Date: 2016-07-13
From: VA 625, USFS 222

To: VA 610
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We decided to take the locally famous "Dragon's Back" to the trailhead. I am beginning to understand how my trail buddies, Mary and her sister Georgia, (aka "Thelma & Louise") felt driving to Fontana Dam on the Dragon's Tail! This road was only slightly better than the road we had been using - this one has road markings on the pavement to help drivers stay in their respective lane and to mark the edge of the road. Otherwise, it was just as twisty, with several hairpin turns. Fortunately there was little traffic. Because we took a different paved road, we ended up at the other end of the gravel forestry service road that goes to the trailhead where I got off the AT yesterday. The gravel road also twisted and turned, but the drive was very pretty. According to the GPS, we were less than a mile from the trailhead when we were stopped dead in our tracks. A landslide completely blocked the road ahead. Men were using heavy equipment to re-open the road, but they had a LOT of dirt to move before the road would be passable again. So we turned around. We retraced our steps back to the paved road, and then had to drive ALL the way around the mountain to enter the gravel road from the other end to reach the trailhead.Under the circumstances I got a much later start than planned. The trail started with a couple of steep, rocky, and wet climbs. I quickly noticed I was not feeling just the best. I checked the CGM. My BG was low and on its way further down. Too much time had passed since breakfast. I ate a snack and kept hiking.I checked the CGM about 15 minutes later. My BG continued to decrease. I ate another snack and kept hiking. When I again checked the CGM about 15 minutes later nothing had changed. I stopped, took a break, and did a finger stick to confirm my BG was in fact low. Then I had another but bigger snack.What I did not immediately realize was that because I was working so hard to climb up the trail, the snacks had no impact on my BG and it continued to drop. Lessons learned. I need to check the CGM more frequently to keep a better watch on my BG to make sure it does not dip so low. (The CGM has alarms which let me know if my BG goes extremely low or extremely high. But if my BG gets to that point, i will not feel well and it is harder to correct.)If my BG does start to go too low, I need to take a break and give the snack a chance to work. It is impossible to consistently keep my BG at a specific number, and trying to do so will drive me nuts. But thanks to the CGM, I began to learn the BG range within which I have enough energy to comfortably hike while avoiding lows and highs.I was glad when I finally made it over the top of Lynn Camp Mountain. The trail was easier, and my BG was improving, so I was feeling better too. All morning I noticed horse tracks on the trail. With very few exceptions, such as in specified areas in the Smokies, horses are not permitted on the AT. So I was very surprised to see the tracks.I took a break at Lynn Camp Creek and again did a finger prick to double check my BG, which had corrected nicely. The area was very wet, muddy, and buggy. Although there was a good water source and it is a designated camping area, I am not sure I would want to camp there if I were not slackpacking. I did not linger.The wooden footbridge over the creek was moss covered, which gave it character, like a beautiful patina. Unfortunately, because the bridge stays so wet, I am sure it requires more than the normal level of maintenance. (Thank you volunteers who work so hard to maintain the AT.) I also noticed that the horse tracks on the AT stopped.The climb out of the gap was easy. Before I knew it, I was at Knot Maul Branch Shelter, where I found Rod chatting with 3 male section hikers. Two of the men were from Florida out for just a few days. They were already settled in at the shelter for the night.The third gentleman, "Nose Flute", was doing a much longer section. He is a very affable guy who carries with him a small plastic device he places over his nose and through which he plays music that sounds like a kazoo. He was very happy to explain how it all worked and he played us a tune before he headed SOBO.Out of an abundance of caution I did another finger stick to check my BG before heading up the trail. Then Rod and I made our way up and over yet another "Brushy Mountain." Fortunately the trail was easy and we made good time to the road crossing at VA 42.When we reached Maggie we found a very nice note left by "Nose Flute" as he passed through. As mentioned in the AT guide, we avoided the private pavilion near the parking area, but we did pick a few blackberries. There were tall bushes all around the parking area loaded with big juicy blackberries. Rod offered to pick berries while I hiked to the next road crossing, just 2.4 more miles, where he would pick me up. He made me an offer I could not refuse, so I kept hiking and he picked blackberries.The AT passed through pastures, occassionally temporarily ducking back into the woods. At one point an adorable little rabbit sat at the edge of the pasture right in the middle of the AT. I stopped in the hopes that the rabbit would move on to graze somewhere else on its own so that I could pass through the stile. Instead the rabbit froze, which is typical rabbit behavior when they feel threatened. I really hated to disturb the rabbit, but one of us had to end the stand off. So I hiked on, and the rabbit hopped off into the brush.Along a beautiful stretch of trail that switchbacked through the trees I found "Nose Flute " settling in for the night, his hammock strung between trees alongside the trail.   We chatted for a little while, then I moved on.For the final stretch, just before the road crossing, the AT wound around and switchbacked through an open pasture with several cows all clustered at the far end of the pasture. From the road Rod watched me zig zag my way through the pasture, reaching him and Maggie just as the sun was setting.The AT is calling. Despite the issues with my BG, today was a very good day, and I am looking forward to returning tomorrow.