Date: 2013-04-18
From: Glade Mountain Road

To: Virginia Route 42
Miles today: 19.1

(In which I mostly encounter New Jersians)The night is not without incident. Shortly after setting up, a lone and loud bird starts sounding and keeps me company for a while. Later in the night, a coyote begins calling from somewhere nearby, north of me and uphill. A couple other more distant coyotes respond. After calling a couple more times, the near coyote runs southbound very close to my campsite, sounding as it passes by. After this close encounter, the night proceeds without incident. I break camp slowly in the morning, moving to a rock near the forest road to finish packing and to eat.I start out from the road climbing over unremarkable Glade Mountain and descending toward Atkins. On the way down I reach Virginia Route 615, crossing under a very loud power line beforehand. Someone has left trail magic near the road - cans of soda and snack cakes just out of sight of the road. At the road is the Lindamood School. This seemed like a strange thing to mention in the guide, but it turns out it is a historic one-room schoolhouse related to the Settlers Museum just down the road. I drop my pack outside the schoolhouse next to another, much lighter pack that could belong to Firehands or Rooster or maybe some other hiker.It turns out it is Firehands' pack, as I find Lucy tied up outside the museum. Inside I find an open electrical outlet and let my phone charge briefly while I am checking the place out. Firehands is inside the small museum, which is about the early settlement of western Virginia. This is also supposedly a preserved hiatoric cabbage farm of note - the world's only or oldest preserved cabbage farm or some similar claim to fame. Firehands is on his way out as I am coming in, and after reading the displays in this small room I move out to the farm itself. I shoot some photos of the farmhouse but turn back to return to my pack sooner than I would have liked to. It feels like rain and I left my pack open.Slapp is coming down the Trail with a number of other hikers in tow. They are heading toward the Settlers Museum as I am leaving. They all plan to hit the Red Barn restaurant near the Trail in Atkins, and I decide to meet them there. Slapp is the fastest hiker of the group and passes me when I stop to shoot some photos of a farm below me. I reach the restaurant shortly after he does, but it takes everyone else a while longer to get there. Woodrow shows up after me, followed by Leprechaun, Fly, and eventually Moxie. A section hiker whose name I cannot recall also joins us. Firehands and Lucy do not stop but continue under I-81.Lunch is mediocre and surprisingly expensive. I am not satisfied with my portions but don't plan to invest more money in food here. I am one of the last to shoulder my pack and get moving, in front of Woodrow and behind Leprechaun and Fly. Another hiker is approaching from the north as I pass under the interstate and I am surprised to see it is Chinstrap. His parents are meeting him here today, so he only did a ten-mile slackpack to stay in the area. We part ways and I push up the Trail and out of town, starting out on soft grassy terrain before reentering the woods.I am surprised by the severity of the climb up Little Brushy Mountain. This is the first of many Brushy Mountains I have noticed the Trail crossing, and the ascent is three steep steps with flat runs in between. I push ahead of Leprechaun and Fly - they have the impression that I am faster than them. Atop this mountain I encounter a southbound day hiker. He tells us about the terrain ahead, and that in a few days he is flying out west to start the Pacific Crest Trail. He departs south and I descend rapidly from Little Brushy Mountain.At the end of the descent there is a stream and a campsite. This is supposed to be a nice place to camp, and it is a nice place to break and get water. Slapp is breaking here, and while I am getting water the section hiker, Leprechaun, and Fly reach us. Leprechaun and Fly are describing a sound to Slapp, a thumping sound that increases in frequency. I ask if they are describing the sound I had just heard while filtering water, and they confirm that they just heard it too. Slapp has not heard this sound and thinks us all crazy. We don't know what makes this sound but point it out when it happens again. The section hiker identifies the sound, the ruffed grouse, which satisfies all but Slapp who still doesn't hear it.The section hiker is camping here tonight but the rest of us are moving on. It is immediately difficult going - a series of three fallen trees are immediately north of the stream, and two of them are the toughest blowdowns for me to get through thus far on the AT. I fall while straddling one of the trees, but it is only a few inches down before my backpack touches the hillside. Two of the three trees are at the height where it is hard to go over or under with ease. After these blowdowns I have a long, steady climb up Walker Mountain. I am moving slow and it is near sunset when I reach the bottom of the mountain and break out of the woods into pasture.I continue downhill through the pasture, across the road, and into another pasture. It seems the cows have preferred to graze near the treeline on the north edge of this pasture, given the distribution of their waste. I leave the pasture and continue down to the Holston River and Virginia Route 742. The bridge is an ugly, low concrete structure that is only a couple feet above the water. From here there is a bit of low land and another stream crossing before I reach Virginia Route 42 and the pavilion here.The O'Lystery Pavilion is a private structure and it is clearly posted that hikers are not to camp here. However, I want to be here or at the next shelter a few miles to the north. It is supposed to rain tomorrow, and I do not want to break down my hammock and pack up in the rain. I figure here I can either camp illegally under the pavilion, or I can camp nearby and retreat under the pavilion if it storms. I doubt anyone will give me trouble if they find me retreated under the pavilion in a storm. If I make it to the shelter, I am also able to stay out of the rain.There is a campsite just north of the pavilion, and this is legal camping. I find Firehands and Cat here, and they are joined by Cat's two sisters from New Jersey. They are considering using the pavilion if it rains tonight. They are also near a couple coolers that are the remnant of some trail magic. There are a few sodas left, so I help myself to a cola. Then I decide I will not move on but will camp out at this site, once I find a place I can pitch my hammock. The trees are very large and far between in the proper campsite, and the closest viable spot I find is on the other side of a stream. I take care to keep my pack as well-sheltered under my hammock as possible before going to sleep.Peace,