Date: 2010-04-29
From: Sarver's Cabin

To: Near Catawba (entry number four of the day)
Miles today: 24.0

Fraser FirSection HikerAppalachian Trail04-29-10 entry number four of the day.Twenty four miles hiked.This would turn out to be a longer day than anticipated.As I had mentioned in entry # 3 of the day, I was headed southwest on the AT toward the summit of the Dragons Tooth.Being that it was nearing 8:00 p.m., I have decided to find somewhere to camp along the top of the mountain.¢¦and then I met a young teen age girl (probably in late high school or early college) traveling in the opposite direction than I was heading.She was not prepared to be out this late in the day ¢this far from any trail head. The temperatures were dropping fast. ¢Excuse me, do you know where the Dragons Tooth is?¢ she inquires.¢Yes, in fact, it is in the opposite direction than the direction that you are heading.¢ I add.¢Are we on the Appalachian Trail?¢¢Yes we are. How did you get up here?¢ I try not to be too invasive or ask ¢weird¢ questions but this is not a good situation for her. I can see the concern on her face. I see the lack of necessities to hike up and down these mountains. I point out the obvious that the sun is setting in the west and that I am headed west to the Dragons Tooth and then north to Catawba. I explain that the trail, although in a ¢north bound¢ direction, often makes turns and go south and ironically in this situation, south west. We all know that the AT travels in a easterly and westerly direction almost as much as it does in a southward and northward direction. She explains that she cut up through the woods. I know that there is an access trail from a parking lot on Hwy 311, but not so certain that is where she actually came from. She stated that she came up through the woods and arrived on what she now knows is the AT. The young lady only wants to get to the Dragons Tooth to meet up with some friends that she got separated from.I show the young lady my strip map of the area and encourage her to turn around and follow in the same direction that I am going. In the event that she thinks that I am some kind of freak, I encourage her to allow me to get a head start and move north bound.She studies the map for a while and decides that she will cut back through the woods. She explains that she can hear the cars near the parking area that she came from.I rebuke her and tell her of how dangerous that would be. I explain that the best thing that she could do is to stay on the trail system and not cut through the woods.She changes her mind and decides to head south on the AT. She looks at the Va. 620 as a good place to go and find resources and possibly call her family for pick up.You know, I hate to give her bad news, but I just came from Trout Creek and there is no cell service. There are ¢no trespassing¢ signs like everywhere and the closest town is miles away.I try to get inside her head and understand why she wants to head in the wrong direction without any hiking essentials. I attempt to rationalize after giving her my map to study: why in the world would she head in the opposite direction from the Dragons Tooth.Frustrated, I continue to climb the huge boulders towards the tooth. She has bummed me out. I will push on to the convenience store in Catawba and call the authorities and or the Ranger District.As it is getting dark, I have no time to stop and take in the views at the Dragons Tooth. It is all good. There will be another time. The sun set is unbelievable. I finally climb to the top and then start the technical drop towards Catawba. There are hand rails and I am scrambling to hold on. I have my crocs on, so I have to change back to my trail runners.I run into a guy that is running to the top of the ¢tooth¢. I explain the situation. He tells me second hand that her friends were waiting for her at the parking area below and they were, I believe calling out for her.Not good at all. It is dark as I enter Lost Spectacles Gap. Thank goodness for my head lamp.I cannot believe that I saved this part of the trail for after 8:30 p.m. I would end up hiking twenty four miles today and I had to save this until the very end. The trail finally turns to switch backs and I start to run. I run into an unannounced blue blaze and make a quick decision to follow it in hopes that it will bring me out on Hwy 311 in a quicker fashion.I start to follow a creek and get turned around. The blue blazes are gone. I drop my pack by the side of the creek and decide that this will have to be ¢it¢ for the night.I do not know if I have ever been so exhausted in my life.I am going to set up camp (quickly) and then go look for a telephone. As I am unpacking all of my gear, I hear walkie-talkie type radios. I see firemen in suits with huge head lamps on.They are not firemen. They are search and rescue.The young lady made a call from the Trout Creek area. (using her cell phone)They were on their way back down the AT.Somehow, I missed them. They were headed around the mountain to the other side to bring her out.I have been praying for her this evening and my prayer has been answered.It is all I can do to set up my tent and get inside my sleeping bag.Good night.