Date: 2010-03-14
From: Pearisburg

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: broken clouds

At least it is not raining. Overcast and threatening, but not raining. Jane drove us to the trail head next to the Rondezvous Motel and we got underway at 10:00. The only thing that motivated us to leave even that early was so Jane could get back on the road to home, five hours drive. With only less than seven miles to hike we were in no hurry. Yes, it was predominately uphill, yes, it was our first day on the trail, and yes, we are overweight and out of shape, what's your point?We said good by to Jane who's only instructions to me, as she cast a skeptical eye towards us, was, "Bring him back in one piece". I thought I could hear her laughing as she drove away. What's that all about? I suppose we might have looked humorous to her. Perhaps she is not accustomed to guys in hiker garb. Back in the DC area there were not many people walking around in their long johns and shorts and lightweight, wicking shirts. Gaitered and booted, I thought we looked hiker dashing. Maybe not. What else could she possibly be snickering about if not the garb?I was glad to be back on the trail again and finally looking at Pearisburg in the rear view mirror. Please don't misunderstand my desire to leave Pearisburg behind. The people have been wonderful and the food decent. I just am ready to see new towns and new sections of trail.It was a slow pace up the mountain. Bill thanked me for taking it easy on him the first day but it was as fast as I could go. I have always been slow on the uphill, better on the down hill and fairly fast on level and rolling ground. It took all day at the monumental pace I was setting. There were several good views back over Pearisburg and toward a few other towns in different valleys. It was obvious that they had had a hard winter. There were many downed trees and broken off branches and tree tops that we had to maneuver around, and even the small streams were quite swollen with snow and rain runoff. We did have to improvise to get over a few streams. Couple of rocks, a branch, and voila, stream crossed with only miner dampness suffered. Speaking of damp. The air remained damp all day.We arrived at the shelter just before 5:00, I said I was slow on the uphill!This is a pretty setting for a shelter. On the ridge, flat, about 100 yards wide, one half meadow and the other lightly forested. Great views from both the meadow and from the forested side as it dropped off quite steeply at each edge. The shelter was just inside the trees and over a stile at a fence line. Privy about 30 yards in back of the shelter and 15 yards from the drop off, so a good view from there too. It wasn't dark yet but it was as if dark. We were in a cloud and the views were good but limited. The only drawback was that the water source was a good half mile down a steep hill. It was misty (obvious if you are in a cloud) and close to raining. I didn't want to spend time out in the rain if I didn't have to so I volunteered to get the water. Grabbed all mine and Bill's water bottles and set off down the hill. Supposed to be blue blazed but they were sparce. Did manage to find the water. With all the rain and snow they had received and all the swollen streams we crossed, you had to think it would be a good water hole. I was wrong again. It was barely a trickle. It took a while to fill all the bottles and it was now getting darker. Made my way back up the hill as it started to sprinkle. Arrived at the shelter, out of breath, hey, I was hustling, and quite warm. The rain picked up shortly after I got under cover and it rained the rest of the evening. It was just below freezing but not icing or snowingDinner made and devoured all chores finished and the food bag hung. We had hung the rope earlier in the evening when it was still light so that went quite well just at the beginning of darkness. It was hiker midnight (sundown) and we were in our sleeping bags just after dark. We had the shelter to ourselves. Very limited conversation once we were in the bags.Friendships renewed, conversations made, sights seen, no blisters, it was a good day.See you on the trailJohn