Date: 2010-05-09
From: Cornelius Creek Shelter

To: US 501 James River
Miles today: 19.9

¢Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.¢   - T. S. EliotAfter I had breakfast I got packed up as quickly as I could, loaded up with water, and headed up Apple Orchard Mountain. It was a very pretty day, and the climb really wasn¢t bad, but it seemed to take forever. Finally the trail leveled out and came out into the open. The ¢Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers¢ Companion¢ says that this was a radar base for the Air Force. I guess that would explain what I assume is a radar dome at the top and the road leading to this area. I paused long enough to call home since I hadn¢t been able to get a message out the day before. I didn¢t talk with Angus long, though. I had an idea that perhaps I could have my first 20 mile day of this hike. Well, ok, 19.9. I liked the idea of a hot shower, and the possibility of recharging my phone battery, and having enough service to call Ellen. She¢d sent an email wishing me a happy Mother¢s Day, and I was hoping to talk with her later, when I didn¢t have to be hiking. And, truth be told, there was another reason. If I could get to town I could watch The Amazing Race ¢with¢ my husband. We don¢t watch much TV at all, but that is one show we catch when we can.   When he travels, if it¢s being broadcast in our respective locations at the same time, we watch it ¢together.¢ We debate over the best strategies and react to the action on the show. There isn¢t much we can do together when we¢re hundreds of miles apart, but this is one that we can.However, I¢d have to make the 20 miles to the James River. I hadn¢t come close to that yet on this hike, although I¢d done it a couple of times when section hiking. Since I don¢t hike fast I¢d have to hike long, not taking too much by way of breaks. So off I went, down off Apple Orchard Mountain, down through the Guillotine ¢ a boulder suspended above the Trail ¢ see the photo in the gallery. I also found out that Trail from here to Mt. Moosilauke in New Hampshire is all lower than Apple Orchard Mountain. That¢s not quite ¢all downhill from here,¢ but it was still encouraging.It wasn¢t long until I reached Thunder Hill Shelter and took a very short snack break. The next few miles of trail was fairly level. A couple of overlooks provided nice views. There was some traffic on the Parkway, but not as much as I would have guessed. Perhaps it was still too early for most Sunday drivers to be out.I passed through a sea of pink trilliums. As far as I could see, both left and right of the Trail, the flowers nodded in the wind. In many places taller mayapples stood with their white blossoms hanging down. These looked like islands standing in the sea of trillium.From Apple Orchard Mountain the Trail dropped almost a thousand feet to Petites Gap. There I paused for a longer lunch break. A full-fledged, pack-off, boots-and-socks-off, feet-up break. I rested in the dappled sunlight while my socks dried in a sunny spot. My feet were much happier with being pampered in this way. After I¢d eaten I set off again, this time up High Cock Knob. It was getting hot and humid by then, and I was running rather low on water. The only water I had passed was a very muddy trickle of water across the trail. I had decided not to bother with it. I was very happy to arrive at Marble Spring Campsite, which had a nice stream for water. Coming back to the trail with water, I saw my first snake of this hike ¢ a nice, little, striped garter snake. I almost stepped on it, but swerved just in time. I ate second lunch while I waited for the Aquamira to do its thing to make the water safe to drink. I drank plenty, then started off once more. The trail now lead me along an open area. The sun was was baking me, but at least I was well-hydrated. A little further along, I came to a few more blowdowns, but nothing too bad.I was able to get cell service from the ridge overlooking the James River and called shuttler Ken Wallace. He agreed to meet me by the footbridge and run me into Buena Vista. I figured I¢d have to hustle to get there by the time he said. At least it was downhill.The shadows were lengthening by the time I passed Matt¢s Creek Shelter. It looked like a wonderful place to stay with a gurgling stream flowing nearby. But I had a shower and a ¢date¢ with my husband on my mind. I huffed and puffed along the James river and watched it flow past. Then off in the distance I could see the footbridge. Eventually I was ready to cross this, the longest pedestrian-only bridge on the Appalachian Trail, another milestone reached. There were some younger people on the bridge having fun stomping and hooting and hollering. I didn¢t have enough energy to join in; I was just excited and pleased to have been able to hike that far, and relieved that the day¢s hike was almost over. My muscles were burning, and my feet were complaining loudly.I waited a couple of minutes and took a couple of pictures. I tried to capture the shadows and the golden light that lay all around, and then I crossed the river. Ken waved from his car, and shortly I was being whisked away to hot, running water and a Subway sandwich. Ken agreed to pick me up in the morning and return me to the trail. He had another pickup earlier in the day, but I wasn¢t sure I¢d be ready to go by then. I was feeling pretty tired. Other times I¢ve tried to pull big miles I¢ve been really sore the next day and either had to zero or do a very low mileage day. I wondered if I had overdone it today.I talked with Ellen for a while and then watched the TV show ¢with¢ my husband. I remembered to do my stretches as I wondered if I would still be able to walk in the morning. It had been a wonderful day filled with beauty and a challenge met. Even if I was going to be very sore in the morning it had been worth it. I was content.