Date: 2005-05-08
From: Thunder Hill, Harrison Ground Campsite

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: clear sky

Miles hiked today : 22.722.5 AT miles + 0.2 miles of side trailHappy Mother's Day to my Momma and all the other Momma's out there!I woke up this morning at 6:30 a.m., packed, ate breakfast, and was hiking at 7:15 a.m. Due to yesterday's fall, the middle finger of my right hand is stiff and sore, especially at the second knuckle. It still bends, however, so I'm sure it will be okay.I was headed to town, which meant goodies such as ice cream and chocolate milk, so I was moving quickly. I covered 2.1 miles to USFS Road 35 in 45 minutes and at 11:00 a.m., I arrived at Matts Creek Shelter, having hiked 9.8 miles in 3 hours, 45 minutes. During the descent, I was highly impressed with the views of distant mountain peaks poking out of a sea of smoky, white clouds. At the shelter, I was tempted to wade in Matts Creek, as the temperature was steadily climbing. I was alone at the shelter and thought it best to not go in the water alone.I took a 35 minute snack and rest break before continuing on to cover the remaining 2.2 miles to highway 501, which leads into Glasgow. As I neared the highway, I foud myself walking parallel to the James River, which is enormously wide. I later found out that it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. At 12:15 p.m., I arrived at the foot bridge that crosses the James River. Curiously, the bridge was dedicated to the late Mr. Foot. He and his wife, in 1997, were the first couple to complete the coast to coast 6000+ mile American Discovery Trail.I was at US501 at 12:25 p.m., though it took 30 minutes before I was picked up by a kayaker. I rode in the back of the truck and enjoyed the cool breeze during the 5.9 mile drive into Glasgow. I resupplied and sat outside the grocery in the grass to consume some goodies: a pint of vanilla ice cream, a quart of chocolate milk, an individual size apple fruit pie, and a small remainder of peanut butter so that I could toss the nearly empty container. My hitch out also took 30 minutes, and while waiting, it was so hot that I drank the quart of OJ that I had planned to save for breakfast tomorrow morning. I arrived back at the trail and began hiking at 2:55 p.m., reaching Johns Hollow Shelter at 3:40 p.m.My pack was extremely heavy on the 1.7 mile hike to the shelter, despite the fact that there was barely any climbing. I took a 25 minute rest break and drank a liter of cola to get rid of 2 pounds of weight and then headed out.I was strongly tempted to stay and knew that some of my friends would be showing up later, though I moved on with the intention of closing the distance between me and the Dutch Haus Bed & Breakfast in Montebello. The Dutch Haus offers a $25 hiker rate, which includes a bed, breakfast, lunch, laundry, a shower, and internet access. Since there is no hostel in Waynesboro, Montebello seems like a good place for a short day before the Shenandoah National Park.Over 8.8 miles, I had two big climbs separated by a moderate descent and the sun was out, and the temperature was in the low 80s, which had me sweating. The first climb was an overall elevation gain of 2,252 feet up to Big Rocky Row and the second climb was an elevation gain of 797 feet up to Bluff Mountain. To make things more interesting, there was no water between the two shelters and all I had with me was a remaining liter of cola. To further emphasize the dryness, there were many 3" long lizards running around and I even saw a tennis ball sized toad. I managed to snap a picture before it hopped away.Having left the previous shelter at 4:05 p.m., I made it to Saddle Gap, the 4.6 mile mark, at 6:20 p.m. An hour later, I was standing at the Ottie Cline Powell Memorial on top of Bluff Mountain.Ottie Cline Powell's story is a sad one, especially for Mother's Day. In November of 1890, Ottie strayed from his schoolhouse while gathering firewood during recess and wandered 7 miles away to the top of Bluff Mountain. Nearly 5 months later, on April 5th, his body was found where his memorial now stands. Ottie was 4 years, 11 months old the day he wandered away. I can't help but wonder whether there was a trail to the top of Bluff Mountain at the time, as the AT had not yet been created. Ottie's monument reads: This is the exact spotLittle Ottie Cline Powell'sbody was found April 5, 1891. Afterstraying from Tower Hill School House.Nov. 9 A distance of 7 miles.Age 4 years, 11 months.A HREF = "http://members.aol.com/achmuseum/muse/musefall-1998.html">More detail about Ottie's story can be found by clicking this link.From the summit of Bluff Mountain, it was an additional 1.9 miles to Punchbowl Shelter, at which I arrived at 8:00 p.m. This shelter, I came to find out, is rumored to be haunted by Ottie Cline Powell's ghost and the register has a few accounts of mysterious experiences of previous hikers. Some of the stories include unattended gear being arranged with meticulous attention to detail and "phantom fingers" going through the pockets of sleeping hiker's pajamas. There were several warnings not to sleep in the shelter if one valued their sleep. Well, I do value my sleep and am still not sure at this point in my life whether I believe in ghosts. So, to play it safe, I'm tenting about 100 feet from the shelter.Bedtime at 10:45 p.m.