Date: 2007-11-12
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 46.0
Weather: scattered clouds

11/03/07 Brenda from the Rondevous Motel drove me to Sugar Gap and at 10AM I was standing on the trail and ready for more hiking. The trail was a series of small ups and downs for 8 miles until a 1500 foot plunge to Wapiti Shelter. I enjoyed a late lunch while looking over the map and then decided I'd go for another 8 miles to Trent's Store where they have camping and pizzas, burgers and stuff. It took 3 hours exactly from 2:15PM to 5:15PM. It's only half a mile off the trail so a justifiable stop. Trent's is not really a re-supply spot unless you are doing the junk food through hike. However they have home cooked food and beer. I had a turkey sub with everything and some cajun fries.When I got there, about 30 men and a Game Warden were all gathered around eachother. I picked a tent site between some stored trailers near the bath house. Then I put on long pants and went back for the food. I got up at 4:30AM to discover the tent covered in frost. It was 20 degrees out. Well, the washer and dryer room turned out to be my oasis. I started the dryer with my damp hiking cloths from the day before and then began hauling all my stuff in the room. It didn't take long for the little room to warm up as I dried my sleeping bag and tent too. I made coffee and cooked a nice breakfast of rice, veggies, mashed potateoes and cheese -- all stired together. Two thumbs up for Trent's Store.11/04/07 At 7AM I was standing on the AT again and began heading the 16 miles south to Helveys Mill Shelter. My plan for the day was to take it easy and when I got to the shelter I was going to stay in the shelter instead of setting up my tent as I uaually do. (I didn't want to drag a wet tent around.)Nice views and nice trail all the way past Jenny Knob Shelter and on to Helveys. I saw no one on the trail for a second day. I had figured Reggie, Doctor Doom, and Leader of the Pack might be catching up to me. Where I'm hiking now at least 80% of the leaves are on the forest floor making for a beautiful scene but difficult to hike on. My left boot had a big chunk fall off the heal this day and now only the insert is between me and the ground. I didn't think of the wet getting in but all my left foot socks were quite damp.11/05/07 Another cold morning but not as cold as the day before. I puttered about making coffee and a hot breakfast. So I didn't start going until 8AM this day. The trail was a smooth small ups and downs affair. I decided to take the Trail Boss trail around Brushy Mountain and that turned interesting as I walked through (or pushed through) knee high leaves piled on this trail that was no more then a foot wide in places with a steep plunge through the woods to the valley below. It took until 2:30 to hike the 14 miles to Jenkins Shelter. I debated whether to hike up the 1600 foot climb just ahead and stay at Davis Farm campsite -- about 5 miles. But I was smart, my left foot was wet again and it was uncomfortable to hike in the boot. I slept in the shelter. 11/06/07 In the morning it was 22 degrees and the wind was starting to blow in the tops of the trees. The forcast for the next 6 days in south western VA was for morning temps in the 20's and daily temps in the 30's and 40's. This is when I decided that I would hike 2 more days to the Relax Inn in Atkins, VA and stop my hike. (I have all ready hiked from the Relax Inn south.)I got back on the AT at 7AM and hiked slowly up and up and up. In an hour and a half I had done 3 miles and was standing on top of a wind swept, ice covered, rocky landscape. The wind was blowing in across a beautiful valley untouched until slamming into me. (Probably the windchill was 2 feet off the chart.) I trudged forward slipping and slidding and looking for something to hide behind to take a break. I kept getting my map out and then moving on. My left foot was now wet and I knew if I stopped it would freeze. It soon became clear to me that The Relax Inn was out of the picture and I needed to bail and bail to the southeast to get out of the wind and into the sun. I arrived at VA 623 and took a left and walked down the twisting road 9 miles to VA 41 and tar. I walked north toward Bland. I was in a beautiful farming valley like the many I had seen from the mountain tops this past month. No one wanted to stop and pick me up though. So I walked for almost 3 hours before some nice folks in a van brought me to the Big Walker Motel. Miss Janet drove up and snatched me back to Erwin.I'll do a post hike report within a day and put up some pictures too. Thanks to all for having a read.