Date: 2009-04-24
From: Dragons Tooth

To: Lamberts Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: clear sky

Miles from Springer:   707.8I didn't get up early enough for sunrise this morning, but I was hiking by 8 o'clock. Coming down from Dragons Tooth was challenging. I had to use my hands and upper body to get down some of the large rocks, and it was rock to rock all the way. I scabbed by right knee due to a jab from a rock that protruded into the trail.Once I hit the first road, I took an immediate left for 0.3 miles and another left at an intersection to get to the Catawba grocery store. It's really a gas station (like a Sheetz). Inside, I ordered two egg and cheese biscuits. One with ham and the other with bacon. I also purchased a chocolate milk and a fruit juice. While eating, I checked on my itinerary in the thru-hiker companion and read the Roanoke newspaper. The Sox are 9-6 which is an improvement over their first week's record. Thank you Orioles! I purchased a few snacks before leaving as well. Airheads have an amazing flavor that I can't describe.Hiking out of the station was tough. Mentally, I had negative feelings about today especially due to my aching right foot with a blister on the heal that I've been nursing. The sun was hot and I was sweating like a dog at only 10:00 am. Plus, the biscuits didn't sit well. I never liked biscuits and now I remember why. So climbing the first ridge was tough. I took a few breaks at a pace that is a crawl relative to normal. It wasn't the best trail to traverse since there were ankle high leaf piles that hid rocks and roots. That sounds like nit picking, but trust me, it is annoying to slip or stub a toe because of leaves.I intersected VA311 on Catawba Mountain around noon. This is where many day hikers park and trek up to McAfee Knob. I took off my pack to see my mileage when I notice my thru-hiker companion was no longer in my pack. A few swears later, I carried on to the shelter a mile ahead. I'll purchase a new book tomorrow at the outfitter in Daleville.There were three groups of students from Virginia Tech hiking from the road to the knob. The first one I came across stopped at the shelter that I was lounging in while I was preparing my water. They gazed a bit at my scrubby appearance and I felt looked down upon. It was something I'm not accustomed to. They left while I sucked down water and enjoyed an Airhead.After ten or so minutes, I was charging up the well-maintained trail. I guess this is a popular stretch of the AT since rocks are at a minimum, the trail is a couple feet wider and the slope is gradual using many switchbacks. This allowed me to fly up to the top. I passed the group of Virginia Tech students about a fourth of the way up and I think they changed their opinion of me since they struck up a conversation at the top.McAfee Knob is famous (at least to me) since it is a rock outcropping that overlooks the ridge structure to the north. I took some pictures and trucked down to Campbell Shelter. There, I made a few calls and snacked.The next big challenge was getting to Tinker Cliffs. This was a rather steep climb and I was pouring sweat in the afternoon sun. The cliffs were another amazing site and I dangled my feet over the edge. They appreciated the weightlessness. I declined to the shelter and ran into a couple section hikers from N.J. and P.A.. I still haven't run into a thru-hiker other than Cookyman in 3 days. I can't wait for Wendy's and a new pair of boots tomorrow!