Date: 2006-05-24
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: VA 624
Miles today: 6.7

This morning, the trail took me through a forest of Tulip Trees just after the shelter, they were all very uniform in trunk size and all grew very straight, and in the middle of this forest was a large grassy glade ¢ square, so it had to be man made. All I could think of was Robin Hood and his Merry men having a feast in this glade! It was sunny and had warmed up quickly (it was about 38* when I got up). After I got to the top of the ridge I checked my phone for messages since today I was supposed to meet my friend Jerry Kluchin one of the adult leaders from Boy Scout Troop 806. Well, he left me a message that he waited too long to get a flight and it was too expensive, and he wouldn¢t be meeting me, I was really pissed off! That¢s poor planning and not being prepared Jerry!!I made the right choice not going on yesterday; this may just have been the toughest section I have hiked yet. I can hike anywhere from 2 to 2 12 miles per hr. Today it took me almost 6 hrs to go 6 miles! And, for the first time I took a wrong turn and got a little lost before I decided to turn back. The trail to the Dragons Tooth was not difficult but it¢s what came after that was! First of all, there needs to be another white blaze directing you where to go north after the Dragons Tooth, because it¢s quite obvious I was not the only one that took the wrong way. There was a very well worn path with lots of pokey marks from hiking poles going the wrong way! And it was a very very step descent down some rocks face ¢it was much easier climbing back up this stuff than it was going down it, anyway, I found the right trail, it was no better. There was more sheer rock face that I basically just threw my hiking poles down the mountain in front of me and slid down on my butt!, there were 2 areas where there were metal rungs in the rock face as a ladder to climb down. It was very slow going. I met a group of senior citizens doing a day hike, up to the Dragons Tooth, they were fun to talk to and said, yes, they knew how difficult this section was!   One of them asked me how much my pack weighed, and that it must be difficult doing this with a heavy pack. I reassured them that my pack was not so heavy as I was out of food! (I was on my way to the next mail drop), now mind you, I had just eaten a snack up on Dragons tooth. Every one of these folks were offering me their granola bars!!! Then one of them asked me when I had eaten last ¢ they got a chuckle when I told them 10 min ago!From there, the hike continued to be very difficult with a lot of rock climbs and sheer rock faces to walk across. My poles were really useless.   Lost Spectecles Gap was quite lovely, it was down the mountain and had a side trail going off to a parking lot (Where the seniors came from) it was full of blooming Rhododendron.When I FINALLY got to Va 624, there was a big blue ice chest with some trail magic! Thank you so much for the PB&J sandwich it was divine! I never knew PB&J could taste so good!!! I sat down to eat my sandwich and Andrew & Demas the 2 section hikers came along. I made a decision I had been tossing back and forth for the past few days, Since Jerry was a no show, I was going home. They gave me a ride into Catawba to pick up my food drop at the post office, and then drove me to Roanoke where I got a hotel room and booked a flight home for the next morning. I did not tell anyone I was coming home - wanted to surprise my husband. I did speak to LoneStar because I knew she was going home for her sons wedding about this time and she said she¢s going to come back out on June 5th to continue hiking, and so the plan was settled. I also booked a flight back out of Houston with her for June 5th.So the moral of the story for all of you here in Houston that did not know I was home, is that¢s the way I wanted it. I just wanted to have a very quiet visit with my husband; he was under strict orders not to tell anyone I was home. By the time you read this I will be back on the trail and heading North again.