Date: 2005-05-04
From: Campsite at Kimberling Creek

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: few clouds

After the long day yesterday I accomplished my goal of being ahead of schedule on my way into Pearisburg tomorrow. Instead of 16+ miles to town I have about eight miles left, since today I stretched a little also and made it to Doc's Knob Shelter. I awoke at dawn at a campsite at Kimberling Creek, having camped there with 6Stringer, Fraggle, and Unknown. I am here tonight with Fraggle and Unknown. 6Stringer may try to get here, or possibly hike until he's tired and camp along the trail or at Wapiti Shelter. He went to a store at the road this morning, both for breakfast and to pick up a supply box, I think. The morning hike was fairly easy. A couple of miles ahead I took the side trail to Dismal Falls. It is an interesting area where Dismal Creek (or Dismal Branch?) goes over a rock ledge. There are many interesting rock formations and the creek curves and meanders through. There are campsites around but it was abandoned this morning and I was alone. I had a quiet, restful 45 minutes there taking pictures and sitting on the ledge just watching the water flow and listening to the falls. Returning to the AT, I met Unknown and Fraggle just as they were taking the side trail to the falls. From there the trail passed through beautiful open pine forest and some rhododendron thickets, mostly following and crossing Dismal Creek and many of it's tributaries. I had lunch at Wapiti Shelter. Unknown and Fraggle came in for lunch also. Smokestack and Mother nature were there, along with a family of 5 named "The Garland 5" - husband, wife, two girls and a boy. They began a thru hike last year but had to stop due to mom's sickness or injury (I think) but they will try to complete the hike this year. An interesting adventure for their family. I believe they are home-schoolers, and this is a hands on look at the history and geography of our eastern seaboard. The afternoon hike began with a 1500 foot ascent. It was hot and the trail was steep up. Once on top it was fairly level for several miles, but the trail was in thick woods so there were few views to the valleys below. At one point though, most of the lunch crowd from Wapiti Shelter met at a rocky overlook along the ridge and peered down into an absolutely huge valley, with our ridge bending around in a horseshoe fashion to our left and then back to the right and coming to an abrupt dropoff out in the distance. Smokestack said that dropoff was the descent into Pearisburg from Pearis Mountain. So the horseshoe-shaped ridge probably traversed 20 miles in it's great arching curve, ending across the way from our present position far out in the middle of the valley below. It took a long time to traverse to the left on that ridge, and I hiked ahead alone. I stopped at a high point on the ridge where a communication tower of some sort had been erected, and while resting and reviewing the guidebook, I met The Wandering Bull, and we talked for awhile. The last four miles to the shelter were very rocky, with sharp, small rocks or very large slabs of rock, some of which would tilt and tip when you stepped on them. My feet took a real beating, having already been tender and sore from yesterday's blisters. Unknown passed me somewhere in this section, and I caught him on a break at Sugar Run Gap, sitting by Sugar Run Road. A half mile up the road is the famous Woodshole Hostel, run by the elderly Tillie Wood. We waited for Fraggle to catch up, and I think they may have been considering spending the night at the hostel. I went on ahead and finished the two miles to the shelter. I filtered water, set up in the shelter for the night and got ready to cook. A few minutes later Unknown and Fraggle came in, and we three had the shelter to ourselves. I saw several deer today and they were very tame, seeming to be curious as they stared at me from the underbrush. I would stop, and they would just stand and stare, chewing all the while. It's fun to walk through the woods and see old fence lines and what are probably old logging roads. It makes me wonder about the history of this area, and the people who lived here in days gone by. There were about three miles where the trail went through private property. It has been great to see some of the farms up close. I've had lots of time to think about Marlene and the kids and what's in store for them in the future. There have been great times to think about my relationship with the Lord and review the scripture verses I have memorized. I really enjoy being out here in God's creation. I've also been able to relax from some of the pressures of daily life. I'm looking forward to Pearisburg. I'll get my mail drop for supplies, get a shower, do laundry, eat restaurant food and get some rest. I'll take a zero day there. That will be nice. I plan to read a little and then get some sleep. Goodnight Sweetheart.