Date: 2014-05-25
From: Campbell Shelter

To: U.S. 220 VA 816 Daleville, VA
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up fairly early this morning to prepare to leave from Campbell's Shelter. It helped that others were stirring around and cooking breakfast. Belch showed up also and said on the way down from McAfee Knob where he had stayed in order to catch the sunrise, he had seen a bear and cub. I needed to fetch water, treat it and cook oatmeal in time to leave by 8:00AM to get to Daleville Howard Johnson by 3PM. I was craving clean clothes and a shower. I headed down the trail at 8:02. After I got a little way down the trail I said my morning prayers including the Trisagion prayer and St. Brigid's prayer that I have almost memorized. St BrigidArise today through a mighty strength:God's power to guide me,God's might to uphold me,God's eyes to watch over me,God's ears to hear me,God's word to give me speech,God's hand to guard me,God's way to lie before me,God's shield to shelter me,God's host to secure me.St Brigid of Kildare (c.451-525)I next looked at my watch and noticed that time was 10:02 and since it was Sunday morning that is just about the time Fr. Justin announces "it is time for The Lord to act!" Then the main part of the Divine Liturgy service begins. In my mind I say "amen." For the next couple of hours my mind would wonder on and off about which part of the service was occurring at that particular moment. At 11:45 I thought maybe people would be finishing up the communion line and singing "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (which is from Ps. 34:8). I sang the verse over a few times as I walked and hoped someone thought of me during the communion. I would like to have been physically present in a service but could not, so I was present in spirit or mind. I also saw my first Jack in the Pulpit today.It turns out I needed the prayers and strength more than I knew at the time. I had calculated the distance to be 13 miles which would get me there by 3PM easily. I could tell through the afternoon that I was not going to be there by 3--lucky if I made it by 4. I didn't want to be too late and have no rooms left. The hotel is located near major roads and hikers would be coming in off the trail. I was getting tired the last 2 hours and dying for that shower. Later I realized I had subtracted wrong and the distance was over 15 miles. So 4PM was not bad. I kept thinking surely I wasn't that slow on the hills in the morning. If I had known the correct miles I would have been mentally prepared and also stopped for a more substantial lunch.I was also going to pick up my 45 degree sleeping bag at the motel which I had designated as my mail drop. Last night by 4 am I had put all my clothes on to keep warm with the fleece blankets. Oddly enough, by the time I hit the trail I had stripped down to running shorts and a short sleeve shirt. The first segment of the hike was going the 5 miles to Tinker Cliffs. That was an interesting walk through a variety of hardwood trees. I saw several black walnut which I haven't noticed much as well as maples, hickory and oaks. I saw a lot of different flowers also that said take my picture. (I was only at 10% on phone charge so I was trying to save it.) I came across a former highland farm with barn, meadows and a horse drawn hay cutting machine rusting by the trail. Since if was like the one we used on our farm when growing up, I stopped to snap pictures of it from various angles. Next to catch my eye were spiderworts. Because of the deep violet-blue color I had to get some pictures of them. I passed them at first, then regretted not taking the picture, so I promised myself the next time I saw them I would take a picture. I looked them up in my kindle flower book and it said they may be found growing south of Tinker Cliffs. Bingo! (For more about this interesting plant search on internet or your flower book.)I originally expected to go through a deep valley to get to the ridge of Tinker Cliffs because of the view from McAfee Knob the previous day. It turned out to be a connected ridge that only required moderate climbs and descents. However, some must have been somewhat arduous because I apparently walked by a bear. A female day hiker passed me and asked if had seen the bear back down the trail and I had not. Maybe focusing on climbing hill plus watching for snakes (just seemed like a good place for them) and photographing spiderworts. But I did remember that just about the place she had described a squirrel had really been doing an unusual amount of scolding. I think he saw the bear, on the opposite side of the trail from me, but I was focused on trying to see the squirrel and what may have been its problem. We were about a mile from the first rocks of Tinker Cliffs when she passed me. As I was nearing Tinker Cliffs, I thought I could hear the lady yelling and carrying on. I wondered if she saw another bear but doubted it. When I caught up with her on the cliffs, she asked "did you see that bear by the rocks?" Of course I hadn't. She said she was yelling to scare it off. I asked, "What did it do then?" And she said, "just sort of walked off into the woods." I said, "It was just trying to be cool and act like it wasn't afraid of you." I have an urge when someone shows up with a fresh bear report to go back and look for it, but common sense says leave well enough alone. Tinker Cliffs would have seemed even more dramatic had not I just come from the McFee Knob across the valley. The trail follows very close to the edge of the cliffs for half a mile. This place has more spots one could just sit all day on their own rock outcropping and gaze across the valley, at the sky, and other mountains. I thought it would not be a good place for night hiking because of the gaps In the rocks right beside the trail. From the time I got through Tinker Cliffs to the end of the mountain I encountered rock outcroppings and cliffs quite often requiring some navigational skills to get through because there were not always enough white blazes and solid rock does not wear into a distinguishable path. But I'm getting better at spotting the clues and getting used to maneuvering over the rocks. And I am wearing my shoes out that may need replacing by Harpers Ferry. A couple of miles past Tinker Cliffs I came upon a lady taking a picture of something several yards ahead me. I slowed to allow her to finish so I would not scare it off if it was an animal. She was looking down in the weeds beside the trail but seemed too intentional to be a flower. She raised up and gave me the signal to come on and announced she had found a rattlesnake. She saw it as it crossed the path in front of her and when it saw her she said it rattled. I took a couple of pictures but it was hard to see the snake because if its camouflage. It was a large snake with a thick body. It was an awesome beast to look at and imagine its power, especially when compared to a skinny 4 foot long black snake. It gradually moved into the bushes and disappeared even more. I noticed that as it moved through the dry leaves it made a slight but constant rustling sound. Not like the scurrying sound of a lizard or chipmunk. I now have one more clue about how to suspect if a snake is around. All I can do when walking is watch the trail, watch behind logs and rocks and maybe a tiny bit of peripheral vision at the side of the trail. When I arrived at HoJo, I learned that Belch had already booked a room for us for two nights. I had suggested the day before that we may share a room. I paid half his bill and we each got to stay 2 nights for the price on one night. We had trouble finding quarters for the washing machine and a couple of other issues. But they all faded away in my mind as I sat on the Patio of the Three Little Pigs Barbecue eating slow-smoked pulled pork with Carolina sauce and coleslaw on the side. The Blue Cedars provided the ambiance with their guitar, banjo, mandolin and voice as the sun sank behind the hill and the evening cooled.