Date: 2010-04-23
From: O'Lystery Picnic Area

To: Davis Farm Campsite
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Friday April 23, 2010Day oneYear SixFraser Fir Section HikerGeorgia to MaineMiles hiked today= 19Entry one of the day.¢it is all about how you play the GAME, is it not?...¢I feel really good about this year¢s section hike. I got up fairly early this morning. Around 430am or so.Going out to the car, I knew that once I locked my mother-in-law¢s door, I could not get back in and there was no turning back.Of course, the night before, I ensured that everything was out in the car.I kissed Stephanie goodbye and peeked in on my boys.A five hour drive brought me to Pearisburg.My friend, the Shuttle Driver for Rendezvous Motel, is the same kind man who took me to South Fork Holston River last winter.After I called him from Dublin, Virginia to confirm our ride together this morning, I had a funny feeling that he was not going to want to take me down USFS 222. My intuition would turn out so correct.My friend was in his work vehicle and did not feel at the liberty to take me off road on a gravel road. My thought process is that they are in business to give folks rides to trail heads and should want to take us up gravel roads, like the bumpy-jumpy road up to Springer that makes Stephanie crazy and uneasy.Instead of pushing the matter, I had my friend drop me off at Va. Hwy 42- O¢Lystery Picnic Area.It is after lunch, maybe around 12:30 pm or so. Night hiking is on the docket for sure.I added 6.5 miles to my hike. I have already hiked this section, so I will have to change my plans around a little bit.My destination this evening is Davis Farm Campsite.To keep pack weight down, I ate my ¢big meal¢ of the day at Dairy Queen with a traditional ¢blizzard¢, as I did last February.The ride from Pearisburg to Ceres (pronounced Sears) was absolutely beautiful. Rolling hills and peaks with spring flourishing in the valley while winter lingered in the upper elevations.My back pack was strapped to the back of my friend¢s truck; as he did not have a bed. Here comes the rain.At the picnic area, I regroup, pull out my rain fly and confirmed my recollections of this area being off limits to hikers.As I enter the woods, I pull out my green umbrella. Yeah! I am going to try out an umbrella. Why not?I felt kinda guilty because as soon as I enter the woods, a cooler full of soda is waiting. I grabbed a drink and downed it as I climbed my first ¢up¢ of the day.I tried to use my green sharpie to leave a ¢thank you¢ note but the dampness prevented me from doing so. I am so excited. I am like a kid in a candy store. I am living out my dream. I feel so blessed, so fortunate and take every step with gratitude.Things do happen for a reason and the hike from O¢Lystery to USFS 222 was an excellent warm up for Chestnut Knob.I stopped at Knot Maul Branch Shelter and looked at my new $10.00 watch, which said it was 2:00 p.m.A southbound section hiker was in his sleeping bag and scrambling to make room. I told him that I was not staying and signed in the shelter register. He asked where I was headed and I said simply, ¢north, maybe to the Blue Ridge Parkway, who knows..¢ that felt so good not to be on a schedule.I met three others who were headed south. One of the hikers told me that he left his water pump in the stream a half mile back and asked me not to steal it. I told him no worries- I would do no such thing.I get to Lick Creek and the base of Chestnut Knob. The last time that I was here, there were several inches of snow on the ground. It was cold and I was a defeated little hiker who bailed out because of the weather and the inability to hike with 60 pounds on my back.As I sit on a bridge and filter water, I have all of my ¢junk¢ scattered about. A thru hiker walks over my stuff and tells me no worries. I ¢drink up¢ before climbing Chestnut Knob. I do not want to carry any fluids up this mountain.As I start to climb, I peer back to see where the thru hiker went and I trip hard.He is well behind. He is headed to the shelter for the evening. I pass the place where I camped last winter and it is already over growing with brush. How in the world did I make this spot work? It is definitely on a hill. I must have been really tired.There is always a first for some things. I pull out my mp3 player as I climb Chestnut Knob. My first selection (and I was thinking of my friend Wayne in Augusta, when I put this one on): ¢Comatose Comes Alive¢ by one of my all time favorite bands: Skillet. What an incredible climb with some incredible music. Followed by outstanding views.The rain has stopped for a few moments. Maybe I will get a view of Burkes Garden when I get up to the top. This is going to be a great day. I can tell already.day one..to be continued..