Date: 2018-06-19
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Glasgow
Miles today: 31.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm up at quarter of six. I expected the sun to wake me earlier, but it rises later here than further north/east. No worries, I pack fast and take off. I have almost no water and three miles, fortunately downhill, to the next source. At Jennings Creek I camel up by downing a liter of water and refilling two liters, and fill up with oatmeal. I have a very ambitious day of 32 miles to get to the James River and shuttle into Glasgow for resupply and a night in the hostel. But I should have looked more closely at the elevation chart when planning this in my armchair at home. It looks like a mountain range a child would draw, a series of sharp, steep pointy tops gradually going higher and higher than lower and lower. Yikes!Fortunately most of the big climbs are in the morning. But each one tests my energy reserves. I try to stay hydrated but I can't drink enough. And the water sources continue to be low and time-consuming. I don't need to urinate all day despite downing a couple gallons of water. The humidity soaks it right out of my skin almost as soon as I drink it. It's harder to eat dry snacks because my mouth is dry, but I need to keep my energy up. The climbs are all steep, and several are more than 1000 feet. By the time I reach today's midpoint as well as the highest peak, Apple Orchard mountain at elevation 4225, I've climbed 4000 feet. The downhills to the gaps between each climb are depressing because I know I need to regain that altitude. And the downhills are bone-jarringly steep. My calf muscles are involuntarily twitching by the end of the day. The tread is much rockier than yesterday, making for a mental challenge on the downhills. One advantage is that there are a few views of hazy blue mountains. This region is surrounded by beautiful mountain chains and rural valleys. But I have no energy to step too far off the trail so I walk past some of them.I take frequent breaks, especially on the uphills. For me this is unusual. I remember climbing 1000-2000 foot bouldery ascents - far steeper than these - in New Hampshire and Maine with nary a breather. I don't know if it's the humidity or I've lost my endurance. Probably both.So I crawl, by my standard, at 2.3 miles an hour all day. With 32 miles to cover it's six o'clock before I am within six miles of the James and call to arrange pickup by the hostel at the gap. But the hostel is full! I was not expecting this. I thought it was late in the season and getting a bed would be no problem. But I've come too far today to give up on a town visit. I need a shower, laundry, cold drinks, and a big dinner far more than I thought I would this morning. I am soaked with sweat and already smell atrocious. And if I don't resupply here I will have to burn time getting into Buena Vista later. So, after finding out the town of Glasgow allows tenting in their park, along with an outdoor shower, I ask the hostel for a shuttle from the trailhead. It will be eight by the time I get there and I can't count on scoring a ride from a dayhiker so late. The evening walk should be a piece of cake as it is quite literally 95% downhill, but it is very very steep for much of it and even the little ups take the wind out of my sails. I continue to suck down water as quickly as I can. The two miles from the last shelter to the footbridge over the river are the longest of the day, even though they are nearly flat. The footbridge goes over the gorgeous James River valley. The sun is just setting over the hills and I take ample advantage with the camera as I stroll across.My no good horrible day all pays off when Robert from Stanimal's picks me up and runs me into town. It's a one-grocery small town with no chains except a Dollar General, and there is only one restaurant. But one is enough! At Scotto's, I stuff my face with cold tea, water, a milkshake, lasagna, garlic bread and, oh yeah, even a salad. An hour later I'm hungry again as I journal in my tent in the park. At the restaurant I run into people I saw in Georgia at the beginning of their thruhikes. Medicine Man, who I stayed at Stover Creek shelter with, Juice, who I met at Gooch Mountain shelter, and even Jason (now Chewy) who shared a campsite on Ramrock mountain with me. I thought they'd all be further north by now. At this rate, two months and one third of the trail in, they'll be knocking on Katahdin's door in mid-October when it usually closes. In the log at the last shelter I saw someone signed it that they were celebrating four months on trail! Now that's taking it easy!After the last two days of nonstop hiking and dehydration, I am seriously considering a zero day here. The hostel should have a bed tomorrow, and I could use a long rest and ample beverages. That will force an adjustment to my section hike, but I need to learn to stop killing myself with an unrealistic schedule and enjoy more of the time I'm out here.