Date: 2008-05-30
From: James River Foot Bridge, Glasgow, VA

To: 1/2 mile north of Pedlar River, VA
Miles today: 15.5

I woke up at 6am and spent the morning packing up my stuff.I kept checking Howard's Restaurant to see if it was opened yet. I got impatient and walked across the street and bought a cup of coffee at the convenience store, then walked back and Howard's opened up.I went in and ordered three eggs over easy, homefries, bacon and wheat toast. I also ordered a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit and a half pound cheeseburger all the way, but those I had Stacey wrap up for me to pack out for lunch and dinner. :-)I was sitting there talking to a tree surgeon about his work when G-town Colonel came in and ordered breakfast.I told him about Ken coming at 8:30am to take me back to the trailhead and G-town Colonel decided to ride with me.Ken popped in, but had to go to the PO which was fine because Stacey was the only one working and she had to do everything, so it took a little while.That was fine with me because I just kept pouring more coffee. :-)I got my pack when I was done and put it in Ken's trunk.Ken had the register he gets everyone to sign. I was in there when he gave me a ride on 6-18-04....and I used 2 smiley faces back then! :-)I signed it again, only I used the sticker of me and my gorilla girlfriend this time. :-)Ken dropped us off at the trailhead at James River and G-town Colonel and I started walking north on the Appalachian Trail at 9:20am.It was a much warmer and humid day than it had been the two previous days....and I had a mountain to climb!It was about a 2,300 foot climb to the top of Big Rocky Row and it ended up taking me 2 hours and 10 minutes to make that five mile uphill climb.I had passed by Johns Hollow Shelter without stopping, but I did stop when I got to the top of the mountain.I laid out my bandana and shirt in the sun on the edge of a cliff overlook to dry.I ate my bacon, egg and cheese biscuit and had a few nuts and water.My stuff was almost dry and I was getting ready to leave when Kyonite and Sunkist came walking up. I talked to them a while, then walked on.Glasgow might be just a small town, but it was still so peaceful when I got back in the woods walking.I could look back and see the James River about 2,300 feet below, and across the way, I could see the top of the mountain I slept on 2 nights ago. I could also see the radar on Apple Orchard Mtn....I walked over that three days ago in a very dense fog.I checked my cell about 1pm and had service, so I called Lois at Dutch Haus B&B and said, ¢Happy Birthday¢...and laughed a little.She knew who I was! She said she was expecting me any time because she got a package in the mail for me yesterday.I reserved a room for Sunday and then walked on.That's a great place to stop! It's off Trail about 2 1/2 miles downhill, but that 2 1/2 miles is always worth walking to stay there. :-)I was off to the side of the Trail taking pictures of pretty pink flowers of rhododendrons when Kyonite, Sunkist, Bus Driver and Sumbeam all walked by me.I was climbing the 800 feet to the summit of Bluff Mtn when a grouse flew right in front of me.She stopped and started coming back when I spotted two baby grouse about the size of day old chickens near my feet.They both ran up the hill and the mother grouse flew off. They usually act hurt and try to get your attention...away from the chicks, but this mother flew off leaving the chicks.....bad mom!I walked on and got to the summit of Bluff Mtn and saw a marker where a little 4 year, 11 month old little boy died back in 1891 when he walked 7 miles from a school house to this point where his body was found. His name was Ottie Cline Powell.I walked on to Punchbowl Mtn. I had to descend from Bluff Mtn about 600 feet to get to Punchbowl, then walked by Punchbowl Shelter without stopping.I kept walking downhill to the Blue Ridge Parkway, then another couple hundreds yards to a piped spring I always stop at.The spring was just dripping. I wasn't sure if it was just running slow, or if something had clogged the pipe.I sat down and ate my dinner of the half pound cheeseburger, pineapple slices, chips, nuts, chocolate chip cookies and Rice Krispy Treat while I left a water bottle under the drip.It took twenty minutes to fill a one liter bottle....and I filled two bottles. I drank one liter and packed the other one out with me.The mountain laurels were in full bloom at the lower elevation....mostly white ones, but a few pink ones.They look like trees full of big white puff balls from a distance, but when you look close at the flower, they have a real intricate design to them.I was walking along about 4pm and listened to an owl hooting in the distance for a while.I got into an area of poplar trees with huge, straight trunks about a mile or two before Pedlar River.I took a few pictures of them, but I'm sure the pictures won't do them justice....it was like I was standing in a forest of giants.I found a little pooled up spring about a mile before Pedlar River. I drank a liter and filled up two bottles, so I'm good for the night with water.I ran into a sobo by the name of Bear Chaser. She said she walked the Appalachian Trail in '04 and started at PenMar and is walking to Springer, then following a Trail over into Alabama before she's done.We talked about 20 minutes before I walked on.I got to the suspension bridge and walked across Pedlar River.Kyonite, Sunkist, Sunbeam, Bus Driver, Forecast and Aggie were on the north side of the bridge taking a break.I stopped and talked a few minutes, then climbed to the top of the next little hill and found a flat spot....a nice, soft flat spot for the night.I set up my tent, took a bandana bath and crawled in.I checked cell service. I had cell service, but no data service, so I¢ll try and send this entry in a day late. :-)Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)