Date: 2014-04-27
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Roanoke
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

Well that hurts - I just typed the entire entry for today (which is GOOD) but then accidentally deleted it. Round two....Today is the big day - after seven or so weeks of hiking I finally get to head off trail for a day or two and experience a home. Going to stay with some friends in Roanoke and I could not be happier. I have a very limited bounce box schedule. Basically just here and three other places along the whole length so this is number one. I know that in the box are some simple resupplies but what I really want is that it's got some real clothes in it. Cotton street clothes. Clean clothes. Something that's not covered in dirt or sunscreen. And there's a shower with real soap and shampoo. Just a few hours. Well I got up EARLY, broke camp and headed out. Things to think about today - there's very limited water, a long stretch where it looks flat but the map shows "views" symbols - which inevitably means this is a difficult trail, and I'm going to something called the Dragon's Tooth - hmm ominous. Sometimes the map looks easy but you get there and it's all exposed and rocky and very technical. Lots of big steps and picking your way through rocks and hot. Other times it looks horribly steep and it turns out to be gentle. I had a short day today so decided to just take things easy. They were at a concert in Charlottesville last night and I told them I wouldn't be done until 3:30 or 4 so I had plenty of time. As expected - rocks and lots of them. The hike wasn't too bad though and kind of flew by - probably because I knew I'd be out of there today. Where most of the rocks on the mountains are horizontal, at the Dragons tooth they're vertical and jagged. Very cool. Also - the people started to appear - it's Sunday so lots of day hikers and there's a trail head a few miles away. Also making an appearance are the bugs. The forest awoke about two days ago. I'm seeing deer every day and the leaves really are finally making a showing on the trees but I guess that means it's time for bug spray too. When your moving it's fine as you seem to keep just ahead of the bugs but about 15 seconds after you stop, they find you and you're swarmed. Just when I had gotten comfortable with all my aches and pains, something else to look forward to. If coming up from behind Dragon's Tooth was relatively easy, going down the face of it was not! It was fun, but hairy. Kind of sheer faces with some areas having metal rungs implanted into the stone to help with the climb or descent. It was a good half an hour of this and I felt all klutzy with heavy pack and poles. At one point I had a little audience of people wanting to head up after I got down. I think maybe they were wanting to see how the professionals did it until they tackled it (at least that's what I'd like to think but they were probably more the Nascar crowd waiting to be thrilled by an accident). Before I knew it I was at the base of the mountain and at a beautiful little creek and footbridge. I've gotten into the habit of taking my shoes and socks off completely when I stop to let everything breathe and even out the swelling. I like dunking my feet in the water. Filtered some water and just laid on the bridge staring at the newly green trees listening to the water rush underneath. Nice not to be rushed to get to a shelter. The rest of the hike was pleasant enough. Up a hill to the spine again then back down the other side to wait it out at the parking area. Getting back to people and cars is always jarring. It's so loud and you can't help but notice how underprepared they are. You're up there for days and you're so careful about what you wear and bring in. You pack out all your trash, you have everything as lightweight as possible, but there they are all in unbreathable cotton and with cans of soda and so often you see that stuff just thrown on the side of the trail. Of course this is a limited number of people who do it, but when you've been up there so long you have a sort of sense of ownership and duty to take care of it and hate seeing it. I got to the lot early and had a chance to change out of my stink, put on some deoderant, etc. I even combed my hair. Which is WILDMAN. It's so long and out of control. The hair on my ears is about half an inch long and the hair on my neck - blech! Couple that with the pick up truck/American flag, one size too big t-shirt I got at the Dollar General in Damascus for doing laundry and you've got some serious class going on. I propped up against a rock in the brush to relax and do crosswords and...NO!!!!! My first tick! There it was on my arm crawling around. At least it wasn't biting yet. I freaked. Got up and sat on a bigger rock where I could see every last creepy crawly around me. Then I got out my bug spray - that I guess was expired as just a goopy mess came out of it. I rubbed it on anyway. A few hours later and they drove in. Hurray! Time for cleanliness - but first there's some eating to do. The trail has several restaurants or hostels or places along the way that everyone tells you about as "must visits". Places that either cater to hikers or having amazing food or something. Today is a place called the Homeplace. This is a huge old farm house down a country lane with a big grassy field out front. It's mobbed with people and you have quite a wait. About an hour for us. But the day was perfect and we had a blanket to sit on and chat. If you're from Austin - think the Salt Lick only more genteel.  Mostly this after church crowd in nice clothes and a few very dirty hikers ready to chow down! Why chow down? Well it's all you can eat. They called our name on this antiquated PA system with a thick southern accent and led us into a nice little parlor with our table for three. On it is actual china with two pitchers - one of sweet tea and one of lemonade to make Arnold Palmers. There is really no ordering just "two meats or three"? And anything you don't want? We opted for no pinto beans. In moments your table is covered with fried chicken, roast beef, ham, coleslaw, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, biscuits, apple butter and some sort of fruit compote thing. When a plates empty, they bring another. It was AMAZING. I forgot I was sitting with two people who didn't have "the hunger". I'm sure I looked like a crazy man with all the food but it was GOOD and I was STARVING. After it was over I looked at the bones on my plate and realized I ate a WHOLE CHICKEN. As well as everything else. After you're done with that they clear the table and bring out cherry cobbler. Really remarkable. One of those places you should only go to on a special occasion and where you'd bring all your out-of-town guests; but, it would be bad news on a regular basis. Really really great. Thanks Homeplace!Got back in the car and time for a tour of Roanoke. This is the first big city I've been to since Atlanta. It's not huge but it sure is pretty. Completely ringed in by mountains. Very very pretty. The cityscape is all these older brick houses. Very pretty. Cute little downtown with a nice square and tons of restaurants. They then took me up to see the giant star on top of a close mountain. There's a webcam up there so I texted my computer savvy friends and told them to check it out and they'd see me in five minutes. Worked! I haven't even seen myself in ten days or so. I forget how haggard I can be. Paul sent me a very blurry far away pic but even with that I could tell I looked bad. After that off to their house - love it. But I made a bee line for the bathroom and a shower - confirmed, I look like a crazy man. I stood there in the hot water for at least half an hour just washing and rewashing and warming. And then nirvana - opening up that bounce box and finding my jeans and t-shirt. That denim and cotton feels SO luxurious. And my crazy hair is now soft but still crazy. Clean. I was clean. Honest to goodness clean. Nerd alert: I felt like C-3PO. "This oil bath is going to feel so good. I've had such a case of dust contamination my joints are almost frozen". We also made a stop at the grocery store to get beer. I had a few but honestly, when your internal clock has shifted to sleep when it's night time you really just need to pass out. Which I did.