Date: 2007-06-13
From: Niday Shelter VA

To: Stealth site .5 miles down Cove Mtn, VA
Miles today: 13.5

Finally got up and out of camp by 7:35 a.m. Ken (section hiker training for his thru next year) headed out just before me. Today folks....today was the single most frightening day of my life. Not joking..I faced a near death experience, and I'm still feeling anxiety from it as I type this. I'll take you through my day.The hike was like other days, a climb up to a ridge, rocky, dirt trail, then back down. I stopped at Trout Creek, which was wonderful! The intention was to go 15 mies, and water was scarce, so I decided to make my hot meal for lunch while water was plentiful. After cooking my ramen, I went and ate it while soaking my feet, and I watched 2 dragonflies courting each other. I thought to myself, "Wow, what a perfect moment." and it was. Really really nice. I must admit though, I have been ravenous ALL day and literally every 2 hrs, my stomach was grumbling. I was looking forward to seeing Dragon's Tooth today, which is this huge rock formation on top of Cove Mtn., VA.I decided to get water @ the next shelter, and then head up the last climb of the day to see Dragon's Tooth, where I planned to stop and enjoy and then descend the ridge for a few miles and camp somewhere. Well, climbing I did, and of course you end up on a mountain ridge, making the only things higher than you the trees. I could hear thunder rumbling way way off in the distance, so I kept my eye on the clouds (as much as possible, the thick tree coverage made it difficult to see the sky\clouds.). Well, about 3:30 p.m., I finally got to a point on the ridge where I could see what was going on, and it was then I realized this storm was coming my way...and fast!Mountain storms I've learned sound like they are miles and miles away then suddenly they are right on top of you. So I look @ my topo information on my map and had to make a choice. Either turn around and try to beat the storm, and get back down off the ridge (which would have been at least 1.5 hrs of hiking and it would take me over some very exposed areas) or move ahead quickly and try to find a place like yesterday, where the ridge dipped a bit lower than the surrounding terrain. I was caught in the middle of this ridge, knowing that either direction would take me higher and over completely exposed rock slabs again.I opted for moving forward and trying to find a low area. I was almost running, because the thunder was getting louder and louder. I finally get to a spot that I think will work, and get my tarp out, because it's starting to rain now. Damn...the location just wouldn't work, the trees were too close together for my tarp! So I take my tarp and run a bit further down (about 100 ft) and find a place that does work, and I tie my tarp up, go back up and grab my pack, get the stakes out and try to get some protection. Well, of course, on a rocky ridge, the ground is full of rocks, and I BROKE one of my stakes!! By this time the wind is picking up, the rain is coming down harder, and the thunder is almost directly above me.I found a huge rock (all I can say is adrenalin makes you STRONG), and moved it to anchor down the corner of my tarp that now I have no stake for.There! I crawl under my tarp, and am sitting on my pack, and man did this wicked storm come in like nothing else. I was paying attention to the amount of time betwen lightening flashes and the subsequent crash of thunder, because the closer the two are, the closer the lightening physically is to you, and remember, I AM still on a ridge. I have never heard thunder so loud in my life.Suddenly it gets violent, and I'm not feeling too comfortable, so I did what they say to do. Under my tarp, I layed flat on my stomach and covered my head with my hands. Zap\BOOM, a bolt of lightening and it's resulting thunder were SO close, and my heart is about to jump out of my chest. The wind is blowing rain sideways, my pack (which I have sort of shielding me on the ground) is getting wet, and then it happened. FLASH, KABOOM!, and as I layed flat on the ground..totally flat, my body WAS MOVED (as in the right side of me was lifted off the ground), I felt the most intense 3 second headache I've ever felt, and the feeling that ran through my chest was like the pounding of rock music @ a concert only at a level that is not possible to reach. I raised my head for a moment, I yelled, "Holy shit..I just missed being hit directly by lightening!" and I knew I just had to get to even lower ground. So decision time again. As I layed on my stomach, heart is racing SO fast, I grabbed my rain jacket out of my pack ad put it on. I scanned the area and knew there was only one direction that went lower, and that was basically bushwacking (going off the trail) to the east of the trail.So I prepared myself, got up, left my pack and all gear sitting under my tarp and started running faster than I can ever remember running. Folks, I don't know how I didn't break something, because it was pouring, I was running at full speed over sharp rocks, trees, dead branches, vines, and where the ground was covered with leaves, sometimes you'll sink down about a foot. I kept running until I saw a place that I thought would work. It was right next to a large rock, but there was a dip on one side of it, small trees everywhere, but I got there, and threw myself onto the ground and again, covered my head with my hands. I also unzipped the hood of my rainjacket, but I didn't have rainpants, so I'm laying there, rain is coming down in buckets, I can feel my lower body getting soaked, and I am smelling the wet dirt because my face is resting on the ground.I just kept listening to the thunder and rain, and I was here for about 20 minutes. I decided I wouldn't move until I heard no more thunder, the sky got lighter, and the rain started subsiding..all signs a storm has passed.Finally, all of those conditions appeared. It wasn't until then that I realized my right shin had been resting the whole time on a tree branch..OUCH and that I had been resting upon (and was now intertwined) in vines with thorns on them! I carefully untangled myself, and started my way back up to my gear. Man, I had really run a long way, so I kept climbing, and I finally found my gear. I tried to see the sky to make sure this wasn't just a lull. I also knew that Ken had decided to hike on from the last shelter as well, so I was really worried. I had decided I would hike back up the trail and look for him, because I knew he couldn't be far away.Just at that moment, he comes over the small hill with eyes as big as mine. He had been just 500 yards behind m on the other side of this hill, and he too felt the lightening. We both agreed that it must have struck in between us, and here's the scary part. "In between us" was exactly where I originally tried to set up my tarp! Had I been able to set up in the first place I chose, I believe in my heart I would have been hit directly. I repacked my tarp, and we both headed on together. Ken said he'd never prayed so hard in his life. I, who always maintain ultimate composure and calmness during a crisis, was now starting to process just what happened. Adrenalin was still being pumped through me. I was hiking in a mentally clouded state of shock. During the episode though, as I was laying there down the mountainside in the pouring rain, I was in a meditative trance of pure calmness. I remember watching the beads of water dripping onto the ground from the hood of my rain jacket. I didn't feel the need to "pray", I didn't feel afraid of dying, I was just calm.As Ken and I hiked on, I did manage to say a horrible horrible joke, which was since they say lightening never strikes twice in the same place, statistically, we've got a good chance of never going through that again. Ken's response, "Wow, you ARE an optimist."We finally get to Dragon's Tooth, after a grueling rocky hike, and it was a site, but everything was overshadowed by the events of the day. I snapped some pics ad tried to "be in the moment" but just felt like getting down this mountain and setting up camp.Ken decided to camp @ Dragon's Tooth, I could have, but wanted down. So about 7:00 p.m., I started descending, and geez, wouldn't you know, it's the most treacherous hiking yet. Sheer drop-offs, there are metal holds in the cliffs for you to climb down, small ledges to walk on. I had to take my pack off @ several points and lower it first.I think it all would have been fun had I not felt like I'd already tested fate once today.I made up my mind that THE first place I found to hang, I would do so.Finally...there was a spot. It was geting dark, my stomach was screaming for food, so I ate some beef jerkey.Tomorrow, Ken's hike is over and his vehicle is @ the parking lot @ the Catawba road crossing. He's offered to give me, Shadow, ad Shua a ride to take care of chores and take us to a restaurant there called The Home Place, and then we can return to the trail. My stomac is hugely excited about a real meal tomorrow.So it's 8:45 p.m., in the lower 60's, and I'm feeling pretty unsettled about the events of today. It wasn't my time.~Certain