Date: 2017-05-13
From: Iron Mountain Shelter 

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: moderate rain

5/13Iron Mountain Shelter to Abingdon Gap Shelter 15.9 milesTotal miles:  458.8I woke this morning to the chirping of birds and the sound of no rain hitting the tent (which was a silent and welcome "sound" indeed!).  I woke up at 6:15 and was on the trail at 7:50.  The topographic lines in the guidebook today were deceptive. Since there were no tall mountains to climb, it made the 15.9 miles look like it would be an easy day.  The reality is that there were literally dozens of relatively short, but still very steep, up and downs all day long. As I passed one hiker who was taking a break on a particularly steep incline, he shook his head and said, "There just aren't any easy days."  Still, the weather was much better than yesterday with a cold, misty morning followed by a sunny afternoon.  The trail, while undulating, was relatively free of large rocks and challenging scrambles.  I tripped over several roots and stobs today, but only a few times more than normal. Today was a bit of what is called "the green tunnel."  No real views, but the woods are very green and beautiful. I came across the most curious monument. At mile 444.2, there is the large stone monument/grave of Nick Grinstaff.  The epitaph on the monument reads:Uncle Nick GrindstaffBorn Dec. 26, 1851Died July 22, 1923Lived alone, suffered alone, and died alone. He was also buried alone.  Uncle Nick is now visited by hundreds of hikers every year in his location far from any sign of civilization. Perhaps placed here by disgruntled nephew, I plan on trying to discover the back story to this when I get home.  The trail led downward from here to a very boggy, wet area.  Here, the AT consists of a series of many footbridges set above the bog.  From there, the trail crosses Highway 91 and enters the Osbourn Farm. Here, for .5 miles, the AT is a fully disability-accessible trail. There is a ramp with a gate that opens onto a graded, wheelchair accessible trail through the farm. I am pleased to see that at least a small portion of the AT is open to people with severe mobility issues. Just past this section, I had to climb over a fence via a ladder and got to walk right through a herd of cows. I talked calmly to a mother cow whose calf was feeding as I walked by, but none of the cows seemed to care a bit about my presence among them. I'm sure they are used to being disturbed by hikers. I made it to Double Spring Shelter and ate lunch with Jose. I would pass him several miles later as he paused for "second lunch."  Like me, he plans to resupply in Damascus tomorrow and decided that eating his extra food made more sense than carrying it.  At mile 457.3, I passed McQueens Knob Shelter, an old shelter that is listed as "disused" in the guidebook. It is very small and rundown, although I suppose you could stay there if you so desired. Just a mile past there is the much nicer Abingdon Gap Shelter, where I am spending tonight. I got here at 4:30 and set up camp. I set up my tent, ran a clothes line, and placed everything in the sun to dry. I weathered yesterday's storm pretty well, but everything gets damp after a rain like that. Angela, Monty, Jose, and I enjoyed a much sunnier, drier dinner than last night. Joining us was Pace, a young woman who started her thru hike back in early March. She suffered a broken foot and has been off the trail for four weeks. She is unsure if she will be able to resume her thru hike or do sections instead. I also met her father and her dog, Winston (a cute, little pug), who were with her at Low Gap, where she resumed her hike.  We had a great chat over dinner, and she is thrilled to be back on the trail. I got to bed early tonight and hope to get an early start into Damascus in the morning. I am less than seven miles to leaving Tennessee and entering Virginia, where the trail runs for 550 miles, nearly a quarter of its length. The weather is fair but cool, perfect sleeping weather.