Date: 2005-05-29
From: Pearisburg zero

To: Mile 635
Miles today: 13.3

Up and gone, back on the trail at 8:20 this morning. I stopped in at Hardees on the way out of town for breakfast and ran in to Surface. He was with his girlfriend and he was clean shaven. I hardly recognized him. This was the last time I saw him. We talked for a few minutes and then I headed down US-460 to Wades. Along the way I found a full 24 ounce can of beer, slid that thing in the backpack and smiled to myself (yeah, I will carry free beer). At Wades I did that same mistake I have done so many times before, I over ate more food. I did not need it, I bought it because I simply could. I suffered, as I should have, for the next couple of miles. I was town heavy and waddling my way towards the "Rice Field Shelter". It wasn't a difficult climb and to the left was West Virginia. Along the way and on top of the ridge there were some outstanding views.    At the shelter I ran into a number of hikers, PB&J, South Paw, Pumpkin from VT, Nipmunk, Zeno, Vogue from Michigan, Sen Sei (another from VT), Thrifty and Mother. Everyone was enjoying the warm day and almost everyone was complaining of over doing it at Wades so, I didn't feel so alone in my misery. The elevation was above 3000 feet and once again, to look out across West Virginia was cool. We still had close to 400 miles to go to get to West Virginia (our 5th state to cross), so it was a notable thing to ponder on. There was always something to ponder on, what else was there to do? Hike and think, think and hike, got an issue to deal with? I guarantee you can find the time there along the trail to review everything you can think about. To let it air out and dump the baggage. You get to the point of being tired of thinking about it. Recently I have been spending time alone in the woods. For the first time in a long time my mind is without those thoughts. Thoughts of my past, war, relationships, mistakes and successes. They do not haunt me anymore. Thank the Lord.    At 4:49 (I know it was then because I wrote it down) I stopped to get rid of some weight (that big old can of beer). It was so good to sit by myself and check out the view. I found a spring and filled my water containers and began looking for that perfect spot. Symms Gap Meadow was coming up and I thought I would check it out. A Grouse burst from the brush and made me almost swallow my gum. I saw a quick burst of brown and it ran down the center of the trail playing the, "hey I got a busted wing" trick. "Can't fool me", I said as I waited for my pulse to settle down. Off in the distance as I came upon the meadow I noticed about six Turkey run along the ridge line. Earlier I came upon my first spotted fawn with the mother near by. She ran and the fawn was trying its best to keep up. Anything six inched or less above the ground was wiping the thing out. Legs tumbling then splat, it would fall on its face and get right back up without loosing any speed. Quiet comical however, I feared it would break its legs. Critters everywhere here along the trail, I wondered what else I would see before the day was done. There at the meadow I almost stopped for the night. I overheard a lot of people back at the last shelter say they were heading there that evening and it was a small area so, I decided to move on a little further (It would have been too crowded for me).    Trail talk said that water will be an issue over the next few miles. We were "way up here" and the water was "way down there". Basically the adaptation was to carry more water and to "camel up" before you leave the source. To "Camel up" is to drink your fill, as much as you can, and then head out. Same technique used over the hot Summer days. Yes it means you have to pee a lot but, that is the cost of cameling up. Female hikers hated stopping all the time to urinate, they have to do a little more to accomplish the task then what a man needs to do, unless... (you guessed it). Many a female thru hiker learned to pee standing up. My one friend (I will not mention her name for fear of insulting her off of the trail) was so happy when she finally learned the technique, she wrote it in the very next shelter log she came to. She was taught from another more experienced female hiker and if she still does it now... well that's her business.    Shortly after the break at 6:10 I saw my second and third Black Bear. The adult first then the cub. The cub went up a tree, stopped and looked at me, then dove in to the brush after the adult (I assume the mother), made a loud grunt. Within seconds they were gone. I bet within minutes they were both in West Virginia. No time for photos, just an observation I can still see in my mind today (they were so fast). If they came my way I would have had about enough time to first do it and then say it (s**t)!! Heart again pounding a bit, I moved on to a camp I found near and just past the "Ground Hog trail" (about mile 635). Shortly thereafter I had a fire going, cooked and ate supper and settled in for the night. This part of the trail was a pleasure to hike. Peaceful and not strenuous at all. Again the light weight gear was worth the cost to me. Last note, I slid my trekking poles under my rain fly to keep them away from those "ever lurking" porcupines. I thought of putting them inside in case mother bear decided to visit but decided against it. I figured what could I do with them, poke her in the eye?