Date: 2016-05-27
From: Big Cove Branch 

To: Lexington, VA
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

May 27, 2016 - I looked at the elevation profile first thing this morning and groaned. We had to climb up no less than 3 massive inclines during our 15 mile trek: Little Rocky Row, Big Rocky Row, and Bluff Mountain. In total, these inclines summed to over 3,000 feet of elevation on an incredibly hot day.Peach, Toddie and I got off to an early start this morning and approached the James River footbridge, which is the longest footbridge on the entire AT. Hiker tradition requires that you jump off the bridge into the James River. However, it's a $120 fine if you're caught by the park ranger. Of course that didn't stop us - Peach swam out in the river to make sure it was deep enough. Safety first! We then took turns jumping. The picture is of Steel and Survivor jumping. I'm not sure why, but Hot Toddie was actually egged on by an elderly woman to jump naked. She obliged. The climb up Little Rocky Row may have been the toughest climb of the trail yet. It certainly wasn't the steepest or the longest incline, but other factors, such as the extreme heat, the pain in my knee, and general exhaustion made it very difficult. At the top, I threw down my pack and gulped down some water. That's when I realized I had less than half a liter of water for the next 7.5 miles with two significant climbs. Shit. Not good.Another thru-hiker, Beast, met us at the top of the mountain and lamented that he was thinking about leaving the trail. His primary reason was the heat and how he didn't feel like he could carry enough water to stay hydrated. I suggested he focus on something else and give his body time to adjust the heat. However, if he's allowing those types of thoughts to enter his mind only 800 miles into this trip and before summer has even started, he doesn't have the mental toughness to succeed on this trip. I honestly thought I would think of quitting quite often before I started, but it hasn't even remotely crossed my mind. Every single hiker on trail right now is hurting in one way or another or, at the very least, battling some sort of issue. That doesn't mean you quit, though. You grit your teeth, try something new, depend on each other and focus on the positive. No rain, no pain, no Maine! Anyway, I was in a little bit of trouble with this water situation. All of my friends were just as low as I was, too. I was sweating buckets and I had two very difficult climbs ahead of me during 7.5 miles. There was nothing for it except to suck it up and push forward. As dehydration began to set in, my saliva dried up, the muscles in my legs tightened, and I started to feel weaker and slightly dizzy. It was no joke as I experienced all the symptoms of dehydration that I had learned about in my first aid class. Believe it or not, the worst part was actually getting to the water and then waiting for the water to be treated. I finally made it to the road crossing where my Mom was supposed to pick us up. It turns out she was at the wrong Robinson Gap Road. It took her over an hour to finally find our position on the gravel road. Still, it was a joyous meeting - I gave her a big hug then immediately devoured the 8 hour old pork roll, egg and cheese bagel sandwich she brought me. Yes!My Mom brought us to our hotel where we showered, did some laundry and took a load off. Then, we drove (I forgot how amazing it is to have a car at your disposal) into Lexington, VA, for some dinner at The Southern Inn Restaurant, which was excellent. After dinner, we were all so tired, there was nothing else we wanted to do except sleep. Love you, Mom.