Date: 2012-03-20
From: VA 624 / Four Pines Hostel

To: Lambert Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

A great start but a bad end. The moral of the story -- listen to your guide (aka wife in this case).We left the Four Pines Hostel just as a hint of light was beginning to appear in the East. Despite the dark there were plenty of cars on VA 624 heading to town. We soon reached the trail and started up the hill heading North. The trail climbs gradually up over the hill and comes out in fields. We walked as quietly as we could past a stealth camp on the edge of the fields and emerged into the growing dawn. It was still cool in the early morning but the humidity was high and clouds clung to the valleys. In an interesting contrast the trail passes by a collapsed barn but one can spot a huge home across the valley.The sunrise turned the sky pretty colors and lit the fields with a pleasant glow. Last year's grasses were a brilliant orange that contrasted with the green of the grass and the dark green of evergreen trees. Clouds drifted among the trees and the mist decorated the orb spider webs. We crossed a road and continued to follow the trail across the farmland, taking a bridge over the river and saying good morning to a group of cows munching the grass and keeping an eye on their calves.The trail eventually returned to the woods and upward slopes, eventually emerging at route 313. With care crossing the road we headed up the hill, pausing for a snack and water break/refill at the first shelter. Several day hikers passed us on their way up to the summit. It was warm when climbing the hill but pleasant at the shelter. Still, we needed to keep moving if we were going to reach Lambert Meadow by the evening, especially with rain forecast to come in late in the day.Emerging at the summit we were greeted by a great view down over the valleys and looking across to Tinker Cliffs. Unfortunately the black flies had arrived before us and after about 10 minutes of enjoying the view and another drink we were driven away. The flies had been with us at every halt except at the shelter so there had been a motivation to keep moving much of the day.Down the far side of the mountain took us past another shelter and water options but those only far from the trail. It was still bright and sunny, if quite warm, and the bugs were still ready to find us if we stopped.   The trail follows a power line down the North side of the mountain with a relatively easy walk.Down and down we went, all the while the clouds building up in the Southwest. Second Stage was increasingly concerned about the arrival of the rain but Doc Rockett felt that we could make the shelter before the rain arrived. So who has more experience judging rain on the trail you ask? Well, not Doc Rockett as it turned out.We crossed the col where a small road crosses the trail and started up onto Tinker Cliffs. Second Stage suggested going down into the valley or pitching the tent but Doc Rockett was worried about the amount of water we had with us and kept pushing to move on. It was still sunny after all.The sunlight slanted through the trees as we hurried up to the Tinker Cliffs. Thunder began to be audible in the distance and dark clouds were gathering but still Doc Rockett pressed on. We scurried across the top of the Tinker Cliffs, staying back from the edge and enjoying the last of the sunlight. Dark clouds now surrounded us and thunder and lightning began to be visible in all directions.As we reached the North end of the cliffs a few drops of rain began and the sunlight vanished. To our surprise we met two hikers just emerging onto the ledges. Despite the increasingly close lightning they seemed unconcerned about walking across the very top of the cliffs and following the top of the ridge. We asked if they were going to stay on the ridge and they asked how far the trail followed the ridge. We said it stayed on the top for quite a while but they continued on South. We scurried down the trail. We got in under a rock outcrop and Doc Rockett put on rain gear. At this point a difference of perspective appeared. Doc Rockett was now relatively unconcerned about the nearing lightning because we were well down off the ridge but Second Stage was very worried and wanted to move as quickly as possible for the shelter. As we left the rock outcrop the rain began in ernest. It poured! The trail became a river and lightning crashed around us.We hurried on but the rain had covered Second Stage's glasses with drops so she was having difficulty seeing where she was going. Fear of the lightning drove her to rush as well and unfortunately she tripped over a rock. She lurched head first toward a tree but with some effort she turned aside, landing on her right wrist. The next thing she knew she was face down in the mud, her glasses tucked into her armpit and pain in her right wrist. She picked herself up and made it to the shelter soon after Doc Rockett did. We got her cleaned off and checked her hand. The arm looked ok but her right hand had turned rather purple and was somewhat swollen. She thought she had sprained the wrist but it looked like it could be worse.We got her into dry clothes and got her some food. By now the rain had let up and just to emphasize Doc Rockett's poor choice about going on, peeks of blue appeared in the sky here and there.There were two hikers doing a three day section hike at the shelter. They and their dog had beaten the rain by a few minutes. They were very courteous to us, which we appreciated. As we were getting organized another through hiker came in. He had gone over the ridge through the teeth of the storm but seemed unconcerned about the lightning as he was not carrying metal trekking poles. We wondered about that. More of a problem was that he had a dog as well and the two dogs did not get along. After a few minutes he decided to move on and see if he could make it to Daleville that night.After a meal we settled down shortly after dark. One of the section hikers was worn out and fell asleep before the rest of us. It had been a very nice day until the rain started but pushing on had been a bad choice and now we needed to find out what that choice had done to Second Stage.This post by Doc Rockett