Date: 2003-05-09
From: Niday Shelter

To: VA 624, Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: light rain

It rained in the night, and everything smelled damp and green in the morning. The flowers are really showing off today.The sun sparkled off the mountain laurel, the blossoms of which were curled into tight pink balls, their color just showing though the sepals. Mountain blueberries were in full bloom with their white pendant blossoms; it looked to be a bumper year for berries. A yellow flame azalea guarded the path near the shelter's water source. The rhododendron buds were pinking up, promising quite a show in a few days.Life would be grand, except I felt as if I had been beat up.No blisters, no external marks. Just a deep fatigue, and a hammering foot bruising. My hips ached, sore from the lack of padding last night; I should have taken the time to thicken up the pressure points. My head was tired from lack of sleep due to tossing.It's really hot today. I drank water like a fiend, and unfortunately did the biggest climb during the hottest part of the day. This really drains a body, and is not recommended.I'm not making good time today. I am weary, fatigued, every step an effort. I stub my toes a lot. I think negative thoughts about my abilities, and spend some useless time comparing myself to others.Today contains a piece of Trail I have been looking forward to from the start, the iconic Dragon's Tooth. This dramatic rocky upthrust is just the sort of trail feature I seek out, but today I was lacking an essential enthusiasm.To make matters worse, the sky went cloudy, the humidity thickened with the heat and - what was that? A distant rumble? Few places worse to be than on a ridge, chased by thunder. It is the stuff of my bad dreams, to be working my utmost, chased, in a hurry, uphill. The wind is roaring in the trees. Very eerie. I hope all the deadwood that is going to come down has fallen already. I keep checking the guidebook mileage. I feel as if my feet are stuck in quicksand. This Dragon's Tooth rock is taking forever to get to! And everybody is in front of me by at least an hour. I am the last one on the ridge today.The Trail was not simple here either, more slabs of rock tipped sideways, rock climbing that needed a slower pace and careful balance. A slip here could be fatal. My pace slowed to half its normal speed.To complicate matters, I was trying to get to the Four Pines hostel by 6 pm, when the shuttle to the all-you-can-eat restaurant was leaving. The Homeplace Restaurant was said to have the best food on the Trail. And if I really pushed my tired body, I might just make it under the wire.After a while of this hurry-but-get-nowhere-while-being-chased stuff, my attitude got really bad. I was whipped physically. The terrain was unexpectedly tough and uphill at a time I needed to fly. The skies were promising to pelt me, if not fry me. Yet I couldn't go any faster. I didn't care a lick about Dragon's Tooth anymore. Just get me down off this ridge! Now!I was taking it all Very Seriously.And then the rain hit.It came just as I hit The Dragon's Tooth, so I bagged all thought of taking the 200 yard side trail to see this fantastic rock formation. This was a shame, and unlike my usual Trail habits, but the approach to The Tooth had chewed me up and spit me out.The area before and around The Tooth is rocky, reminding me of parts of the Long Trail. The cold, hard, windy rain started just as I reached the rebar handholds in the cliff wall - there was no other way down the sheer rock face. The stone was unbelievably slick and dangerous, much balance was needed. I had no reliable traction - I would seem to stick, then slide at a critical moment. One pole was better that two, and both hands were needed more often than not. Many times I was forced to sit on my butt and fanny slide, to increase the traction. My pack kept throwing me off balance just when I needed stability. My ankles felt wooden and inelastic. Each jarring step down shocked the joints.The whole time, I knew that were I fresh, joint-rested and well fed, on dry rock, I would be having fun. I wasn't.I got down the mountain The Tooth sat on, with great relief. Imagine my horror at finding another mountain in front of me. And more rocks!I was furious, yes, furious! I hated the Trail, I hated the Trail designers, I hated the ATC. I hated my shoes. I hated whoever set the shuttle time at 6 pm. Even the blooming rhododendron at the lower elevations failed to pull me out of my funk and fury. Finally, finally, I am down the mountain. I turn right at the road to Four Pines Hostel. The pavement burns my done-in feet.I limp up the hill at 6:05 pm, five minutes too late for the shuttle. Into the three car garage that the proprietor, Joe Mitchell, has converted to a simple hostel. A very nice section hiker makes a joke as I hobble in, hair plastered down by sweat, about played out: "There's a tradition here that the 12th one in has to go back and do the whole thing again." I don't even laugh, and that's a rare thing. The poor fellow was just trying to make a connection.And then another rare thing: Joe asked my name, and when I told him "LiteShoe" he asked "JAN LiteShoe?" Hmmmm... Who wants to know?Joe tells me that his friend Chief left instructions to take good care of me. A good man, Chief! Joe tells me to throw my stuff down, take a shower and he would shuttle me to The Homeplace Restaurant. Yes!Pardon me while I swoon.Within the hour I am seated, freshly-showered, at the Homeplace. In front of me is incredible fried chicken with a perfectly crisped skin, a slab of beef au jus, buttery whipped potatoes, gravy, sweet corn, coleslaw, green beans, biscuits and a bottomless glass of real lemonade. Just when I think I can eat no more, out comes the coffee, blueberry cobbler and ice cream.Oh lord, just take me now!When I return to the hostel, Notes is there with the hilarious father-son team, the Brits Tanglefoot and ProudFeet. Raisenette, Grandmothers Bear and Turtle are there too. Also, Snappy and Puff-Puff have come in.Notes plays a game of chess with Joe and gets his butt kicked. I fall asleep while the lights are still on.