Date: 2015-04-17
From: VA 635 (bridge over Stony Creek) 

To: Pearisburg (Lane St.)
Miles today: 21.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Today we had a long, but really nice hike. We did a SoBo slack-pack, so we saw a lot of hikers that we know, as well as a few new faces and the weather was great. We got an early start, Don picked us up at 6:15 and we were on the trail at 6:45. It was a little muddy at the start and we had to cross some swollen streams. We passed by The Captains Place, where hikers are welcome to a soft drink and a campsite. If you want to go, you have to take a zipline kind of thing across Stony Creek (it was really early, so we didn't). Then we started up for a long climb (over 3 miles) and things dried out. Initially the climb was steep, but the upper section of the trail had switchbacks and the grade was lower. We passed by Pine Swamp Branch Shelter on the way up and saw Maverick packing up to leave. Once we reached the highest point on the ridge, most of the rest of the hike was a walk along the ridge. This was a roller coaster of smaller ups and downs and often the ups were very rocky. That slowed us down a bit, but we made good time in the smoother sections. Initially while we were on the ridge, we could see the valleys on either side, but trees obscured the views. Later in the hike, the ridge line crossed some grassy balds and we had better long-range views. On the last bald, we passed by Rice Field Shelter and then started about a 5 mile descent. Princess and I both remembered this shelter from last year and we are convinced that the AT was rerouted this year. Last year we crossed the bald in front of the shelter and never crossed the fence line in front of the shelter. This year the AT went over a stile and went past the side of the shelter, continued on past the privy and then started downhill. The downhill trail was very nice and all the blazes were new. Regardless, we ended up at the bottom and crossed the New River on the Rt. 460 bridge. Then we climbed a short hill, did some twists and turns in Pearisburg and ended up at the same point where we finished yesterday. Alan picked us up a few minutes later and whisked us back to the MacArthur Inn in Narrows. After showers and laundry, we had dinner at the MacArthur. Alan opens the dining room on Mondays and Fridays and his daughter cooks a special dinner. We enjoyed a salad, steak, potatoes, butternut squash, green beans, and a terrific dessert - chocolate truffles with ice cream. We also met Chris, a friend of Alan's at dinner who has bought a house nearby. We talked about our sore muscles from the long hike and later he brought us a special mixture for a hot soak in the tub. I believe that he said it included Epsom salt, baking soda and Himalayan salt. We tried it and it felt great. Usually I talk about the other hikers we saw along the way. Today there were too many to list, and I would probably forget some. Everyone was in a great mood with the fine weather and really enjoying the trail. Nary a single complaint. Any of you reading this should get your boots and come out and hike a day's worth of the AT. If the weather is anything like today, you'll love it. The trees are blooming - redbuds, dogwoods, sarvis and flowers are popping out all over the trail. We saw several of the red spotted newts/efts that show up all along the trail, and several lizards that I haven't seen before. Tomorrow is one more SoBo section, returning back here to Narrows, and then we move our base to Daleville on Sunday.