Date: 2010-05-30
From: Wind Rock

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke up at 4:30 and should have gotten up, but didn't. I had a nice log to sit on, so I ate breakfast before I headed out. I dawdled around, trying to burn a little damp trash. There were lots and lots of big black flies buzzing about.I got out at 7:20. I had the big, ugly cry early - got it out of the way - and actually felt like I got something resolved. The weather was beautiful - sunny, breezy and not too hot. I stopped for a break at War Spur Shelter. Its in a beautiful spot where you can hear the water rushing in the creek. I took my boots off and ate a snack. The bugs were pretty bad. Bees. One rabid bee in particular that landed on my pack, my leg, and chased me around a bit as I was trying to leave.By eleven it was starting to get hot. I crossed the road and found the remains of some trail magic. I took a beer and drank it as I walked. It was uphill and there was lots of mountain laurel in bloom. An hour and a half or so later, I was ready for a break and looking for a spot to take one, when it started to rain. So I kept on going, uphill over a rocky section.I came to some spent trail magic at VA 601. I remembered the spot from two years ago. The trail turned into a steep two-track. I stopped at the top at Kelly Knob, looked out at the view, but didn't stay as I had just taken a break on a log shortly before I got there. The trail went down to Laurel Creek Shelter. The mountain laurel was in full bloom. It was everywhere - as far as the eye could see - scrawny, woody trees that look half-dead, but for the profusion of flowers.I stopped at the shelter for a break. I met Heartbeat, MoPed, and Seabass. There were a couple of local hikers who gave us some ice to put in our water. I left the shelter a couple of minutes past 5 p.m. I missed the spring at the abandoned house, went past the pond on the left, down through some fields, across the field with the donkey, across the road, and uphill on the other side, where there was lots of poison ivy along the trail.I got to Sinking Creek at a little after seven where the guy with Skywalker said that it was 3.1 miles to the shelter and that I had missed the turn-off to the Keffer Oak. I didn't remember there being a turn-off, so I figured the trail had been rerouted.I went uphill through the woods. It was threatening to rain and I almost stopped. I went past the Keffer Oak (right on the trail) and up a horrible, steep uphill section. I pushed it really hard, and the rain came when I was only a switchback or two from the top. It rained for awhile as I hiked very quickly across the ridge. There were lots of places to hammock, but I was out of water. It was getting dark when I reached the shelter turn-off at ten to nine.I stopped and got out my headlamp and hiked the .4 steep downhill blue blazed trail to the shelter. Sarver Hollow was a very nice shelter. The water at the cistern look funky and the sign said there was better water down by the old house. I bumbled around, found a campsite, and saw a dark shape move past by the house. I tried to recreate it by moving my head around in case it was a shadow cast by my head lamp, but I couldn't make it happen again. I went back to the shelter where everyone said they had gotten their water from the cistern. I went back down and got some. The dirt was settled on the bottom. At least until I dropped my full platypus in it.I was in bed a little after 10 p.m.