Date: 2022-09-16
From: 4-Mile Tentsite

To: South of Bears Den Rocks
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

We rolled out early again this morning, beating the sun onto the trail by a half-hour or more. We hike with headlamps until around 6:35 when the light becomes strong enough to see the footpath by. In the 10 minutes between then and 6:45, the color comes into the leaves and the dirt and the sun¢s rays in the treetops aren¢t far behind. We made a short walk to Keys Gap where a convenience store three-tenths of a mile east beckoned. We had breakfast on the mind but also wanted to ice Baxter¢s leg. We walked next to the morning rush-hour traffic and, after arriving at the building, set up our base-of-operations with a view of the gas pumps. Coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and prepackaged donuts were had by all while Baxter laid his leg on a 10-pound bag of ice (nothing smaller could be provided :/ ). Our next stop was for water at the Blackburn AT Center. More rest and elevation for Baxter. Bagels, Jerky, Cheese for everyone. The Roller Coaster is a section of trail that has almost a dozen low peaks in a 13-mile stretch. Kit told us each hill was ¢too easy to be hard but too hard to be easy.¢ It felt good to get back into some hills. It was work but there was a long rhythm to it. Hitting the top of a climb is a good feeling. Coming into a gap after a downhill brings the sense of a challenge ahead. Our bodies are hiking machines now. The hills don¢t slow us down. They are work, to be sure, but our legs, feet, lungs, and even our psyches are tuned to eat hills. It¢s a great feeling. Socrates is credited with these words: ¢It is a disgrace to grow old through carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit. But you cannot see that, if you are careless; for it will not come of its own accord.¢ I¢m not sure if my strength has been developed ¢to it¢s highest limit¢ but it feels good to feel this good. (I¢ll leave a discussion about my developing beauty for another day)Just before dinner we made a dicey road crossing at VA 679, a busy, 4-lane divided highway. Then up the hill to Bears Den Rocks and it¢s nearby hostel. We took in the view at the rocks for a time waiting on the five-o¢clock hour when the hostel store would open. We planned on camping a short distance south on the AT but did avail ourselves of showers, running water, pizza, and ice cream at the stone-castle hostel. The pizza was a dessert to a dinner of mac & cheese featuring ham chunks and crushed Cheez Its. The boys love this meal and, while it still seems appetizing to me even as I type it, neither Joni nor I have really loved it either of the two times we¢ve prepared it. We left Bear¢s Den Hostel with about 45 minutes of daylight left and made camp at the bottom of the hill. Baxter¢s leg is still nagging him. We¢ve lightened the pack and are taking more frequent rest breaks. Tomorrow will tell much about our future course of action. Jasper¢s toe isn¢t 100% but the infection is gone and it seems to be healing. Joni¢s leg always responds to management and she takes good care of it. Grayson may be developing an infection in the cuticle of his big toe (Paronychia?). We¢re soaking it.I tweaked my left knee twice today while stumble-catching a bad footfall on two different occasions. I haven¢t felt knee pain since we stopped the crazy hill climbs (and descents) in NH and ME. I haven¢t damaged anything but I¢m reminded that my knees are a weak spot in an otherwise strong (feeling) system. So we may be heading towards a needed break. Spirits are high. We finish The Roller Coaster tomorrow and are making plans to meet Mallory - a Camp Glisson friend - near Front Royal on Sunday afternoon.