Date: 2005-09-22
From: South end of Sarver's Ridge, Va.

To: Rice Field Shelter, Va.
Miles today: 36.1
Weather: broken clouds

36.1 miles todayTentingRice Field Shelter, Va. I slept really well again last night. I woke up at 5:30 and made my coffee and had 2 Little Debbie fried pies for breakfast. I just layed in my tent in the dark and really enjoy my coffee. It's very peaceful out here in the woods. I packed up and was walking at 6:30am. I had to use my headlamp for about 20 minutes until it started getting light out. It was nice when it started getting light because some birds started singing. That makes for a very nice way to start a day. I walked 1200 feet down off the ridge I was on and walked by the Keffer Oak. It's a huge oak tree that's right on the trail. I realized this is the first day of Autumn. Now, if the cool weather would just show up I'd be a really happy hiker. :-))) A mile past the Keffer Oak, I was walking through an overgrown field and scared up 2 bucks. They both were either 2 or 4 points. I think they were both bedded down before I came along. I got close to a farm near Rt 42 and heard a donkey braying. When I walked through their field, I saw 4 of them there. They just gave me a quick look then went back to eating. I saw 2 more deer at the beginning of my first climb. That climb took me up 1700 feet. I stopped at Laurel Creek Shelter on the way up and signed the register and got 4 litres of water. I really don't like carrying that much water, but at least I'm staying well hydrated. I walked by Kelly Knob and then White Rock before I started descending 1800 feet. On the way down, I came to Rocky Gap and Super Dave had trail magic set up!! It's been a while since I came to a cooler full of sodas and some goodies. I sat down and had a snack and 2 sodas and signed his register he left there. This is the third year that he's left trail magic set up there and I've enjoyed it each year. Thanks Super Dave!! I hiked on and once I got down off the ridge, I started climbing up to another one. This one was a 2100 foot climb. It took my up to a ridge walk that was aver 4000 feet high. I walked right by War Spur Shelter without stopping on the way up. After I passed by Wind Rock, I was strollin' down the trail eating a bag of popcorn that I had packed out. I started down this ridge and stopped at Bailey Gap Shelter and took a 10 minute break. I'm having to draw my own smiley faces because I'm all out of smiley face stickers. Sure hope I can find some in Pearisburg tomorrow. They are an important part of my gear. :-))) The last 3 or 4 miles before Bailey Gap Shelter was the rockiest trail I've seen since Pa. I got down to Stoney Creek and there was a big foot bridge that was washed out. I was able to rock hop across the creek because it was so low, so I didn't get my shoes wet. A mile later, I crossed Dismal Branch and tanked up on water and filled my bottles. I stopped at Pine Swamp Branch Shelter and signed the register before hiking on. My last climb of the day was 1100 feet up to another ridge. It was an easy climb because there were alot of switchbacks. I saw another doe once I got up on top of the ridge. I had planned all day on tenting at Symms Gap, but when I got there, I still had another 45 minutes before the sun set. I just wasn't ready to stop walking yet, so I walked another 5 miles to Rice Field Shelter. I'm really glad I hiked on because Symms Field was so overgrown, I'd have gotten soaked pushing my way through the brush in the morning. I got to Rice Field Shelter about an hour after dark. I went over by the cliff and stood there looking at all the town lights in the valey below. No one was at the shelter, so I tented out in front of it. I've got a really short day into Pearisburg tomorrow morning.