Date: 2005-04-29
From: Partnership Shelter near Marion Virginia

To: Davis Path Shelter
Miles today: 14.3

Today has been a great first day. It started at Partnership Shelter in the gray rainy first light. The others were still not stirring, but I quietly got my gear together and descended the ladder to start the day. Deep Sea and Pacer were up and about too. I spent some time looking around Partnership Shelter, as I did not stay long last year when I ended my section hike there. A year has gone by and I am back out here. Partnership is a DELUXE shelter with two sleeping levels, a sun-warmed shower (water not that warm right now but not completely cold either), wonderful privy, and running water out back at a double sink. The Mount Rogers National Recreation Headquarters is 1/10 of a mile north, so it's not far from the rudiments of civilization. In case anyone is wondering, they are delivering pizza there this year - I was offered some by my shelter mates last night when I arrived. I was ready to head out by 7:45. I went by the MRNRA headquarters building, knowing it was closed, but I wanted to look around. Then down to Virginia highway 16, across the road, up the bank and I'm officially on my way. At the end of my first trip in 2002 I stopped at Fontana Dam, but I did not go across to look around. The next year I stopped at the Chestoa Bridge in Erwin Tn, but I did not cross to explore there either. Last year I remember standing next to this road bank trying to hitch a ride into Marion Virginia, but I did not climb the bank for an early peek ahead. Each year I stopped without looking ahead to the next year's adventure. I guess it's my way of whetting my appetite for what's coming. Deep Sea and Pacer had left about 45 minutes earlier. It was raining lightly for most of the morning. The sky was cloudy silver gray, but I could see down from the ridges pretty well sometimes. Virginia is so beautiful and I thought "I shouldn't be hiking through here in the fog", but it had its own mysterious beauty. The first few miles each year are exciting and overwhelming at the same time as I savor being out here again, and also think about the first mile of a planned 212 mile trip. Sends a tingle up my spine. I traversed Brushy Mountain, Locust Mountain and Glade Mountain with some significant, though gradual, climbs, and then began a long descent down toward Chatfield Shelter. I caught up to Pacer around 11:20. She was (and has been) suffering from sore feet due to her misfitting boots. We talked for a minute. She said Deep Sea had gone ahead to the shelter. We both thought that it was a significant distance ahead because she was looking at her guidebook at the time. I left and went about 200 yards and came to Chatfield Shelter. I yelled back to Pacer and she came ahead. Deep Sea was there. They stayed a few minutes longer, then left. (Pacer has new boots coming, maybe in Bland Va., in the next few days). I cooked lunch and spent 1 1/2 hours resting and enjoying the quiet. I had been following a rhododendron thicket and a gushing stream down the mountain the last couple of miles. That continued for awhile, almost to the Lindamood School and the Settler's Museum. It is a restored old one-room school house, and a working farm with methods from days gone by being used in the farming. I met a woman and her young son there and a young couple on an outing with their dogs. They both helped me by taking pictures. Virginia is very pretty this time of year with bare (or mostly bare) trees at higher elevations, but bright green grass in the open meadows and pastures. There is a powerline just before the museum and it hums like your neighbor's lawnmower, and snap-crackle-pops with what sounds like millions of little electrical shorts arcing with sparks. I've heard other hikers' stories of that powerline. From there it was several miles of open Virginia countryside with beautiful houses in the distance, pastureland, and woody sections interspersed with beautiful creeks. There were many small bridges to cross, and some crossings were just rock-hopping. After crossing the middle fork of the Holston River (and the RR tracks), I climbed a grassy ridge and walked about two miles in mostly open grassy meadows, eventually descending down to the US11/I81 area. Traversing these long open grasslands, you feel like a small speck and it's hard to mark much progress in the open distance with few landmarks. I saw the famous Relax Inn where many hikers stay, the also famous Dairy Queen, and Rhonda's Restaurant. At the truck stop I briefly met Lefty and Poncho, a young hiker couple. On to Rhonda's for a cheeseburger, fries and lemon pie, seeing Deep Sea and Pacer there also. I called in to the office to update the gang on my progress and left Marlene a long message on my travels yesterday and my progress/plans for today. It was good to hear her voice, even if only on her cell phone message. I was temped to get a room at the Relax Inn as several other hikers were doing, but my plan was to go to the Davis Path Shelter, and that's what I did. It was 2.7 more miles of beautiful Virginia countryside. I stopped a mile before the shelter to fill up with water (no water source at the shelter) and lugged the heavier pack up the mountain. I arrived just before the rain started, having prayed to ask the Lord to hold it off at least until I got here. I am alone so far and don't really expect company. It's 7:00 p.m. and the rain is banging lazily on the tin roof. It's a beautiful setting on a high mountainside looking out across the valley to a distant ridge. Birds are singing the last notes of their end-of-day songs. It will be dark in about an hour. This has been a good first day and much of it was easy hiking. I expect more of a challenge tomorrow, after looking at the maps. I am doing well and mostly hiked alone the whole way. That gave me a chance to clear my mind, appreciate God's creation, and think about my sweetheart back home. I needed that. I plan to just vegetate until dark and then read some in the New Testament. Thank you Lord for a great day. Goodnight Sweetheart.