Date: 2005-05-05
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

To: Pearisburg Virginia
Miles today: 8.3

Big milestone today - getting to Pearisburg! I plan to take a zero day tomorrow and let my blisters heal, and just rest in general. I awoke as normal at first light and did my morning chores. Unknown and Fraggle hardly stirred, so I quietly left. They were still tightly bundled in sleeping bags. Having climbed Brushy Mountain yesterday, there was about a 700 foot climb today to get to the summit of Pearis Mountain. I expected a fairly easy morning into town. Mostly it was easy and very cold and windy until I got to Angel's Rest - a rocky overlook where you get an expansive view to the valley below where Bluff City and Pearisburg Va. are situated. I stopped shortly after leaving the shelter to shed my long sleeved shirt, and stopped again at the summit of Pearis Mountain to put it on again. The cold and wind made me cautious to guard against hypothermia. At Angel's Rest I approached the cliff and about half a dozen crows that had been hiding in a rocky cavity there were flushed from their roost and made a loud racket. They were a few feet away when they flew off. After calming myself from that surprise I got several pictures of the beautiful Virginia valley from the rocky promontory point. Then began one of the toughest mountain descents I have ever hiked. It was about 2100 feet of elevation loss in about two miles, some of it dangerously steep. Some places were tight switchbacks on a steep dirt trail, and other places descended over high rocky masses of stone exposed on the cliffside. All the way to the bottom my legs were putting on the brakes and my feet were taking punishment from the pounding rocks and steep downward angle forcing my toes into the front of my boots. I have descended from higher perches, but none has been more difficult. Add to that, the trip down was never-ending due to the need to go slow and be careful. It took a full hour longer than I expected. On a descent from such a high perch at this time of year, you experience February through May in compacted time. At the summit, the woods were very much wearing a winter coat, with no leaves, little greenery growing up from the forest floor, cold windy conditions, and the carpet of last fall's leaves stretching out in all directions. A little lower and you begin to see the early spring growth of flowering plants pushing out their green leaves, some shrubs getting leaves and buds, and you experience some shelter from the wind. Then comes a layer of flowered plants, full-leafed shrubs, and trees with buds and advancing to the first opening of the leaves. Soon spring seems to be in full force. As I approached the level of the outskirts of town I crossed a country road still traversing the side of the mountain at some elevation. I came to another street and actually saw houses and other buildings. Crossing a remote street or two I noticed the trail re-entering the woods to my left, with a climb to come. Then I passed some local foot paths and a very old cemetary, with graves from the town founders, I think, and finally came out at the bridge over the New River. In this last section the trail was completely grown up with weeds, underbrush, flowers, trees with full summer leaves, and the temperature had turned to very warm. I found myself being careful of surprising a snake in this hot, tight, overgrown section. So, I had come from winter to summer in a short time. I got to the Rendezvous Motel, checked in and had a wonderful long hot shower and a nap, followed by a trip to a pizza place, more nap, and then up to a sports bar for a supper of hot wings. My supply box arrived at the motel just fine. I have sorted through it and will mail back several unused items tomorrow. This is roughly the midpoint of the hike already. I have enjoyed the scenery and the people, and my times hiking alone in the woods and sometimes in camp at night have been great. 6Stringer, Mother Nature and Smokestack, and the Garland 5 are in town tonight, staying here at the Rendezvous Motel (I have not actually seen 6Stringer). There are other hikers here but I have not met them. My only concern is my feet, with blisters on the ball of each foot. I punctured and drained each, applying neosporin afterwards. Mother Nature is an EMT, and she said it would be good to treat them that way since I plan to take a zero day tomorrow. I will call Marlene in the morning. Tonight I will get some sleep. Goodnight Sweetheart.