Date: 2016-04-08
From: VA 624 - Four Pines Hostel

To: Daleville - US 220 - Howard Johnson Express
Miles today: 25.7
Weather: broken clouds

Didn't see this coming. I knew it would be a big day because today's hike includes two of Virginia's famed triple crown - McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. The third part of the triple crown was Dragon's Tooth that was included in yesterday's hike.Fresh Ground and I left Four Pines Hostel before anybody else was up. In order to hike the miles we've been hiking we need to get an early start. Leaving quietly was harder than usual because there were approximately a dozen hikers sleeping in the hostel. The red light feature of our head lamps came in handy and I don't think we woke anyone up. Fresh Ground's plan for his hike was to hike to Harper's Ferry, go home to work a bit and hike with his family, and then continue his hike by way of Mt. Katahdin in Maine and hike south to Harper's Ferry. This morning Fresh Ground seemed pretty certain that his plan was changing and that he'd head home in a couple of days. So it was time to enjoy a few more miles hiking together. Early in today's hike came a personal highlight. Fresh Ground had already heard my story of the "Cows of Catawba" a couple of times but he patiently let me retell it again as we hiked its location. David, my son, and I had hiked today's hike last year. There's a photo titled "Cows of Catawba Hill" - that's the name I've given to this mound of pasture. Last year, David hiked ahead of me and informed me that we had a problem ahead of us. Two large cows were straddling the AT at the top of the hill. The cows began to pay attention to us so we backed away out of their sight. David wanted to hike around them by going left - but a fence prevented the route to the immediate left and there were more cows behind the trees to our left so that course didn't seem to work. To our right was an open field that sloped below the cows on the top of the hill. David didn't like that option given that we'd be exposed to the cows. Darkness wasn't imminent but we also had a hike of unknown territory so there wasn't a lot of time to figure out what to do. I insisted that we hike down the slope and then across the field after which we'd hike up the hip until we returned to the AT. David didn't like the plan but he followed me down the hill. On the way to the bottom, David told me to look back up the hill. The "Walk In The Woods" movie with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte was opening the coming weekend and I'd tell David within the hour that the scene we'd just experienced would probably be better than anything in the movie. Looking over my shoulder what I saw first was a bright setting sun that formed a perfect background to silhouette not two cows but a line of eight cows or more standing next to each other in perfect formation. I swear they looked like a line of gunfighters from any number of old western movies. We kept walking, me literally to find some form of cover or option to take cover. I feared they were coming our way. The cows stayed up on the hill. It was too late for a picture by the time we hiked around them and got to a fence that separated them from us. Numerous hikers that David and I spoke with during that 2-day hike told of their encounters with bears. I had to confess being scared by cows. The memory of last year was refreshed by visiting its scene. Fresh Ground had been patient but as I kept taking pictures, I noticed that he had hiked a good distance ahead of me and was moving quickly.I quickly abandoned my attempt to catch up with Fresh Ground because he was moving so fast. It was a bit frustrating but became even more frustrating as I encountered leaf piles over my ankles that covered the trail. The leaves covered rocks and roots so stumbling became my norm. That's a slow way to hike and became slower as I fell to my knees twice in 10 yards. The falls weren't painful except for my pride and wondering if I'd ever catch Fresh Ground today. Coming down the hill to VA 311, I heard Fresh Ground before I saw him. He was coming out of or around a car. The car was Signage's car. Signage was the hiker Beth and I met mid-February as she began her thru-hike. I was warmly greeted with a couple Orange Crush sodas - great trail magic for me. The news was unexpected. Signage had offered to drive Fresh Ground to his mother's home two hours away. It was an ideal scenario for Fresh Ground - all I could be was be genuinely happy for him since this was pure trail magic. After a few pictures it was time to go. I've been very lucky to hike with Fresh Ground. I think I'd better write down my Top 10 Fresh Ground highlights before I forget them. Smiles were on our faces as easily as the laughter routinely erupted between us. McAfee Knob was 3.9 miles ahead. McAfee Knob is often referred to as the most photographed spot on the AT. Everyone is captivated by the views and the opportunity to get to its edge - depending on each person's level of comfort with ledges and fear of heights. I arrived and had McAfee Knob all to myself. I was there on a gorgeous clear day. Except nobody was here to take my photo. I enjoyed lunch at this unique spot, continually looking at those views. A couple arrived and I immediately agreed to take their pictures if they'd take mine. Soon Candle Maker and then Marathon arrived and I took their pictures too. It was on the way to Tinker Cliffs that I realized I might be able to hike to Daleville and avoid really cold weather forecasted for the next couple days. So I was annoyed when the trail somehow was not where expected it to be. Eventually the trail was found and then I followed it back to where I'd gotten off track. Silly to some, but I'm a self-identified "purist" with the intent of hiking the entire AT and not skipping any sections, no matter how small. As Candle Maker passed me, he shared the same experience of initially finding himself off trail. Tinker Cliffs is an extended cliff walk that provides views back to McAfee Knob and beyond in addition to views to the north. Landmarks of the AT and I was fortunate to have hiked by on a clear day, but it was windy - very windy. The gusting winds created really cold conditions. I was pretty certain I wanted to hike another long day to escape the cold. I yelled to Candle Maker as I was going by Lamberts Meadow Shelter, the shelter David and I had camped at last year. I was going for Daleville. It was after 4:00 meaning that hiking another 9.4 miles would probably require some night hiking. I was motivated though. As I left, I asked if Candle Maker was confused by the appearance of a set of white blazes that seemed to be an extra set more than a half mile before Lamberts shelter. Again, Candle Maker's experience was consistent with mine. I kind of needed that reassurance because I definitely didn't want to get lost, especially if getting lost would result in more night hiking. I began to monitor my pace and progress. At 7:00 I was frustrated with my progress. I was still climbing on a ridge, sometimes having awkward steps between boulders that I couldn't imagine being able to safely hike in darkness. Fortunately, the trail became the downward descent I was anxiously awaiting. The final half hour or so was easy hiking with clearly defined trail - no leaves or boulders impeding my progress. I emerged from the trail in darkness but didn't turn on my light because the trail was so clearly defined.   I was lucky to get to Daleville tonight. I really was tired but had pulled it off. I celebrated with an Orange Crush purchased at the first gas station located very close to the trail. The cashier told me a second soda could be purchased for just another dollar. So there were two Orange Crush sodas just like Signage have me many hours earlier. And a smile came to me as Fresh Ground and I exchanged messages. He was happy to be in his mother's home and I was happy to be in Daleville, not knowing if we'd ever hike together again but knowing that when we had hiked together that we'd had a great time.