Date: 2006-05-29
From: Irish Creek Bridge

To: VA 634 Salt Log Gap to Hampton Inn, Roanoke, VA
Miles today: 15.4

Got a quick call today, not much cell service. Bama and Little Wing had a good night at the make-shift camp site and there was room for a third person, but Old Drum never showed up. No problems from any near-by RVers or fishermen. When Bama called, she said she was climbing up Kick Ass Mountain, or it should have been named that. Actually it was Bald Knob, 2,000 feet above Brown Mountain Shelter that they had just passed. Bama said some time ago back when they were doing the Hump Mountains between NC and TN, that you need to draw little smiley faces on your knees to look at while you're hiking, because that's all you're going to see (these climbs are also non-lovingly referred to "kissin' the knees"). Probably another good reason why Bama's journal entries aren't filled with paragraphs and pages of wildflower descriptions, bird sightings and endless breathless accounts of the beautiful. On many days, she's just trying to get from point A to point B without collapsing before dusk fall and bed. But she did see a frog - a brown one! She says she see things on the ground real well. LOL!.Bama was able to reach Lois and Earl Arnold, owners and operators of the Dutch Haus B&B. Lois said she would drive out to meet them where the AT crosses the highway southeast of Montebello at 11:00 am tomorrow and get them back to the B&B in time for lunch. Boy Howdy, that is service! See what you miss by spending all your time on Interstates!Don't know how far they're going today, maybe Cow Camp Gap Shelter. Lotsa interesting area names on thos stretch of the trail, many of them dealing with the earlier settlers and old timers and the local commerce, e.g., Cow Camp, Hog Camp, Tar Jacket Ridge, Greasy Spring, Cash Hollow, etc. Five miles past Bald Knob is Cole Mountain, but Wingfoot calls it Cold Mountain, like the movie. I hope Bama has been taking pictures when she's not kissin' her knees.Update: What a busy afternoon! Bama called on Little Wing's phone since she couldn't get a signal on hers. They got to Hog Camp Gap and ran into a couple of section hikers from Georgia, Courtney and her husband, Matthew. Courtney was talking to Bama and said, "You must be Bama." Bama was speechless - for a moment - and said, "How in the world did you know that?" Courtney said, I've been reading your Trail Journal and was looking for you." Wow! They gave Bama and Little Wing some Trail Magic - Diet Cokes - very nice. Corutney said there was more Trail Magic behind them with something of a wink. Thanks, Courtney and Matthew! A mile later at Tar Jacket Ridge, Bama said they halfway expected a band and welcoming party. No band, but there was Trail Magic hanging in a tree from Caveman, a thru-hiker from Georgia in 2000. A sign said, "Sorry you missed the barbecue at Hog Camp Gap, but here's some other stuff." Guinness, her dog, Aly and another woman named Nifty were already there when the girls came up. They found candy, oatmeal bars and Lipton dinner side dishes (what Bama has been living on each night with a bag of with either chicken or tuna). Wow! Again! Thanks, Caveman! BTW, this marked Bama's 800th mile on the trail!THEN, a mile later at VA 634 was MORE Trail Magic, Flat Rocks was waiting at the road crossing with a trunk full of everything a hiker could ask for. Bama said she and Little Wing had been there for a while when she called kicking back and enjoying the goodies. What a wonderful surprise and wonderful Trail Magic. Flat Rocks took them into Roanoke to the Hampton Inn, so they're going to be there tonight for R&R and will skip Dutch Haus this time. But Bama and I might go back there again some day. Thanks, Flat Rocks!!!Bill