Date: 2015-05-23
From: Jenkins shelter area

To: past Helveys Mill shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

Jenkins shelter area to past Helveys Mill shelter. 17 MWoke Saturday morning to overcast skies and cool temperatures. The tent camping near this shelter is better than most. Lots of dry leaves on the ground so the ground cloth and tent stay cleaner. Many of the sites suitable for a tent are used so much there is nothing there but dirt. Left camp about 7:15 am and started on the 13 mile trek to Bland, VA. The hiking trail was fairly good for most of the miles. Tree canopy is pretty heavy so there are fewer scenic views. Rhododendrons as well as Azaleas are in bloom now. Azaleas are the more showy of the two, but both are very nice. Crossed a stream on a footbridge mid morning. Fast flowing and very pretty. Got a picture of one nice VA scenic view. About 11 am found some trail magic. Someone had left soda and water bottles on the trail. Nice!! Hammer Toe and Soul Seeker met me at the trail magic. We continued on and reached the road intersection at 12:30 pm. Poo Bear was there in his truck waiting for a group of hikers that he was helping to slack pack. He picked up there packs early that morning and drove to the road so they could hike lightweight and have an easy morning. Another truck arrived to drop off a hiker, and the driver gave us a ride into town. He dropped us off at the grocery store, and there was a church fundraiser in process. The driver bought us all chili dogs before he left. Sweet!! We picked up a few items at the store and walked to Subway for lunch. I had a 12 inch sandwich with a lot of stuff on it. Really good. From there I walked to Dairy Queen for an Oreo Blizzard. Really tasty. Was also able to do some TJ updating there as it was on an interstate highway. After DQ, I walked to Dollar General for a Mountain Dew and a box of chocolate covered raisins. Trying hard to keep the calories up. One more walk to a gas station that was rumored to have canister fuel for my stove. They had one can left and I got it. Larger than I usually use, but it will work fine. Just some extra pack weight and bulk. After that I saw Poo Bear and his riders and got a ride back to the trail with them. Hiking again by 3:30 pm. Going is a little slow due to a heavier pack and a full stomach. Reached the Helveys Mills shelter around 4:30 pm. It was .3 miles off the trail but I needed to visit it because the only source for water was near the shelter. Hiked from the shelter down a really steep, winding trail, got water, and back up the steep trail. I then hiked on a couple more miles to a ridge top that had a flat space for the tent and should see the sun early in the East. Got camp set up quickly and worked to get my pack in order with the items purchased in town. Dinner was Ramen noodles with some New York sharp cheddar cheese. The cheese was a nice addition. Don't know how it will last on the trail so I will try to eat it quickly. I'm amazed that I have some phone service here. Must be due to the near Interstate highway and my location up high. All went well today. Reasonable miles with a town stop for some resupply and a meal. As usual, the town stop involved a lot of walking. I'm starting to expect that now. What's up for Sunday?   More hiking, of course. O'RYAN