Date: 2006-10-24
From: jenkins shelter

To: camp somewhere past helvey's mill shelter
Miles today: 18.0

======2003====== saturday, april 12, day50WHEW!...another hard one!...at least the a.m. was, anyway......we decided NOT to take the highwater trail (a blue blaze before laurel creek) and walked the little little wolf creek (on the AT) instead.....this is a LOOOONG stream valley with about 15 shallow stream crossings!....all of them were deep enough, however, that all the rocks were submerged (no ¢hopping¢)....so we had to wade!....we began by just takin¢ off our shoes and socks....brrrrr!...cold!....and many of the creek stones were pretty sharp!*.....killeen finally just started crossing in his shoes.....me?...i¢m stubborn!...i was bent on keepin¢ my shoes dry!*it really WAS beautiful down in that valley, though!....it seemed very remote and wild...tall peaks were rising from the rushing waters and occasionally, sunny open marshes came into view with willows blooming and peepers singing......still, it was difficult to enjoy fully with all the crossings to endure....it seemed as if there might have been built a more desirable route just up the ridge a little above the streams....or some foot bridges or something....it IS such a pretty place!.....but i was never so glad to see it come to an end when we got to a REAL bridge crossing at the road (laurel creek)!.....we threw off our packs and just sat there for a while, rewarding ourselves by drying our shoes and wriggling our toes in the GORGEOUS sunshine!....(there was also the added pleasure of devouring a homemade ¢snickers¢ bar!)the rest of the day was GREAT trail, though....(it reminded us of the pisgah over near miss janet¢s)....and we had trail magic TWICE!....right after we crossed the road at the bridge, the ¢green valley methodist¢ had left a cooler of juices!...we had grape and orange (i saved mine for an afternoon treat!).....then later on, someone had left water just before the freeway crossing....water is more scarce over these long ridges in virginia, so we were very grateful indeed!....we had supper at helvey¢s mill shelter, but it was only 5:00 and good weather, so we decided to hike on,,,(even though i was suffering some shoulder pain from all the stooping and bending and hobbling over the streams this a.m.)....i¢ve taken some motrin, though, and i¢m trying to relax and rest....tomorrow is palm sunday....i was hoping to wish everyone a happy easter holiday (in the registers), but the last two shelters had no registers!....i¢ll keep tryin¢.....i will especially miss our little church back home this easter week.......======2006====== Lord¢s Day, april 2, day 50 (14.8 miles from camp past rice field to bailey gap shelter)we¢re sitting here on the edge of the platform at the bailey shelter....it¢s very quiet....a very ¢sacred¢ quiet....all you can hear is the occasional hum of an early fly.....and there¢s the faint whisper of a high altitude jet somewhere above....there are a few clouds moving in, so even the sun has ¢quieted¢ down a bit....it¢s warm!...(we both had showers again this evening)..... right now, paw is reading his new testament while i write....we¢re both quietly digesting (physically AND mentally) the satisfying and delicious pot of ¢beefy cheez mac¢ we had for our supper...(we added a little previously-prepared nacho ¢cheez¢ and fritos from our lunch that we had leftover....we¢re about to pop!).....it¢s been a wonderful day.....(though just a little challenging for feet over all the rocks up on the ridgetop).....and, we had another detour since the stony creek bridge was washed out....we had been directed to take the road for 1 12 miles and guess what?.....as we walked down the road, this guy zooms by on his racing bike....he waves and heads on round the bend...when we finally came round, too, we saw that he had parked beside the mailbox at the top of a driveway and was standing there as if to have a word with us.....when he removed his helmet, we realized who it was!...it was good ol¢ mike!( the photographer we met yesterday up at ricefield!)....he was holding two icy cold bottles of green tea!...these ¢angels¢ never cease to amaze us!...(ahhhh!....a distant barred owl has just called out to us!....what an absolutely PERFECT Lord¢s Day evening!)....anyway....i was saying about mike.... we enjoyed a few moments chatting....he was like an old friend....as we got ready to head on, we thanked him profusely for the tea....he said, ¢it NEVER hurts to be a little nice to someone!¢.....how right you are, mr. mike!....how right you are!.....we had ¢1st sunday communion¢ today with the usual accompanying ¢brunch¢....somewhere up on peter¢s mtn., i think, on a little grassy knoll in the woods on top of a small ¢cliff/ledge¢...(it was somewhere before the allegheny trail intersection....(i love to think these little niches along the AT become ¢hallowed¢ as we meet there with our Lord!)....anyway....it was a very sweet time....(with my usual tears!)...i always cry when i think of what Jesus has done for me! MERCY for a sinner!...i always find it difficult to comprehend such a great and complete love!....the phoebe is calling now...as i look out into the woods, i can see tiny insects, like small clouds of light floating in the hazy/bright evening air.....a very light breeze is blowing...the hemlocks are shimmering in the last rays of fading sunlight, while the oaks in stark silhouettes cast long, cool shadows over the leafy surface of these very rocky woods....how PEACEFUL i feel!....peace- FULL!....even though i am tired, there is a sort of ¢holy energy¢bubbling up like a gentle spring overflowing inside of me!....my!...the joys of being in Christ!....AND in his world!....i hope tonight is as good a rest as last night....how i slept!.....all that fresh air and quiet!....it was MARVELOUS!....we did get just a little bit damp, though.....a thick, early morning fog rolled in over the ridge and coated just about everything....by about 10a.m., though, it was all burned off and we were able to more than dry out everything here in camp when we arrived at 4.....we both carried some water up from 2 tenths of a mile here, but now that we¢re at the shelter looking out, have noticed a sign advertising ¢wet weather water¢ just down the path....oh well...maybe we¢ll take advantage of THAT source next time!well... as i said, i¢m pretty tired, and it¢s almost 7, so i think i¢m gonna grab paw¢s testament and read myself to sleep...*NOTES/OBSERVATIONA/COMPARISONS------*wading creeks with sharp rocks.....(we didn¢t do this route in ¢06, as you can read on ¢day 44¢).....but we¢ve learned that a pair of ¢wading shoes¢ is a good idea....we now carry flip flops, which seem to be the lightest weight, though perhaps not quite as much protection...(also, in a stiff current, you must take care that they don¢t wash away off your feet)....some folks, i¢ve read, merely don a double layer of socks (no shoes)....i could never afford the luxury of WET socks....i always preferred to keep as many DRY pairs as possible!....many hikers carry ¢crocs¢...(a lightweight plastic clog)...good for stream crossings, camp and town.....however, i have discovered the sponginess of crocs to be hard on my arches (over an extended period)...i¢m a firm believer that something closer to ¢barefoot¢ strengthens your feet....*dry shoes....and feet, are one of the most important factors in staying ¢blister-free¢......on this particular day, however, with all these stream crossings, i think i should have chanced the wet shoes....for, by the end of the day (as i described), i had begun to suffer shoulder pain which i was certain was caused from all the bending and reaching (under a heavy pack), to doff and don my shoes!....yep!...it was dumb!....i¢m MUCH too stubborn!