Date: 2015-04-16
From: Trent's Grocery (Bland, VA)

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Many more hikers had arrived at the campground later in the afternoon yesterday, including two father-son pairings: Just Pete and Ironman Bill as well as the Diabolical Duo. The DD includes an 11 year old boy.The rain persisted. It was difficult to extract our bodies from the tent and endure cold rain trickling over our faces. I have heard many people say that once you pass the Greyson Highlands, you can switch out your winter gear for your summer stuff, but I was thankful to still have my warm sleeping bag and clothes. It has been quite chilly and damp; the wetness seemed to penetrate deep into our bones.We finished our cereal under the rain and set out. The rain had subsided and a light mist hung in the air. The terrain was easy for the first half of the day, then it got progressively rockier as we moved north. The morning hike included a couple of long, densely-packed rhododendron tunnels. The plants' long leaves would drip heavy icy drops of rain onto our napes. We crossed countless streams, some flowing rapidly and others stood still, like puddles. The bridges we needed to use were wet and dangerously slippery.Nothing much happened today. The forest was damp and dripping. Everyday we notice more greenery, expanding leaves and growing saplings.We made it to the shelter and only two other people were there, Not Yet and Klaus. While we generally prefer tenting, we decided to forgo the tent this time and stay in the dry shelter. It was a nice, quiet evening.Many, many other hikers had either pushed to get to Pearisburg or stayed at the Woods Hole Hostel, situated 2 miles before the shelter. Now, I don't want to imply anything negative - the hostel really seems nice. However, I have been turned off by the prospect of staying there because everyone has been talking about it. Of course, I always favor the options that will avoid crowds which means that the hostel was excluded from my plans. Also, as I move forward in my AT adventure, I become increasingly resistant to any unsolicited advice. Technical tips and tricks are welcomed, for example, one reader left a practical suggestion on how to avoid frozen boots in the guestbook. What I am refering to here is the more nuanced advice on "how" to hike the AT, as abstract as it may sound. I have met a couple of past thru-hikers who have suggested where to stay or how to plan XYZ sections or what views were the best. These are comments that instantaneously awaken belligerent feelings, setting off this reflex of contradiction. I end up thinking that I will do precisely the opposite. "I do what I want", I semi-jokingly said to Shrugs once, though there is a necessary truth to this statement. The AT is one place where being coerced or pressured to follow a certain direction or pace can be a deal breaker.When talking with other hikers, I noticed many will ask, for example: "how was your Clingman's Dome" or "how was your Greyson Highlands?" That particular phrasing is more than a simple quirk of grammar. The mountains and valleys have been here, unchanging, unmoving for centuries, but they transform into countless shapes and forms through the experiences and imagination of hikers who lived them, even if only briefly. An open mind and a flexible attitude can aid a hiker to better adapt to Trail life.All this just to repeat the old mantra: "hike your own hike".- Axon