Date: 2017-05-17
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Woods Hole
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: overcast clouds

My alarm went off at 330. Ugggg. It didn't feel like I got much sleep last night since I was still pretty tired. Though I really didn't want to move, I could see the moon rising into the sky through the trees from my tent so the timing was perfect. We wouldn't have another chance until the next lunar cycle (in about 2 weeks) and so this was our last chance to do it while we still have Classy.The night was warm... The predicted low was 58degF and I had gone to bed with only my liner on, not even using my quilt, though I did have to pull it on around midnight because I was just a couple degrees too cold.Even low on the horizon, the moonlight was enough for me to pack up my gear by without my headlamp. I had my cold oatmeal... None of us were cooking right now to save time, and we hit the trail at 410.To Classy's protest, we started out without headlamps, just the half moon lighting the world around us. Half a moon in a fairly dense forest wasn't quite enough light to actually see anything distinct with, but between that and some feeling around (ie, if there are bushes in front of you, it's not the trail), I was able to navigate.Not long after we left camp we scared off a couple deer that were hanging out near the trail. Classy was definitely having some type 2 fun as we descended into a valley which blocked direct view of the moon and ended up turning on her headlamp. We eventually crossed a road and had to retreat into the woods once to avoid a lone car that we were concerned might not see us in the dark. We headed up a hill, the moon now working in our favor and lighting the hillside, but we had to keep the headlamp on because of the degredation of our night vision from it's initial use. We emerged into a high voltage power line clearing and we stopped for a few minutes to admire the stars and have a quick snack break. As we stood there, even for such a short time, we observed the horizon lighten a bit and the dimmer stars disappear from the brightening sky.We continued onto the ridge as the sky continued to lighten, first the lighter-colored rocks become visible in the pre-dawn light, then the roots, and finally the ground itself. We descended as the sun rose and then peaked over the horizon, coloring the clouds, the sky, and the light mist clinging to the valleys a light peach color.As we walked through the dewey fields cows serenaded us in the distance. The field smelled like a subtler form of fresh cut grass with a hint of sweetness from the wildflowers which dotted the fields.Bridge across river, road, uphill, downhill, Dismal Falls! Dismal Falls is, in my opinion, poorly named as it's actually quite lovely, especially in the early morning sunlight. We stopped, broke out our stoves, and cooked and ate breakfast while enjoying the falls. I left a bit earlier than the other two and so cruised for the rest of the morning. The trail followed a valley as it gently sloped upwards to meet the ridges on either side and passed through lush forest and crossed over many streams. Eventually I reached Wapiti shelter and stopped for elevensies with a couple other people. OldSoul and I chatted about our plans for getting to trail days and Antenna (who has the same gaiters as I do... Maybe I wasn't very unique in my accessorization...) and PapaG came in and hung out for a while.Our tramily regrouped, we headed out for our big hill of the day. I turned on some upbeat music and crushed it, stopping for a view of Perisburg at the top. Though not terribly difficult, the hill had gotten me quite warm, so I ditched the shirt for a few minutes (but not too long, not long enough to burn... well, not too much) while I took in the sights. Lookout had gone ahead after the view, so Classy and I hiked the next couple miles, talking about the apartments options she was deciding between. We took a side trail out to a large array of towers and antennae which overlooked a cliff and the ridges, valleys, forests, and towns below. This spot also had an awesome grassy field in front of the towers which would be a great campsite.Tired and hot, we headed down to Woods Hole Hostel. We turned off trail and followed a forest road a half mile down to the edge of the national forest and to our home for the night. A working sustainable farm, we walked in past a pig enclosure, a vegetable garden, a wood burning furnace, and checked in for the night. We got the upstairs of the bunkhouse (which has the better mattresses) and took our showers, donned loaner clothes, and gathered our laundry.One of the hikers ran a yoga class... yoga is super hard! I don't use most of those muscles! Though tough, it left my tired and sore muscles feeling much better. I spent most of the rest of the afternoon on their porch hammock, relaxing and journaling until the dinner bell rang.Dinner was amazing, fresh baked bread with homemade butter and pesto, a salad picked from the vegetable garden with homemade ranch dressing, rice, curried lentils, pork stew from a pig slaughtered last week, and green beans.  And to top it off, homemade strawberry and peach ice cream. Best meal on the trail so far.We headed to bed full and content. We heard from talking to Vince and Nobody that we're a bit trail famous... apparently everyone on the first couple miles of trail heard us go by this morning. We were quiet when we saw tents, but a couple people had camped far enough off trail that we didn't see them but still within earshot. Whoops!