Date: 2012-06-12
From: Creek Junction

To: Whitetop Mountain Road Campsite
Miles today: 7.3

Going on AloneFat Grandma, his parents, Bandit, and I all shared the cottage last night. We caught breakfast at Mojoe's Coffeehouse where we ran into Etch-A-Sketch!!! He'd taken several zero days in Damascus and was getting back out on the trail. Fat Grandma was still feeling too sick to carry on and sadly made the decision to toss in the towel for his 2012 hike. With a very heavy heart, I began the laborious process of sorting through gear and figuring out what I would need for the next five days of hiking. That is how long it was going to take me solo to get to the Mt. Roger's Headquarters with a late start today. So I packed up my pack and Bandit's pack. We all decided to park my truck at the Mt. Roger's Headquarters parking lot as that was a safe place. It was also 1/2 way between here and Pearisburg so I would be able to resupply myself before making the final 7 days of hiking. I ran to the post office and mailed a box to myself at Bland, VA as well for additional supplies along the way. Then everyone headed back off to Creek Junction and the Luther Hassinger Memorial Bridge where they dropped me off on their way to Marion, VA. It was already 12:30 p.m.Bandit and I were on our own. Double Rats! Well, you go with what you've got and off we went. It was a mile climb to get up on top the Luther Hassinger Memorial Bridge and low-and-be-hold, we found Etch-A-Sketch up there sitting there looking at his map! Wow, he'd gotten here fast. He thought I too had hiked there that fast, but nope, I told him, I'd Yellow-Blazed it to here. (i.e. got a ride - yellow blazes down the middle of the road, get it!).Now Etch-A-Sketch is like on his 2nd or 3rd through hike and only hikes with a 16 lb pack. We'd first met him back at Roan Mountain. He moves REALLY fast, yet I caught up with him after a good 2 mile uphill hike into Lost Mountain Shelter. He was explaining to a troop of Boy Scouts what a through hike was.My plan was to only hike 7.3 miles to the Whitetop Mtn Rd Campsite because the day was to be entirely uphill. We started at 2600' and needed to get up to 5200'. As we crossed HWY VA 601 on our way up to Beech Mountain, there was thunder behind us but the sky was completely clear. It was in the low 80's and very humid, what a sweat storm this hike was. 1/2 way up Beech mountain, the thunder got so close, I put on my rain gear and dropped the backpack cover over my pack. Amazingly, I had 2 bars on my cell phone and quickly checked my NOOA Radar screen to see what the weather was doing. Sure enough, there is one black cloud in the sky and it was following me up Beech Mountain. Oh, help. The lightening pretty much stayed in the cloud, not hitting the ground, but it was still scary hiking under the storm. We did manage to make it to the top of Buzzard Rock without getting rained on. Buzzard Rock was out in the open and had spectacular 360 degree views. I was glad I hadn't been out in the open for that brief storm cloud! It was now much cooler and less humid, hurray!!!As we turned to head up to Whitetop Mountain from Buzzard Rock, the view to the top was awesome and wide open. Bandit saw something off in the distance and took off like a rocket to check it out, full backpack and all. As I called desperately for him to return, I saw his targeted object, a large black 'dog' was running across the field toward the trees. I think the change in my voice put the fear in Bandit and he stopped and came back. The bear must have been at least a 1/2 mile away but I still saw a bear! Wow! I got to see a bear! Ok, that was close enough!!!There were beautiful fields of Azaleas on the approach field coming into the Campsite, what a wonderful evening treat. As we pulled into the campsite around 8:30, who should be there but Etch-A-Sketch. Wow, shouldn't he have put in at least 10 more miles for today. Nope, the rainstorm had scared him into setting up camp and thankfully this meant I had company for the night. Yes! I hate camping alone. While I setup my camp, Etch-A-Sketch headed up to the tower at the top of Whitetop Mountain to watch the sunset. He noted later that he'd climbed the tower to watch it. That guy sure is enjoying his thru-hike. Most thru-hikers are too focused on hiking to stop and enjoy the treasures of the trail!