Date: 2006-05-28
From: Glasgow, VA

To: Irish Creek Bridge
Miles today: 14.9

Bama and Little Wing had a good night and left the money on top of the TV and some other hiking stuff and food they didn't need for the next thru-hiker that comes in. The girls went out on the road at 7:45 and got a ride to the trail with a nice guy named Roy. Bama said he was in a vintage convertable - maybe a Corvair. As they got in, Roy said about the beverage can in the seat between his legs. "Now, I don't want y'all thinking this is a beer (after all it was 7:45 am on Sunday morning), it's just an O'Doul's." Bama thought to herself, "Buddy, I don't care what it is as long as you give us a ride to the trail." I called Doris with Mom & Pop's Motel to thank her for the hospitality and said that I had put her phone number on Bama's journal. She said Wingfoot has just called her a couple of weeks ago to get an updated phone. It was an interesting little town, but very poor and in a backwater. Many of the older stores are closed or closing, but it once was a bustling little railroad town. When they were in line at the the Dollar General, the sales lady asked the girls where they came from and they said Georgia, of course thinking that she meant where did you get on the AT. She said, "That sure is strange. You're the fourth group that's come to Glasgow from Georgia. Why is everybody leaving Georgia?" That cracked the girls up and they tried to explain the AT and what they were doing. The lady had no clue. You could just as well said they had arrived on a spaceship from Mars. She couldn't imagine two middle-aged ladies hiking in the woods.About three miles uphill outside of town, Bama and Little Wing found cell signals and made home calls. Bama said they wanted to get far enough up the trail to tent somewhere beyond Punchbowl Shelter so they would be able to get to the B&B on Tuesday before noon. If you get there before lunch time, you get a free lunch! Another thru-hiker, Guinness and dog, Aly came up. The dog had little hiking boots, too, but only on the back paws. Guinness explained that Aly had some tender spots and the booties really helped. About this time, other hikers were struggling up the trail to the rocks where they were sitting and Bama said they better go so others could sit down for a few minutes. On the way down they saw the memorial for Ottie Cline. According to Marcia at www.webehiking.com in Franklin NC, comes this Internet note: "As we descended Bluff Mtn. on our left was a large cemetery marker. Along the AT are other shelters and markers that commemorate young hikers who died before their time, but this is the only one known to be named for a child. Late in 1890 four year old Ottie Cline Powell wandered away from his classmates who were collecting firewood for the school¢s stove. A massive search party followed his tracks to no avail. In the spring little Ottie¢s body was found near where the marker stands today." It is said he haunts the nearby Punchbowl Shelter at night. Update: They reached Irish Creek Bridge near the Pedlar Dam. After leaving Glasgow at 735 ft. of elevation, they climbed to the top of Bluff mountain at 3,372 feet - nice morning eye-opener - passing several impressive overlooks and vistas.Bama and little Wing ran into a southbound (SOBO) woman thru-hiker and her dog. They talked for a little bit and exchanged the usual trail info and stories. They asked her about the Irish Creek Bridge and she told them about a good place she had found and had slept there. Good! There was a comment in Wingfoot's book about the area being frequented by RVers and fisherman. I don't know if he meant it to be a warning, but as RVers ourselves, Bama and I are not dangerous - usually . Maybe he meant noise and traffic or something.When they got there, they set up camp and walked around hoping to get a cell signal - no luck. They heard some distant voices, but never saw anyone. Bama halfway looked out for Old Drum who was behind them. He always stops to camp at 7:30 pm no matter where he is. Picture taken from my sleeping bag inside my tent looking out at the creek.The creek runs into the Lynchburg Reservoir formed by Pedlar Dam. Marcia at We Be Hiking wrote this, "The construction of the Pedlar Dam began on July 11,1904, and the first water flowed through a 22 mile section of California redwood pipeline to Lynchburg in 1907. For years, one crew of men did nothing but walk the pipeline adjusting the tension to prevent leaks. In the 1930¢s, the original concrete and stone dam that was 50 ft was raised to 60 ft. It was raised again in 1965 to 75 ft. and was widened from 415 ft. to 435 ft. Today the dam holds a 138 acre, 82-million gallon Pedlar Lake which furnishes up to 14 million gallons daily to Lynchburg."Bill