Date: 2016-07-11
From: Laurel Creek, VA 615

To: VA 623
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I probably over did it a little yesterday. The knee pain was worse, not better, when I woke up, which was disappointing.I also decided to start using the Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) today. Although I had spent several evenings the previous week reading the manual and becoming familiar with the device, I still struggled when I tried to attach the sensor to my body.And then there was the ridiculously long drive to the trailhead. Every day I was hiking further south over the mountains to Atkins, where we were staying. But to get to and from the trailheads we had to drive on narrow country roads, which switchbacked, twisted, and turned to get up and over the mountains and through the gaps. I have to admit that Rod has gotten much better at down shifting and handling the narrow mountain roads.We did not reach the trailhead until close to noon. I was already on my second dose of Tylenol for the knee pain.The log bridge over Laurel Creek was beautiful. I took several pictures before heading up the trail. The climb out of the gap and up to the ridge was gradual and easy. Close to the ridge, the AT began to follow an old dirt road that hugged the side of the mountain. I took a brief break and checked my BG. I wanted to use my meter to double check the BG reading on the CGM. It was clear it will take me a while to get used to the CGM and to trust it. Hopefully, with practice, I will be able to maintain my BG within a range that provides me with enough energy to hike and feeling good, and avoids spikes, sustained highs, and lows.I found fairly fresh deer, fawn, and bear tracks in a muddy stretch of trail. I also met "Gru" & "King Bob", a retired couple who were section hiking N0B0 and, like me, were slackpacking today. We chatted for quite a while. "Gru" mentioned that she had both knees replaced, and showed me the scars to prove it. To my great surprise, after our chat, I noticed that my knee pain was just about gone.I stopped at the Jenkins Shelter to collect/pack out trash and for a brief break. I met Rod just after the shelter. He was hiking with a woman from Quebec Canada. She and her 2 sons are hoping to complete half of the AT before returning home. We had a nice chat with her while she waited for her sons to catch up to her - she was in great shape for her age. From that point on, the trail became increasingly more difficult. The climbs were no longer gradual & gentle, and the trail became increasingly rocky & rooty. The next road crossing was 10.6 miles, it was already 7:00 p.m. when we reached Maggie, and we had a VERY long drive through the mountains to the hotel. So we were done for the day, and I was glad.The drive to Adkins was scary. The road was extremely narrow with blind turns, 180 degree hairpin turns, and no guardrails. It took us over an hour to drive just 38 miles. Fortunately we saw no one else on the road - except for a firetruck (not a Pierce), which was abandoned right in the middle of the road. We saw no one walking along the road, so we have no idea what happened. We were just lucky there was enough room to squeeze around the firetruck.The AT is calling. I think the drive through the mountains to the trailheads is much more dangerous than hiking the AT - even with the bears!