.I sat and ate my morning snack bars after getting water while admiring the sunlight sparkling through green and gold leaves waving in the breeze. The effect reminded me of prisms or chandeliers. Only this particular chandelier was about 50 ft tall and about that wide too.Hmm? Is human artwork just a desire to create the same effects one can find in God's creation of the natural world? Sometimes, perhaps.I descended almost 3,000 ft today. For the most part the trail was pretty good, not too rocky, and evenly graded. There were some interesting views of The James River, several hundred feet below. I was able to make pretty good time after lunch and then I got a reward. The profile on the map was wrong. A last 500 ft climb before Matt's Creek Shelter simply wasn't there. The map was wrong.I got a bandana wet and washed my face and drapped it around my neck to keep cool. Was it really cold this morning? Now it is 75.This morning I met two brothers, their dogs, beautiful lab? puppies, and their father out for a day of enjoyment. Just before reaching Matt's Creek Shelter two women who were part of Roanoke Women's Appalachian Hiking Club caught up with me. I asked if they knew Linda and Bobbie and, of course, they did. That was fun.At the shelter two SOBO from Harper's Ferry long section hikers, Pyro and Towelie were having a rest day playing cards and reading.Not too much farther and I was at The James River. After a brief walk along the river bank, more of the women of the hiking club from Roanoke caught me. We chatted a bit and I asked that they tell Bobbie and Linda again many thanks from me.I also asked them to take my picture on the bridge over The James River. This pedestrain bridge is 625 feet, the longest pedestrian only bridge on the AT.On the other side of the bridge was Ken and my ride to Buena Vista.And now I am here and clean and my clothhes are clean too. This motel is not too palatial but it has what I need, lots of hot water and soap.I had a subway footlong for dinner. I wanted a milk shake too but neither Subway nor Burger King nor the convenience store has ice cream except for ice cream novelties. So I am consoling myself with Oreo cookies and milk. Not bad.The only real downside are my Mexican neighbors who have their music on at full blast. I wonder when they will go to sleep, or a lest turn down the music? Oh well. Tonight it doesn't really matter. Tomorrow is a zero day.