Date: 2007-11-15
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Wison Creek Shelter
Miles today: 28.7
Weather: few clouds

mi. 20.6sleep shelterdest. Wilson Creek Shelterday 126 *Mileage adjustment to 1448.5. Well another great shelter hang. Those are always nice because I can spread my stuff out around me. I woke up a couple times in the morning to the sound of light rain. I know we need rain really bad, I just don't want to be in it. It was warm last night, but it cooled off by morning. It was back to being cold in the morning. We took our time getting out of bed and getting ready. It was raining just hard enough not to start early, but not hard enough to justify waiting it out. It is just hard to leave a nice dry spot. Oh, I can't remember if I said it but Pan and Smee from Jacks R Better were through here about 10 days ago on a section hike. They wrote a good luck note to me in the register. It's always fun to see unexcepted notes to you in them. We finally got moving just before 9am. By that time the rain let up. I'm glad we waited. It was a little chilly today. The problem wasn't so much the temp, but the wind. On the leeward side of the mountain everything was fine, but round the corner and it was freezing. I hiked for a good part of the day with the rain jacket on to block the wind. We were going to hitch into town for a quick resupply today. After the late start we decided to keep going. We both still had just enough food left. It was probibly a good decision too because we didn't see very many cars on the road to hitch on. What we did see were 2 hunters tieing a deer to the back of an SUV. Now I don't have an issue with hunting and think it serves a valuable purpose. Both of with are good since I will see a good 2 or 3 months of different hunting seasons. Deer rifle season starts soon here. Yep they use high powered rifles in VA. In Ohio it is only a 1 week shotgun season to worry about. Then a month of bear season where they hunt using dogs. Anyways the least they could have done is not drag the deer a good ways down the trail. Can't say I liked hiking in the blood trail. Yesterday there was a good couple miles where I could see deer hair stuck on rocks from someone dragging it. Anyways we got to the shelter 13 miles in and took a little snack break. We probibly should have skipped this one. It was a good .2 down. Well total distance covered was .2, total displacement was 100 yards or so. Way too many switch backs. I am really glad I am not staying here for the night. It was in a huge wind tunnel. I took a short break and had to hike out. I was starting to get chilled. I did take a couple minutes to have Torque take some pics of me wheelding the mashedee (have fun with that spelling for a long knife used to hack your way through the jungle). I could see us having a little too much fun with this if we stayed here. Just after I left the snow started. I had to stop and put my pantlegs on my convertable pants and add my warm hat. Probibly only the 4th or so time I had to hike with it. With this when I was in the wind I was a little cold, when I wasn't I was hot. Right about then Torque caught back up. We hiked a couple more miles. Towards the end of the day we decided to follow the original AT for a little ways. For those who do not know the Blue Ridge Parkway was built on top of a lot of what was originally the AT. When the trail got rerouted it follows some pretty pointless ways. It follows the side of some steep slopes, follows right next to the road, or just over some pointless stuff. So basically we road walked. Distance wise it was about the same. It was a nice break though. We even got a couple overlooks you wouldn't get from the trail. After that a quick 2.5 to the shelter. It was close to dark when we got there. Torque went for some water for him. I still had 2 liters and water was early on tomorrow. While he was gone I hung the bear bag rope. It was still really windy. I couldn't get a bearing on which direction it was coming from. It is best to setup my tarp perpendicular to the wind to block the wind. But it was swirling all around. So I decided to shelter it. I was thinking it would be a little warmer. Plus I didn't want to lay in the hammock for 4 hours before bed. I did rig my tarp over half the opening to block the wind, Torque put his ground cloth over the other half. That helped out a lot. Surprising enough I was able to get good cell service here. I made a couple calls. The plan now sits at my parents coming out on Wednessday and staying to Sunday or Monday. It will be a nice change. I also got ahold of my friend in Hotlanta. She is going home to Cincy for Christmas on the 22nd through the 1st. So I have a ride if I want it. The only thing is I don't want to take off that much time. Mainly because if I am not done by then I will only have a couple days left. So I would be going home for longer than I have left. I would rather just finish up and then go home. So I think I will either finish before then or on New Years. Doctari keeps talking about coming out if I finish then. That would give me a good ride back. Come on, New Year's Springer Party. I'll be fun. Or I can stay in Atlanta for a few days with my friend then take the greyhound home. Tomorrow night a warm bed. A friend of Torque's uncle is putting us up for the night. Torque's plan is to go home for a few days over Thanks Giving. So barring something strange happening or him jumping ahead, we'll probibly part ways then. I am thinking then after my parents leave I am going to turn it back up. I should still be able to get out of VA somewhere around the end of the month. Giving me 535 miles in around 35 or 36 days. Not too bad. I am still loving the trip. I am just feeling the end coming on. More of a want to get moving on the next big adventure. That and it is cold and dark, a lot. I thought I understood what it ment before I left. But being out in it day after day, all day and night puts it into an all new prespective. I can tolerate it and be fine, it's just getting a little old. I plan on picking up some more cold weather gear soon so that should help.