Date: 2021-05-11
From: Bear Garden Hostel

To: Knot Maul Shelter
Miles today: 4.6

The short distance today wasn't deliberate, it's just that the first shelter is only 4.6 miles, and the second is 14 miles. Since it's my first day carrying my heavy backpack, I guess the short distance is a good thing. The Green Monster feels really heavy. Ouch!  The hostel was nice enough and the owners were friendly and I was grateful for it, but I slept poorly, another reason to be glad for a short day. The bunk was not comfortable for me, the pad (not a mattress) was thin and I could feel the hard surface under it. The place was full and everyone was in high spirits and it didn't seem to bother anyone else but me, so I guess it's a princess and a pea situation. Or maybe because I was the only person there approaching retirement age! Regardless, I didn't feel 100% so I didn't really mind the short mileage, especially with the full backpack.The short walk today was especially scenic. Virginia is really beautiful, and the terrain is varied. Almost every hiker I meet mentions being surprised by how pretty it is here. It can be challenging though. Contrary to popular hiking opinion, Virginia is not flat. It seems to be constant uphills and downhills. In the woods there are a lot of blowdowns, trees across the trail. Any trail maintainers listening? I'm hesitant to criticize the trail maintainers, who are all volunteers, and who may even have been told to back off a bit since the ATC is discouraging hiking right now. But there are a lot of blowdowns! Normally it's just a matter of stepping over it, as I do carefully (as I do everything). Sometimes it's a bigger tree trunk and you have to straddle it like a horse and then swing the back leg over. I'm sure I look particularly graceful doing that maneuver. Then sometimes it's the leafy top part of the tree that's across the trail and there's no choice but to bushwhack around it. I watched a young male hiker pass me up and when he came to a blowdown he just sort of leaped across it without breaking his stride, walked on around a switchback (so I could still see him) encountered another blowdown and hopped that one too. Effortlessly. I wish I could do that!  I walked beside a river for awhile today and across a bridge. I had to climb several stiles. I was not very stylish while doing it! (A pun my husband and daughter might appreciate.) I got to the shelter fairly early of course, even though I had a late start from the hostel. No need to hurry, after all. It was a small simple shelter, surrounded by rhododendrons, very pretty. (I get tired of saying everything is very pretty, but it just is!) I got a little gloomy because today is my mom's birthday, but I remembered her with love and gratitude. Eventually a hiker stopped by just long enough to eat his supper at the picnic table and we had a wonderful long conversation. When he left I hung my hammock, gathered and filtered my water, visited the privy, wiped as much sweat from my body as was feasible, and then I was joined by several other hikers who would be my shelter mates for the night. I cooked and ate supper (instant brown rice with chicken added) and cleaned up. Now to hang my food bag safe from bears. There are several reasons why I like to stay at a shelter instead of just stopping and setting up camp anywhere, which some do. I like company at night, and a picnic table, and a privy. And all shelters have either a bear box, or bear cables or poles or some way to secure your food. Except this one. Of course you can hang your own bag high in a tree and I have done it several times, but my bag throwing skills are severely rusty. Fortunately a young female hiker named Hoagie made short work of getting her bag hung, and she joined my bag to hers with a carabiner.  Off to bed in the hammock just before dark, tired from my fitful night last night, ready to snooze. Take some ibuprofen first. Good night.