Date: 2009-05-06
From: Helveys Mill Shelter, VA

To: Wapiti Shelter, VA
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: mist

Cell NoneOG notesWe're at the shelter featured on Dateline this winter. This is the place where a murder was committed many years ago. The guy who did it was released a few years ago. Last year he shot two fishermen in this same area. Don't worry he was caught again last year and somehow he died in jail. I assume it will be replayed again this summer, keep an eye out for it.By the way, if you read this we're okay. We will leave the shelter in the morning and transmit these emails when we get to town. I assme if something happens to us this won't get transmitted.The hiking today was not very high on the difficulty scale. We ridge walked the first 9 miles with only minor elevation changes. We then went down to a road and crossed it. The next 5 miles included a big climb and then a big downhill walk. The big climb was actually tame compared to other mountains we have done. The downhill had an extra degree of difficulty because it was rainng hard and the trail was slick mud. We crossed a really high and big suspension bridge over the Kimberling Creek. This bridge is for the AT hikers only, it's only one person wide. The strange thing is it bounces and sways as you walk across. This adds a little element of excitement to the crossing. We did not get a picture because it was pouring rain at the time of our crossing.Then from the bridge crossing we did a road walk to a small store called Trents Grocery. We both ordered a double cheeseburger and sat out the hardest rain while waiting for and eating our food.We were in the store about an hour and the rain had let up some. Incidentally, the store was in the Dateline story too. The folks in the store told us not to worry about the dateline story. The did say we only had to worry if we hear banjos. I'm just kidding.From the store we had another 9 miles of hiking. We left the store at 2:20 pm and with a 2mph pace we figured it would take us 4.5 hours or arrive at 6:50pm. We can do this now because it's staying lighter until about 8 pm. We arrived here about 6pm a little sooner than we thought. The terrain was only slightly uphill and flat a lot of the time. We arrived at the shelter and found only 3 people in it. That means there was room for us inside once again. It did rain some since we've been here so we're glad to be under a roof again.Tomorrow we'll head for the town of Pearisburg, VA. It's 16.6 miles from here so we'll have a full day hike to get there. We'll once again shower, wash our clothes, eat town food, and sleep in a bed. We have another box of food waiting for us there so we'll pack the new food and head out the next morning.C6 notes24 miles today!!!!! OG describes the hike very well, so I won't write more about it. I ended today with a big concern...a large blister on my left heel. Today is the 5th straight day with rain, so we are walking in (and can't avoid) a lot of muddy puddles. The end result of that is that two days ago my boots finally soaked through so my feet and socks are wet from the outside water. Before now, the only wet inside my boots was from sweat and that dried overnigt. This rain wet doesn't dry without dry weather, so I put on wet boots each day. We're going to stuff them with newspapers overnight when we're in the motel in Pearisburg. That might dry them out...I hope it will.Hiking in wet boots has started new hot spots on my feet. I've been trying to take care of my heel, but the things I've done didn't prevent the blister. I hope it won't hurt too badly while we're hiking tomorrow. Old Goat & Check Six