Date: 2008-04-24
From: Compton Gap

To: I-70 crossing
Miles today: 12.3

Well here it is the last day of this 6 day section hike. In one way I am glad that it is at an end my feet are well beat upon and If I were to keep going in a day or so I would think that I would need to zero or nero just to let the feet take a break. For today it is just keep the skin from ripping and push through it. We got up early and broke camp. I did talk Doggiebag into a big breakfast from Cindy Dee¢s something that I do not have to cook or clean up. Love it! We were loaded and out on the road early enough to give me a full day. Doggiebag has a lead on a possible job so he will help me shuttle cars today and then head for home. We will leave my car where he dropped me off last night and then he will take me up to the spot where we were picked up in December just north of I-70.I hit the trail at 8:47AMThe trail for the most part is great through here. In many places I think that these are old forest roads and they are wide and smooth. Not all areas are like this there are plenty of spots where the rocks stick up and give you some challenges to decide step between or on them? The first 3 miles went down easy and I was at the Washington Monument just as the care taker was unlocking the access to the tower. I was able to climb to the top. I am sure on some day the view would be great today it was just hazy so there was not tons to see. I could see the one other real climb that I had not too long after the monument as I came up to Turners Gap. Its called Lamb Knoll. Nice gentle name but from the north it is a bit of a climb that just keeps wrapping around the peak so it is longer than one would think when you first see the hill.I had the chance to stop and talk with all of the hikers from yesterday. They all stayed at the Garvey shelter but today will see them split up again. The group of Transfat, Double Cheese, Trail Foot, Liquid, and Donkey Legs are all going to head for Ensign Cogwell Shleter. The group of Unknown Hiker, Stormnnorm and Waterbear are going to stay at the Pogo campgrounds. It was so cool to get a chance to chat with them again as I was heading south. After I passed the last group I put on my tunes for a bit and just settled into a rhythm for a while trying not to feel my feet. I know that I am going to finish this section not it is just a matter of walking for a few more hours.There were some great views as I came up to White Rocks Cliff. You can see down the ridge that is south Mountain and see how really narrow it is at this point maybe only 3 to 5 miles from valley floor to valley floor. To the south I can see the Mountains of Va raising up and it was exciting to know that I had walked from somewhere down in the midst of these larger peaks. It was a great feeling of accomplishment. To know what I had done last night to set myself up for today and the fact that This area is now done. Two completed states ok so one is Wv and thru hikers sometimes do a thing called a 4 state challenge will not detract from the fact that I got this done. Over 75 miles in 6 days with a late start and two days of rain.Today¢s numbers Ascended 2030 Descended 2310 Duration 4:51 hrsToday¢s mileage 12.3 Grand Total 383.7P. S. A few days ago I had mentioned it to Transfat that one of the mushroom hunters had offered me a beer and then later we were joking about how they would need all kinds of DNA and Retina scans for them to have beer vending machines. I decided that as I headed home I would leave that crew a small gift in the cold spring at the shelter they were heading for. I guess the 12 extra large cans of beer looked pretty good when they got there. Happy Trails.