Date: 2008-05-22
From: 1 mile south of the Keffer Oak, VA

To: Half mile south of Dragons Tooth, VA
Miles today: 22.2

I heard a couple dogs barking and a donkey braying in the valley last night, so I got my mp3 player out and went back to sleep listening to Grateful Dead. :-)I woke up at 5:40am and got a couple Poptarts and some nuts out for breakfast. I had some of that Spark drink for a little caffeine.I got to listen to a bobwhite whistling while I enjoyed my "gourmet" breakfast.I was packed up and walking at 6:25am....more than 3 hours earlier than I started walking yesterday.I walked by an area where there were a couple hammocks hanging and a big three person tent set up. I was quiet and didn't see any movement as I passed by.I got to the Keffer Oak and took a picture looking up at the branches of that huge oak tree. I also got a shot of the stile next to the trunk of the tree.I climbed about 1,300 feet and was walking along Sinking Creek Mountain. It's a ridge that goes on for about four miles before you start descending.I started seeing piles of rocks.....lots of piles of rocks....maybe 50 to 70 big piles of rocks.I always wondered about those piles of rocks each time I walk through this area near where Sarvers had a cabin.The only explanation I can come up with is that there must have been a little Ricky Sarver....a baaaaad boy, and each time he got in trouble, his dad made him go out and pile up rocks. ;-)I passed by Sarvers Hollow Shelter side trail. I kept walking and caught up to V8 and Auntie Mame.I talked to them a few minutes and walked on.I was walking along the slanted rocks on the ridge and could see one of my favorite sights....birds flying around below me.Hey Greyhound....there's a thru hiker out here that you walked some of the PCT with. His name is A Lo Hawk, but he was Mr Roboto when you knew him.Mrs Gorp had sent me a text message and told me about a large bear in the area of Niday Shelter.I got my food bag out and tied the draw cord around my wrist....can't be too careful! :-)I found an excellent small mountain spring on the way down the mountain. I drank a liter and filled my water bottle up.I saw lots of azaleas in bloom...oranges, yellows and pinks. I even saw two more rhododendrons in bloom.I came up to D-man just one mile before I got to Niday Shelter. He has signed my guestbook lots and followed my journal for a while. I met him the first time up in PA when he was doing a section of Trail there.He has the Trail done all the way from Katahdin to here, so he only has about 670 miles left.Hey Mrs D-man, he said you read my journal, so I had to say he was looking great and in really good spirits.I was excited knowing I was going to run into him today.I stopped by Niday Shelter and signed the register and used a smiley face sicker.V8 and Auntie Mame were there and Zack came walking in just as I was leaving.I got to the road about a mile after the shelter and there was a cooler with cookies in it and a garbage bag. I sat down and ate lunch, ate 3 cookies and got rid of my garbage. Thanks to whoever is putting that stuff there! :-)I made a 1,500 foot climb to the mountain that has the Audie Murphy Memorial from when he died in a plane crash near hear in 1971.I sat down for a while and Bus Driver and Zack showed up. I took a couple pictures and walked on.There was about a four mile downhill walk to Trout Creek.I sat down there and ate my dinner and drank the last of my water.I didn't want to get water from Trout Creek because it's a big stream and there's a road next to it.I started climbing the next mountain in hopes of finding water so I wouldn't have to walk a .6 miles round trip for water at Pickle Branch Shelter.I got lucky! I was searching and found a nice little spring about .3 miles before the shelter turnoff.I drank 1 liter and filled up 2 bottles for the night.I kept climbing towards Dragon's Tooth....another 1,500 foot climb.I know of a tree that fell some time ago and I've tented next to it three times now. It has a little swale next to it that catches blowing leaves and make a really soft bed for the night.I'm laying there now! :-)I saw a deer bedding down just before I got here. I got to within 10 yards of her before she ran off....but only about 15 yards, then she stopped and looked at me.I started talking to her and she started eating. :-)Don't forget that I post about 4 or 5 pictures taken each day along with writing my journal. You can see what I'm seeing out here in the photo section.Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)