Date: 2018-10-12
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter, AT mi 747.7

To: US-220 crossing, Daleville,VA, AT mi 729.2
Miles today: 18.5

Day 13 10/12 FriFrom: 747.7, Bobblets Gap Shelter To: 729.2, US-220, Daleville, VA (to Howard Johnson Express motel)Stats:AT, 18.5 mi, up 3594, down 4420, 8.2%Total, (with side trail from Bobblets Gap Shelter), 18.7 mi, up 3748, down 4420, 8.3% (not counting walk to HoJo¢s and 1.0 mi round trip to grocery store)Commentary:Cold and very windy last night, with drafts between the floorboards of the shelter. The stuff hanging across the open front of shelter mostly dried out; stuff hung inside, mostly not. I got a late start after sorting and packing wet vs. dry clothes. My usual tee shirt was the wettest; I hung it on the outside of my pack to dry. I changed into damp underwear, pants, and socks; my shoes were still pretty wet. The day started clear, windy, and cold. I think it¢s the first time this hike when I started out dressed for cold: fleece beanie, gloves, a puffy jacket, all (thankfully) dry.The first four or five miles paralleled the Blue Ridge Pkwy along the ridge, crossing the parkway and the ridge crest number of times. The gushers from gullies across the trail were dry but still evident. Depending on where I was, the microclimate varied from warm to cold. On the compass southeast side of the ridge, protected from the wind and in full sun below a parkway overlook with no trees, it could be very warm; near the top of the ridge on the northwest side, in deep shade but exposed to the full force of the wind, cold. The SOBO AT then descends on the trail-west (compass northwest) side of the ridge, crossing a number of small creeks and what normally would be dry washes. The creeks were still really high from yesterday¢s deluge, covering the rocks you¢d generally use as stepping stones. My choice was to wade across shoes on, thus soaking my shoes, socks, and feet repeatedly. The alternative is time-consuming, tedious, and somewhat dangerous; remove shoes and socks (maybe removing pack and putting it back on), wade across slippery rocks in bare feet, try to dry off feet on the other side, get everything back on, and repeat a few minutes later at the next crossing. (My two-layer Wrightsocks are hard to put on properly even after drying feet; the liner layer tends to stick to the slightly damp skin and the sock rolls halfway inside out, making it hard to get the seams where they should be. Mornings, with dry socks and dry and not swollen feet, it¢s not a problem.)My plan was to hike to Fullhardt Knob Shelter, 13.6 mi, for the night, and then do the remaining 5 mi to Daleville and the Howard Johnsons Express motel tomorrow morning. I got to the shelter trail just before 16:00; with 5 mostly downhill miles, 2 and a half hours of daylight remaining, and a care package and real bed awaiting at the end in Daleville, I decided to press on (despite sore knees and some hotspots on the tops of my right toes from 2 days of wet feet.)The last two miles, after the descent from the knob, included a couple of short but moderately steep ups and downs over low hills (100-200 ft). My knees definitely felt it. I got to the US-220 crossing shortly before 18:00. The most dangerous part of the day was crossing US-220 at rush hour -- 2 busy lanes each way with no breaks in the traffic, particularly on the northbound side. Fortunately, it has a wide grassy median at the AT crossing.The motel is close to the AT with just a BP gas station in between. I believe the whole place had been repainted recently, so it doesn¢t look so bad. The room was basically clean, the but carpet and curtains really filthy. I¢m not sure most of the electronics in the place actually work, including the door card reader (died the next day, needing new batteries), the TV remote (needed new batteries), wifi (one bar or nonexistent, even in the common areas; I never got a connection). The advantage over the Super-8 across the road is that HoJos does have two washing machines (one actually working!) and dryers. No detergent though. I had to hike to the Kroegers down the road (0.5 each way) for detergent. (My knees were much happier not schlepping the backpack.) I needed 1 pod; I left the other 17 at the front desk for future hikers. I took a shower and ordered a pizza and a salad for delivery, leaving laundry for the morning. Altogether it was nearly a 20-mile day.