Date: 2005-05-21
From: Kimberling Creek

To: Woodshole Hostel
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

I was awake at 6:00 so I moved my stuff toward the bridge where I could pack up and make breakfast without waking the others. My plan was to go back to the little store at 7:00 and get some coffee and write up my journal for awhile. The overall plan was for everyone to meet at Dismal Creek Falls, 2 miles up the trail. I made it to the store shortly after seven and had a couple of cups of coffee while I wrote. Around eight I left for the falls. The weather was perfect! I am glad we waited till today to go there. Yesterday it would have been a dreary day there. I arrived at the falls to find Scholar and Funkee Monkee already there. What a beautiful place! Last year I passed right on by it in my push to make it to the shelter. Big mistake! The falls aren't that big but the surrounding rocks and trees make it a place dripping with peace of mind and relaxation. Not to mention the fact that the pool below the falls was a perfect swimming hole. Pretty soon the rest of the group arrived and the first order of business was picture taking. After that Funkee Monkee headed toward the bottom. I knew that he was going to go in and, at that time, my mind was on a big NO about going in. The water was darn cold. Sure enough, to loud cheers and yells in he goes. He surfaced, breathless, and said it wasn't bad as we all laughed. That started it. Eventually everyone was swimming around or sitting in the sun after jumping in. Even I made the plunge and yes, it tok the breathe away but once you were in it wasn't bad. At least for a short while. After that you lost all feeling in your body so no wonder it wasn't bad. A great way to spend the morning. After a bit we were sitting on the rocks trying to decide where to end up that night. The consensus came down to the Woodshole Hostel, 12 miles up the trail. This would put us in a position for an easy hike to Pearisburg in the morning. Scholar, Free, and I were the first to get ready to go. We said our farewells to Funkee Monkee. One heck of a great guy and a wonderful trail angel to have travel with us for the week. We will see you again in Duncannon, Funkee Monkee! Around 11:30 I headed up the trail and evetually reached Wapiti Shelter where I saw Serenity. Unfortunately, Serenity had missed the turnoff for the falls. She said she figured she had but by time she really thought she did she was too far up the trail to turn back. She said she consoled herself by taking a long Nutella break. Gotta love that Nutella! I had lunch and as I was getting ready to leave Free and Scholar came in. I told everyone I would see them At the hostel and off I went. The afternoon went by quickly. I hiked through the Dismal Creek area which reminded me of a setting in a fantasy story or novel. Then came the rude uphill to get back up to the ridgeline. The thing about Virginia and Pennsylvania is that you walk for a long time on a ridgeline and then drop down, go up to another, and walk along that one for a long time. You get used to walking on that semi flat terrain. Notice I said semi. Virginia is not flat, contrary to all the talk you hear about it being so! Around five I reached the hostel. This was another place I did not see last year. Once again, I am glad I stopped here. I felt that I had been transported back to Virginia in the 1860's and I expected to see Union or Confederate cavalry patrols heading down the lane. What an incredible place. It is run by Tillie Wood and is only open to hikers for a couple of months a year. She is a grand woman and interesting to listen to. She came to me and asked if I had heard about the rent. I said no, and smiling, she said I could help fix her fence. I willingly complied and after about a half hour I was done. By 8:30 everyone had arrived except Serenity and Free. Once again, they had played too long and were going to camp further back on the trail. This info came from Gypsy when she got in. For some reason Serenity doesn't like night hiking one bit, which means a course in time management is necessary. Tomorrow we hit Pearisburg where we will shower, do laundry, and hit the Post Office on Monday morning. Then it will be back on the trail. No zero day for awhile. Everyone wants to hike and we all took a lot of time off for Trail Days.