Date: 2012-05-24
From: Spy Rock Camp Site

To: Crabtree Campground
Miles today: 12.0

Got up this morning with a plan A and a plan B.  Plan A, hike to the next shelter just short of a major climb.  One of the worse in Va.  Plan B,  make it to Va 826 which is a gravel road.  Hike to VA 56 and go into Crabtree Campground to wait on Dania to pick me up there tomorrow.  I made it to 826 and it began to rain. I tied the rainfly between two trees and waited.  While waiting Ole Roadside came up.  He was slackpacking south. What's up with everybody slackpacking the major climbs, and doing it in a favorable direction!!  I know, HYOH ( hike your own hike).  I had a question on my guestbook.  It was, "what is slackpacking"?  Well you empty all your gear but some food and water, maybe first aid kit and some TP.  You get dropped off at a one spot and you hike to a pre-determined destination which is always a road crossing where you are picked up.  Then you either go to a hotel or house and you begin the next day where you left off. It may be another slackpack day or you begin your normal hike with full pack.  Yes! I have slackpacked 3 times.  Day 1- an 18 mile day.  The second time only 6 miles and the 3rd time 19.8 miles.  Sorry.  And this was in the last two weeks.  Day 2 and 3 were consecutive.    Ok, back to my hike for today.  I decided to go to the campground. The only right decision I made all day!!  I began down the gravel road. Hiked a mile downhill before realizing I went the wron way.  Back up to my starting point. There I run into Snagglefoot, Q-tip and Dancing with Flies and Q-Tips dog Charlie.  Small miniature collie carrying his own pack.  Cool dog.  I had to admit to them what a dumb thing I had done. I tried to make some plausible excuse but less face it, DUMB!!  So, with pride injured, I began down the gravel road again.  In half a mile, I came to the parking lot for visiting Crabtree Falls.  Here is mistake #2 for the day.  I could have taken the Falls trail for about 3 miles and came out at VA 56 about a half mile from the campground.  I continued down the gravel road untill it intersected with VA 56.  Seems ok right, wrong!! The gravel road was 4 miles then I had another 3.5 downhill on blacktop.  No problem, I will hitch a ride to the campground.  That would be mistake # 3. There were almost zero cars on this highway and nobody in the 3 or 4 that passed would stop.  So, by the time I made it to the campground, I had hiked about 7 miles more than I had to to get there!!!  Ok, be kind, enough with the big dummy comments, I hear ya, I have little bitty feelings.      I did get set up in a campsite and managed to use the phone later to contact Dania. The owners said to make sure not to use directions from a Garmin. Seems that Garmin will send you a gravel road route called VA 814.  Apparently it is common because the had bumper stickers made up which read " I Survived VA 814".  While setting up camp, another Southbound hiker that started in PA came in.  His trailname is Sidetracker and he is doing half the A.T.  He pitched a tent and we split the cost of the site since they allowed 2 tents per site.  So having all business completed it is time to go to sleep.  I am looking forward to the next 4 days visiting with Dania.  I will be back on the trail next Tuesday in Shannandoah National Park.  See ya soon. Swamprat