Date: 2016-07-03
From: VA 613, Mountain Lake Road

To: Bridge over Stony Creek, VA 635
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We reached the trailhead/road crossing at 12:30. On 2/20/16, when I was last here, it was cold, there was a thick blanket of snow on the ground, and the trees were bare. Now it was hot & humid, and the AT was lush and green. I tried not to think about how I felt the last time I was here and what has transpired since. Instead I focused on how great it was to be back. I was so afraid it would never happen.It was foggy with a light rain, but it just did not matter. Rod spoke with a hiker taking a break at the road crossing to wait for his girlfriend to catch up as I disappeared into the mist. The thick canopy kept most of the rain off me. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I wanted to take it all in - the sound of the rain softly falling on the leaves above me, the vivid brown and green colors of the trees and other foliage in front of me, the dirt and rocks under my feet, and the earthy smell all around me. I was back on the AT! I was finally really back!The AT followed the ridge, or stayed just below the ridge, for a few miles. With no snow and a clearly defined tread, the trail was easy to follow. I tried to imagine what it would have been like back in February, with a blanket of snow covering the trail (and the rocks) and only the blazes, which in some places were far and few between, to guide me along the AT as it got dark. I now definitely knew I made the right decision on 2/20 when I texted Rod and asked him to pick me up before attempting this stretch of the AT.Rod hiked in and met me just north of the Bailey Gap shelter. We took a brief break there to duck out of the rain and enjoyed reading the shelter trail journal. We were surprised to see that an April entry mentioned temperatures in the 20's, and a May entry mentioned snow.I collected some trash left in the shelter and fire pit to pack out. Based upon the trail journal entries, it appeared that the bubble was well north. The trail was in very good shape, as was the shelter. The trail group maintaining this portion of the AT is doing an excellent job. I really appreciate their hard work and dedication. As we headed to the road crossing where Maggie was patiently waiting for us, the AT gently descended into the gap, the rain stopped, and the sky began to clear. Sun beams cut through the thick tree canopy and lingering mist, and illuminated the forest floor. I thought it was spectacular. Just before the bridge I stopped to dig up an aluminum can partially buried at the edge of the trail and Rod passed me. Afterwards, instead of taking the short blue blazed trail to the parking lot, I was enjoying the hike so much that I totally forgot I was supposed to get off the trail. I crossed the bridge and just kept going.Poor Rod was in the parking area waiting, thinking I was right behind him, and then I disappeared into thin air. About 1/4 mile later, when the elevation began to change, I realized my mistake and turned around. Rod looked so relieved when I finally reached the parking area. (We frequently talk about Inchworm, the woman who disappeared in Maine in 2013 when her husband was supposed to meet her at a road crossing, and whose body was finally discovered 2 years later. I know he worries about me being on the trail - even when he is slackpacking me.)The AT is calling. I cannot describe how thrilled I am to be back, although for now, it is temporary.