Date: 2008-06-10
From: James River

To: Punch Bowl Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: clear sky

Lousy night's sleep, mostly due to the trains.Crossing back over the James before 7:00 a.m. Within minutes of being on the trail we were greeted by "Nightengale". She offered us Krispy Kreme donuts. Score!Nightengale is the sister of "Bearbait" whom we have not met. They had spent the night just ahead at the Johns Hollow Shelter. She had brought beer and other trail magic items, which they enjoyed last night. Oh well, I guess you can't everything, all the time?We stopped at the shelter briefly, to load up on water. There were some big climbs ahead of us. The tallest one today was Bluff Mountain. At the top was a foundation where a fire tower once stood. In addition, there was a small stone monument for 4 yr. old Ottie Powell, whose body was found here 5 months after he went missing from school in 1890.An interesting story, Back in 1890 The teacher of a one room school house sent the boys to get firewood. Ottie naturally wanting to help, went off too. Ottie never returned. Within a few hours, many searchers were looking for him that eventually numbered near 1500 over the span of the next 5 months.A bundle of wood and drag marks were found, that indicated that 4 yr. old Ottie had drug small limbs for quite a distance. He had become disoriented and followed a path leading off in the wrong direction. Apparently, there was a light snow that night as well?His mother was so grief stricken,that she soon had passed away after all hope was gone. Five months later his little body was discovered here at the top of the mountain. It was likely that he died from exposure from the cold mountain weather. His feet and hands had since been chewed away by animals. Other than that he was still intact and still wearing his little red hat.His father a minister, was notified and thanked God for putting closure to his family's grief. An autopsy revealed he had undigested food, which he had earlier for lunch. This concluded that Ottie did not survive the night. As a parent, I could just imagine the pain? Nothing more to be said.About 1-1/2 miles further was Punch Bowl Shelter. It was down off the trail, very secluded and was the first shelter the 3 of us stayed at which there were no other hikers.We heard there was a pond there? I was hoping to get in a swim, but the pond was brown and stagnant. Nothing about it was inviting. We set up our tents to use as a bug shelter while we chilled out. It was only 2:00 p.m. It had been thundering all afternoon, It was raining lightly off & on. So I set my tent up in the shelter, as it was to hot for a rain fly but bug protection was needed. Oddly, Sprite & Freckles several times kept insisting they heard sneezing and a voice in the wood line?I thought they were kidding, there would be no way anyone else would be there? However, this continued every so often, until I knew they were really serious.I took a look, but there was no sign of anyone.The interesting thing about all of this, was that it is writtten and believed that this shelter is haunted by the ghost of Ottie Powell? No reason to believe otherwise. If I was lost in this area and found this shelter I would stay here too. Alive or dead I'm sure. The feeling wasn't so much spooky,as it was mysterious? These mountains surely hold many secrets. Based on the noises, they heard, it could be just as likely the ghosts of those who had actually died, while being involved in the searching of Ottie?I have the utmost respect and do not question for a second at what they heard.I have never dismissed the possibility of such things occurring, in fact I have experienced my own unexplainable encounters? Despite all this, we slept well tonight.Since I am sleeping in a shelter, I can only hope it rains tonight.