Date: 2020-07-09
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 25.2
Weather: few clouds

Woke up at Rice Field to a sea of clouds covering the valley far below, occasional fingers of ridgeline rising above it like tropical islands. I was only at 3300 feet and soared above it, placing the ceiling practically on the valley floor.The hike out went over open ridges interspersed with forest. The tall meadow grasses wet me down and scratched at my exposed arms and legs for miles, leaving me itching swollen rashes much of the day. Still, it was mostly easy grades and, where under the cover of forest, pleasant terrain. Except for a spring I didn't bother to walk downhill to examine, there is no water for a 14 mile stretch on this ridge.Met only one person, a section hiker named Marshall who's been out for two weeks and headed to Damascus. Had a huge pack and warned me about an unafraid bear at Niday shelter and a rattlesnake at another. I have yet to see either this trip so I treated it as a promise not a threat.Made it twelve miles to Pine Swamp shelter and ate lunch with Sunshine, who as usual got there well ahead. After he left I napped and read in the shade while the sun dried my pack and pole grips. They were pleasantly warm and dry putting them back on. Should have thought to dry my socks!My reverie was broken when Boats appeared with a hydration pack. His wife was slacking him 27 miles from Pearisburg. For a 65-year-old he can really move. Told me how he invited all his retired friends to join him but they all have ailments, bad knees, etc. and told him he was nuts.It was a hot one. Once I got down to a creek I splashed my face and head to cool down. Did it again a few miles later. I was tempted to just lie down in the water, but I didn't want to wet my then-dry clothes. They didn't stay dry though, as I sweated out several gallons it seemed climbing a thousand feet to Bailey Gap Shelter. The climb wasn't intrinsically tough, it was just the heat and humidity. So I rested again, until Boats caught up with me and I followed him out. Caught up and chatted as we traversed miles of rocks over another ridgeline and through more head-high thickets of prickers and grasses.Boats' wife, Vicki, met us near a road and gave me my first trail magic in the 665 miles of this trip so far: a Mountain Dew and homemade cookies. Such a treat! Thank you Vicki!The last five miles were over easy trail that eventually plummeted 1700 feet down to War Spur Shelter, though with a steep tricky section of grasses obscuring rutted and rocky trail, requiring slow going. But before I got too far I rested again at a beautiful view called Wind Rock where the sun, now low in the sky, helped dry me out. Down at the shelter section hiker Jukebox was hanging out with Sunshine. A Wilmington, North Carolina calculus teacher, Jukebox is using his summer to hike all of Virginia. He got bluff-charged by a momma bear coming down to the shelter when he accidentally treed a cub. Had to bushwhack well around her and find his way back to the trail. A rabbit decided we were non-threatening enough to eat its dinner fifteen feet away from the picnic table for quite awhile. It didn't spook until it heard my flip-flops.