Date: 2011-10-26
From: Daleville, Virginia

To: Pickle Branch Shelter, Virginia
Miles today: 32.3
Weather: broken clouds

10/26/2011Time: 9:45 p.m. DISTANCE TRAVELED:  32.3 Miles + 2.5 Miles FROM/TO:  I hiked from the Howard Johnson in Daleville, VA, to the Kroger store and then back to the trailhead. From the trailhead I hiked to VA 624, where I got off the Trail and hiked .4 of a mile, each way, to a store for dinner. From 624, I hiked at night to the Pickle Branch Shelter, which is a 12 mile off the Trail. WEATHER:  The weather was perfect for hiking . . . partly cloudy, cool, and a nice breeze from time to time. MEALS:  I had breakfast at the H.J. . . . scrambled eggs, biscuits with gravy, a bagel with cream cheese, a powdered sugar doughnut, and three glasses of apple juice. Then for my first snack, I ate a Balance Bar, a Zone Bar, and I drank a 20 oz. Pepsi. On my second break, I had another 20 oz. Pepsi; and on my third and fourth breaks of the day, I drank 20 ozs. of Gatorade each time I stopped. For my dinner ¢break¢ I had a 16 oz. Strawberry Milk, one slice of pizza, a Snickers bar, and a Mountain Dew. I stopped again before I made it to the shelter, and downed another 20 oz. Pepsi. When I got to the shelter, I had four hot dogs, another 20 oz. Pepsi, and 40 ozs. of Gatorade. ROAD/TRAIL CONDITIONS:  The Trail was pretty nice . . . until the Dragon¢s Tooth.* It started feeling like Pennsylvania all over again with all the rocks ¢ and I night-hiked it. There were places that were like rock climbing, with a 40 lb. pack on my back. SHELTER USED/SLEEPING QUARTERS:  I¢m sleeping in the Pickle Branch Shelter tonight. PEOPLE MET, HIKED WITH OR SEEN:  I hiked alone most of the day. I caught up with Footwork before Dragon¢s Tooth, and hiked into the store with him. I left him at the store to get a head-start on my night-hiking. At the trailhead there was a note for him saying that the friends he was hiking with were at a hostel, so I don¢t think he¢ll make it here tonight. There are already three people at this shelter, but I came in late, so I haven¢t met them yet. ANIMALS SEEN:  Today I¢ve seen, squirrels, bats, an owl, bugs, homo sapiens . . . things like that. MONEY SPENT OR SAVED:  I spent $30 on food today. MAIN CONCERN OF THE DAY:  I toyed with the idea of doing a 32-mile day all morning, but by the time I passed the 20-mile shelter, I was committed to doing it. SPECIAL NOTES:  I had two personal goals today:1.                 To walk 30 miles in a day . . . Check ¢ did it; and2.                 To walk four 25-mile days back-to-back. Number 2 is coming up . . . three more days of 25 miles a day or better. SUMMARY FOR THE DAY:  [Awww!! Do I have to???]  Look! I got up, had breakfast, headed to Kroger for two more items, and was on the Trail by 9 a.m. I walked and walked. I made a decision to continue on past the last shelter, met up with Footwork, and went to a store. I night-hiked over a mountain that should not be hiked at night. Survived. Made it into the shelter by 9:30 p.m. Now to sleep. TTFN ·                    ¢The Dragon¢s Tooth is an aptly named rock monolith of Tuscarora quartzite straddling Craig and RoanokeCounties just west of Catawba, VA.¢ ·                    See more at: http://www.hikingupward.com/jnf/dragonstooth/