Date: 2014-05-22
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Stoney Creek Valley, VA 635
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: scattered clouds

The trail was a little different today to say the least. We ate breakfast at the Hardees in Pearisburg. On the way to breakfast, lady came running out of her garage with a broom while she was attempting to kill a mouse. She could not catch it, so The Rock got the broom and killed it for her. It was an interesting event before we sat down to eat. After we got back to the hostel, we had a morning pump up session since there was no one there but us. We cranked music on the computer while we all packed our gear before heading out. The Rock and Malibu even had a little dance session when their favorite songs came on. We checked out at 11am and walked the 2 or so miles back to the trail. The climb out of Pearisburg was intense, and it was hot as hell. I was soaked before the hard climb even started. There was a spring about .4 miles from the top of the ridge so we all had at least a liter while we were there and filled up all the water we could. There is close to no water for the next 14 miles so we needed as much as we could. Entering the ridgeline and ending the climb out of Pearisburg was beautiful! It seemed like we were in a whole different world. The trees stood tall covering the trail with their bright green leaves, while the smaller vegetation stood about a food tall and covered everything around us. All you could see in front of you was the brown trail as it weaved through the forest. There were a lot of power line crossings which opened up and showed us the views of the Virginia valleys below. We were shooting for "The Captain's" until my day went to hell. After passing the first shelter which was placed on a gorgeous bald, I was enjoying the shade and wonderland of the ridgeline once again when I rolled my ankle shortly after 3pm. I was very upset to say the least and it took me a minute of cussing along with a few screams to calm down. I hobbled over to a campsite to see what had happened. Pond was behind me and The Rock was in front of me. Both heard the "f*ck, f*ck, F*ck" several times and came running to where I was thinking I had been bitten by a snake. My ankle was already swollen and I knew I needed to get off this mountain. I looked I my guide and the closest road was close to 11 miles in front of me and there was no way I was hiking south on the trail into Pearisburg as I knew what the trail was like. I told them I need to keep going before it stiffens up and I cannot move. They thought it might be a good idea to call it a night where I was but I knew what it would look like in the morning. They hiked the next 3-4 miles right behind me making sure I was alright. By 5pm, I knew I would not be making it to the road before dark. Pond got out his iphone and pulled up Google Earth. To our west, was West Virginia and a massive down to a development. To our east, was what looked like an old Jeep trail that connect the end of a road going into Pearisburg. After thinking about the situation, we decided to bushwhack the 1 mile through the woods, down a hill to the Jeep path. It worked out great! The great idea award goes to Pond. They helped me down the hill and through the woods. The Jeep trail had not been use in years, but was clear and easy walking. We knew a guy named Zig Zag was in the area with a truck. So we got on Facebook, sent him a message, and within minutes, he called. We told him roughly were we were and he said "sit tight." He was there before we knew it and had picked us up in the middle of no where at the end of a dirt road. I got back to the hostel in Pearisburg and took a shower before I started to rest my ankle. There were a bunch of people we knew there that had hiked in today. I hobbled over to the Mexican joint and bought Zig Zag, The Rock, and Pond dinner. I could not have done it without them today. None of them had to help, but they did without questioning a thing. I soaked my feet in Epson Salt for hours before elevating my ankle. Then I did ice on and off every 20 minutes until I got too tired to function. I plan to try it again tomorrow and see how my ankle feels. If it is too bad, I will have it looked at. Hopefully it is good to go. It hurts pretty bad right now and I am dreading tomorrow.