Date: 2005-04-05
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Pine Swamp Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: clear sky

Another lovely sunrise portending a day of glorious warm (no, make that hot) spring weather. Began in shorts and short-sleeves which was a wise decision especially when beginning a steep ascent up Potts Mountain. I harbored thoughts of hiking 17 miles today, gong beyond Pine Swamp Shelter to cut down my mileage for the last day. After completing a steady ascent up Potts in good time amidst picturesque pines and laurel, I was ambitious. Little did I know?.The ridgetop walking on Potts was also easy. I made such great time arriving at Wind Rock before 10 that I took off my boots and socks and relaxed in the sun while enjoying the view west. It was then a stroll down to Salt Sulfur Road to begin a stretch of level ridge walking. And now it¢s time for my polemic?.I find it interesting how some parts of the AT acquire their reputation and or names. Take for example the ¢Virginia Roller Coaster.¢ Yes, this is a stretch of ups and downs but is it that unusual to merit such distinction? Maybe because the previous 150 or so miles are relatively level is why it received its reputation and name (in contrast to Virginia¢s undeserved reputation of being ¢flat¢). But isn¢t nearly all of Georgia a ¢roller coaster?¢ And what about Connecticut between Rt. 4 and Rt 7? This is certainly a roller coaster. I¢ve hiked both the VA and CT roller coasters as day hikes/slack packs in nice weather Fall days. I was much more tired after CT even though I hiked VA after biking from one end to the other on nearby roads. The biking wore me out, the subsequent hike was an afterthought. I would submit that New York from Greenwood Lake to the Hudson River is also a roller coaster as are the Nantalahas in North Carolina. So why does Virginia¢s little stretch attain recognition not bestowed upon these others? And that brings me to the subject of Pennsylvania and its rocks.Sure PA has its rocky stretches although they¢re largely confined to a relatively short stretch between Swatara Gap and Bake Oven Knob. I¢ve hiked the rocky stretches of PA very recently ¢ in 2003 ¢ and I rehiked some of them last November. But I would assert that the 4-plus miles I hiked today from Salt Sulfur Road to Bailey Gap is as horrendous as anything in PA. Even the worst PA rock fields don¢t go on for over 4 miles. So why isn¢t this spoken of in the hiking community? At least why don¢t the guidebooks say something to the effect: ¢? in this section, the hiker will gain a taste of hiking the PA rocks but for even longer stretches..¢So yes, my rapid progress today ground to a crawl as the rocks taxed me both mentally and physically. Bailey Gap Shelter was certainly a sight for sore eyes (and sore feet and banged toes). So now I know I won¢t make it past Pine Swamp Shelter today. Well, that¢s all right. I lingered at the shelter drying my socks and shirt in the warm sun. At least the descent from Bailey Gap to Stony Creek/Rt. 635 was pleasant amidst rhododendron and rushing streams. Crossing the road brought me my next major surprise: the bridge over Stony Creek was washed out thanks to Hurricane Jeanne last Fall. Choices: ford the rocky 40 foot-wide stream and walk 1.2 miles until the Trail meets the road again or walk the road for 1.5 miles until it meets the Trail again. Last year I invested in Keen sandals for 2 reasons ¢ trekking in Africa while visiting my daughter Alicia in the Peace Corps and fording streams on the AT. Africa ¢ done! Time for their second use. As I entered the cold swift-flowing water with my backpack now augmented by my boots, a young fisherman appeared ( the first person I had seen today) and began striding into the creek in his hip waders. Regarding me, he remarked ¢it¢s easier in waders¢ Reply: ¢I¢m sure it is.¢ Him: ¢Where¢re you from?¢ Me: ¢Washington DC.¢ I¢m confident that response explained to him the foolishness of someone crossing the stream in sandals. But I made it despite slippery rocks, deep holes, swift current, and water cold enough to numb my skin. I considered asking the fisherman to take my picture but figuring that was flirting with disaster, I wisely cast that idea aside.Of course, the stream wading and subsequent foot-drying further slowed me down thus cementing my decision to proceed no further than Pine Swamp. And my reward for crossing to keep with the white blazes was a series of steep PUDs for the next 2 miles ¢ all this as the temperature is warming to the point of summer. Now I have no right to complain mind you, but I could live with 20 degrees less. The lack of leaf canopy lets the sun beat down ferociously. On one of the PUDs, I met Rufus and Daisy, a middle-aged couple from Washington State who had hiked from Springer to Pearisburg last year before Rufus developed herniated discs which prevented him from backpacking. They¢re now slack-packing using a 2-car shuttle and plan to make it to Harpers Ferry.And finally after some more PUDs, the road (Rt. 635) appears followed by a gentle upgrade to Pine Swamp Shelter. Another sight for sore eyes and a tired body! I treated myself to my favorite meal ¢ bulgur wheat and peanut sauce. Consulting the shelter register which included last Fall¢s SOBO hiker entries - some of whom I had met - confirmed my feelings that I wasn¢t the only one who felt that today¢s rocks and the PUDs were difficult.