Date: 2008-05-09
From: Atkins, VA

To: Lynn Camp Creek
Miles today: 14.3

We slept pretty well in the seedy little hotel. We showered and packed then ate breakfast at The Barn. We hit the Trial and have to go across Interstate 81 using the underpass. Anything on the highway sketches me out, so I¢m grateful it¢s a quick walk.Throughout the day we cross about a dozen stiles at the beginning and end of each field. Not to brag, but I have become quite skillful in climbing over them. Earlier in the trip they were rather dangerous for me. It took a few times to figure how to maneuver safely with pack and poles over these things. Ahh¢¦Trail adventures!We see a beautiful painted turtle in the middle of the Trail along a stream. His shell is a neat design in orange and black colors. I take pictures and he doesn¢t really seem to mind me.We come to Davis Path Shelter and there is a group of 15-20 Trail Volunteers eating lunch after having just torn down the shelter. We are told it is because locals party there too much and make a mess. They have left the floor of it to serve as a tent platform and next year will build several more. The folks range in age from, I would guess, 20¢s to 70¢s. And the old-timers sure do love to talk! After about 12 an hour we are able to get back to hiking. This prompts a conversation about volunteering for the Trail when we get home. It would be a great way to give back. Volunteers are what keep the Trail going. THANK YOU1Today is a day of climbing, it seems. It¢s not so bad because it¢s gradual, but it¢s hot and muggy and sometimes going uphill just gets old. We climb Gullion Mountain aka Little Brushy (of course) and Big Walker Mountain, neither of which have views at the top. The trees we¢ve noticed, have been starting to really blossom and fill out. Everything is bright green. We walk through a lot of fields today, too. Hence all the stiles. They are private farms with large cow herds, so watch where you step. That may be one of my favorite scenes: big, bright, open, green fields with the smell of grass, dirt, flowers and manure; the Trail weaves through it and far ahead you can make out the faint direction that it takes and there are old rickety posts with white blazes on them to guide you. It really is a beautiful scene. It gives me this feeling that life is simple and good. We don¢t see many people today and we have a nice hike all to ourselves. A bug flies into my eyeball and Brad needs to perform emergency Trail surgery and dig it out. This is when it really pays to hike with someone!We arrive at Knot Maul Branch Shelter and decide to move on as it is full of strangers, and we¢re not in a strangers mood tonight. We move on to Lynn Camp Creek and set up our tent here. We are joined by Busdriver, Mr. Bones, Stubbs, Pearl, Trainwreck, and Alien. We eat dinner and hang out around the fire. It has been thundering for a couple hours and when it finally starts to sprinkle we head for bed. As we fall asleep it is thundering, lightening and down-pouring. We pray the Big Agnes tent Gods keep us dry tonight!Oh yeah ¢ we pass the 14 mile mark today! 544-1/4 was etched into a stone. I don¢t think it¢s the exact 14 mark for the 2008 hike, but it was still pretty rad!