Do all poisonous snakes have a triangular head?
Another problem is that by stressing that snakes with triangular shaped heads are venomous, it is possible for people to forget that this “rule” applies only to vipers. Snakes within the Elapidae family (e.g., cobras and coral snakes) are also venomous but don't have a triangular shaped head at all!May 5, 2014
Another problem is that by stressing that snakes with triangular shaped heads are venomous, it is possible for people to forget that this “rule” applies only to vipers. Snakes within the Elapidae family (e.g., cobras and coral snakes) are also venomous but don't have a triangular shaped head at all!May 5, 2014
PENNSYLVANIA SECTION OF THE AT IS FAST APPROACHING... WHILE THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY WAS ONE OF THE EASIEST SECTIONS PENNSYLVANIA SOME OF THE HARDEST BECAUSE OF THE ROCKS. NEW SHOES/NEW WALKING STICKS COMING UP; SHOES COME APART/BREAK THE STICKS
The Appalachian Trail travels nearly 230 miles in Pennsylvania from Pen Mar, a small town that straddles the state border with Maryland in the south, to the Delaware Water Gap and New Jersey in the north. After some surprisingly easy hiking as the trail crosses the Great Valley of the Appalachians and the Susquehanna River, the trail follows the ridgeline of mountains in a long stretch of trail notorious for its foot bruising, boot destroying rocks. You will find out first hand how this state got its AT nickname of Rocksylvania.
The mid point of the entire Appalachian Trail is located in Pine Grove Furnace State Forest. The Pine Grove General Store is the location of the traditional 'half-gallon club', where you eat a half gallon of ice cream to mark your halfway point. Thru hikers will enjoy the ease of re-supply in the state as the trail passes directly through a number of towns and passes nearby to other towns. The trail also travels through Caledonia State Park and Michaux State Forest in the southern part of the trail in the state.
Enjoying the view from Nelson's Vista along the Appalachian Trail
Hiking during the summer months can be oppressive at times and water can be scarce. There are numerous shelters located along the trail and there are many memorable views to be had, but many thru hikers will remember the state because of the rocks. At times you will wonder how did so many jagged, rugged, sharp rocks get here?
Some of the most memorable places along the AT in Pennsylvania include Chimney Rocks, Pole Steeple, Center Point Knob, Scott Farm Trail Work Center, Hawk Rock, Clarks Ferry Bridge, Table Rock, Shikellimy Overlook, Stony Mountain, Yellow Springs Ghost Town, Round Head, Shower Steps, Windsor Furnace, Pulpit Rock, The Pinnacle, Dans Pulpit, The Cliffs, Knife Edge, Bear Rocks, Bake Oven Knob, Lehigh Gap, Hahns Lookout, Wolf Rocks, Nelson Vista, Lunch Rocks, Mount Minsi,Lookout Rocks and Council Rock.
The mid point of the entire Appalachian Trail is located in Pine Grove Furnace State Forest. The Pine Grove General Store is the location of the traditional 'half-gallon club', where you eat a half gallon of ice cream to mark your halfway point. Thru hikers will enjoy the ease of re-supply in the state as the trail passes directly through a number of towns and passes nearby to other towns. The trail also travels through Caledonia State Park and Michaux State Forest in the southern part of the trail in the state.
Enjoying the view from Nelson's Vista along the Appalachian Trail
Hiking during the summer months can be oppressive at times and water can be scarce. There are numerous shelters located along the trail and there are many memorable views to be had, but many thru hikers will remember the state because of the rocks. At times you will wonder how did so many jagged, rugged, sharp rocks get here?
Some of the most memorable places along the AT in Pennsylvania include Chimney Rocks, Pole Steeple, Center Point Knob, Scott Farm Trail Work Center, Hawk Rock, Clarks Ferry Bridge, Table Rock, Shikellimy Overlook, Stony Mountain, Yellow Springs Ghost Town, Round Head, Shower Steps, Windsor Furnace, Pulpit Rock, The Pinnacle, Dans Pulpit, The Cliffs, Knife Edge, Bear Rocks, Bake Oven Knob, Lehigh Gap, Hahns Lookout, Wolf Rocks, Nelson Vista, Lunch Rocks, Mount Minsi,Lookout Rocks and Council Rock.
05/13/2017
In the Shenandoah Park, the 11th it was fogged in, yesterday it rained all day... today has been great... actually seen the valley below... headed to a store for suppliesand to do my laundry... will update this when i get a good signal again
In the Shenandoah Park, the 11th it was fogged in, yesterday it rained all day... today has been great... actually seen the valley below... headed to a store for suppliesand to do my laundry... will update this when i get a good signal again
09/05/2017
Took a zero day in Richmond Virginia to visit with my wonderful sister and brother-in-law, back on the trail tomorrow... about 120 miles of hiking in the Shenandoah Valley, another 30 miles to Harpers Ferry West Virginia into Maryland and then Pennsylvania... I listed 13 states on the trail, actually 14; believe I left West Virginia off of the list and that is where the AT headquarters is... oops!!!!
Took a zero day in Richmond Virginia to visit with my wonderful sister and brother-in-law, back on the trail tomorrow... about 120 miles of hiking in the Shenandoah Valley, another 30 miles to Harpers Ferry West Virginia into Maryland and then Pennsylvania... I listed 13 states on the trail, actually 14; believe I left West Virginia off of the list and that is where the AT headquarters is... oops!!!!
05/06/2017
It is a Saturday, lot of weekend hikers, families, etc out... I love seeing them... really!!!
21 miles today, the trail was pretty flat, enjoyed it... well except for the muddy sections... three creek crossing, water still up from the rain , gosh that seems like it was days ago.... put on clean, dry socks this morning, they did not last long... also feel some new blisters on my toes, wet shoes and socks get credit for those... started out foggy, stayed over cast most of the day, was cool enough that I had a jacket on all day.
Camping on what looks like an old road, waiting in dinner... mashed potatoes and macaroni mixed together... yummy...
05/05/2017
What a day!!!! Rained all night, would guess we got the 2" they predicted... checked weather this morning; suppose to be nice.... rained on me for one solid hour... one of those hard rains but not cold so I covered my pack and just enjoyed the shower...
Creeks are all up, I had to cross several that were over the trail, water in one was above my knee, swift flowing... until about 3:00 pm the trails had water on them, it drained off pretty quick... did about 15 today, got to a shelter with a high creek and I just said the h--- with it, not crossing over today, my feet are finally dry... had some really nice scenery today, couple of bridges over rivers, the rain caused most of the streams to flow at their limits, some were coming out of their banks... passed an area that use to be a community of former slaves, not a whole lot of the houses left, the outlines of some, what use to be walls of houses, also flood walls, at least that is what I figured them to be... not sure how big of a community it was, covered about one mile along the stream... how they managed to live off of that land is beyond me, rocky, shaded, secluded... amazing...
Hemlock Trees... impressive to say the least... need to find out more about them, how tall they grow, age etc...
05/04/2017
Hostel was a great choice, was able to catch up on the whereabouts of some of the hikers I was with before I took the time off for my knee. Back on the trail this morning, stopped at a shelter, they have a privy here that I have been aching to try out... just as wonderful as I had heard... need to repack my pack, kind tossed everything in it so I could catch the shuttle to the trail.
The hike this morning has been great, along a cascading stream that puts out that relaxing music of water falling...
It is a Saturday, lot of weekend hikers, families, etc out... I love seeing them... really!!!
21 miles today, the trail was pretty flat, enjoyed it... well except for the muddy sections... three creek crossing, water still up from the rain , gosh that seems like it was days ago.... put on clean, dry socks this morning, they did not last long... also feel some new blisters on my toes, wet shoes and socks get credit for those... started out foggy, stayed over cast most of the day, was cool enough that I had a jacket on all day.
Camping on what looks like an old road, waiting in dinner... mashed potatoes and macaroni mixed together... yummy...
05/05/2017
What a day!!!! Rained all night, would guess we got the 2" they predicted... checked weather this morning; suppose to be nice.... rained on me for one solid hour... one of those hard rains but not cold so I covered my pack and just enjoyed the shower...
Creeks are all up, I had to cross several that were over the trail, water in one was above my knee, swift flowing... until about 3:00 pm the trails had water on them, it drained off pretty quick... did about 15 today, got to a shelter with a high creek and I just said the h--- with it, not crossing over today, my feet are finally dry... had some really nice scenery today, couple of bridges over rivers, the rain caused most of the streams to flow at their limits, some were coming out of their banks... passed an area that use to be a community of former slaves, not a whole lot of the houses left, the outlines of some, what use to be walls of houses, also flood walls, at least that is what I figured them to be... not sure how big of a community it was, covered about one mile along the stream... how they managed to live off of that land is beyond me, rocky, shaded, secluded... amazing...
Hemlock Trees... impressive to say the least... need to find out more about them, how tall they grow, age etc...
05/04/2017
Hostel was a great choice, was able to catch up on the whereabouts of some of the hikers I was with before I took the time off for my knee. Back on the trail this morning, stopped at a shelter, they have a privy here that I have been aching to try out... just as wonderful as I had heard... need to repack my pack, kind tossed everything in it so I could catch the shuttle to the trail.
The hike this morning has been great, along a cascading stream that puts out that relaxing music of water falling...
05/04/2017
The James River Valley... what a beautiful view!!!! Still have a mile and half of switch backs to get to the top of this peak... playing everything by ear today, rain moving in. This is one of the few times I have had a strong signal that coincided witha break/photo op
The James River Valley... what a beautiful view!!!! Still have a mile and half of switch backs to get to the top of this peak... playing everything by ear today, rain moving in. This is one of the few times I have had a strong signal that coincided witha break/photo op
05/03/2017
Weather was great, last 6 miles of my hike was pretty much down hill. Seen some beautiful patches of wild flowers and cross a 1,000 foot foot bridge over the James River. Staying at a hostel tonight, come to find out it is ran by Fescue... Fescue was the gentleman who was section hiking withthe great chef back at On Top of Georgia... the cook is clear up around New Jersey... making great time.
Weather was great, last 6 miles of my hike was pretty much down hill. Seen some beautiful patches of wild flowers and cross a 1,000 foot foot bridge over the James River. Staying at a hostel tonight, come to find out it is ran by Fescue... Fescue was the gentleman who was section hiking withthe great chef back at On Top of Georgia... the cook is clear up around New Jersey... making great time.
05/02/2017
While my hike is going great, weather is so much better then yesterday, my thoughts have been more about all those so severely impacted by the storms over the weekend/past week... sometimes we just forget to see how blessed we really are...
While my hike is going great, weather is so much better then yesterday, my thoughts have been more about all those so severely impacted by the storms over the weekend/past week... sometimes we just forget to see how blessed we really are...
04/30/2017
Today was a great day for a hike, temperture was not too bad, trails were good and motivation was high after a zero day...
In my tent, one of the hikers just shouted out bear!!!! Turned out to be a couple of deer, I had been listening to them walk around outside of the camping area for at least 20 minutes...
Not sure how tomorrows hike will go, have weather warnings for the area so I may end up parking my butt in a shelter someplace... time will tell...
Today was a great day for a hike, temperture was not too bad, trails were good and motivation was high after a zero day...
In my tent, one of the hikers just shouted out bear!!!! Turned out to be a couple of deer, I had been listening to them walk around outside of the camping area for at least 20 minutes...
Not sure how tomorrows hike will go, have weather warnings for the area so I may end up parking my butt in a shelter someplace... time will tell...
Some things in life will always have a special place in our hearts and memories, honeysuckle is one of those things for me.. back at it, the zero day helped some, the honeysuckle helped even more
04/29/2017
The next 300 miles, almost all of it in Virginia and ends at the halfway point, Harper's Ferry
Still find it interesting how a craving can just take hold, arrived in Daleville Virginia, all of these great places to eat and all I could think of was cold milk and cereal...
Numerous pictures of cliffs, ledges here in Virginia, beautiful sites, many of them run for miles, each of the formations completely different than the previous...
The trail is in the shade running along the rock wall... so relaxing to find a shady spot to sit and relax
moss covered stone, I see amonsters face, Ethan says no
view of the valleys with their farms and communities are great
flowers along the cliff edge
sun and wind worn but I would not trade it for anything else...
04/28/2017
Repaired my broken pole for now
The Town of Catawba has very little, I used the Post Office
The trail just goes on and on!!! It's appearance is changing every day with the new growth
Virginia has so many beautiful cliffs along the trail, at times the cliffs make for a challenging climb, and or some very hard hiking, my shoes are reaching the point of replacement...
An old mill site, you can just barely make out some of the remains
Parys of the mill
So much truth to this sign...
Part of the trail mentioned above, make your way down one wall only to find another...
The spring bloom has not disappointed me, so many flowers along the trail
The 700 club!!! Only 1400 more to go
04/27/2014
still need to post pictures when i get a good signal
04/26/2017
Mosquitoes are out here...
Today was rough; 14 miles and it seemed like 20... I fell, crawled, twisted, contorted... everything but stand on my head... 20 miles was my goal, I did not have it in me today, lucky to have done 14...dug 3 cat holes, in addition to using one privy... drank all the water I could find... not sure what I caught but it was not fun trying to climb a mountain with it... also went over 700 miles today which is a nice milestone for me... clean pants tomorrow, going to town... got to be semi presentable... as if that is possible.... I have 50 pictures to upload if I ever get a good signal... I hope to find a store on the way to the post office, if so I will just change the address on the box... do not need all the food in it and a nice little town is just ahead with a big Kroger's...
still need to post pictures when i get a good signal
04/26/2017
Mosquitoes are out here...
Today was rough; 14 miles and it seemed like 20... I fell, crawled, twisted, contorted... everything but stand on my head... 20 miles was my goal, I did not have it in me today, lucky to have done 14...dug 3 cat holes, in addition to using one privy... drank all the water I could find... not sure what I caught but it was not fun trying to climb a mountain with it... also went over 700 miles today which is a nice milestone for me... clean pants tomorrow, going to town... got to be semi presentable... as if that is possible.... I have 50 pictures to upload if I ever get a good signal... I hope to find a store on the way to the post office, if so I will just change the address on the box... do not need all the food in it and a nice little town is just ahead with a big Kroger's...
04/25/2017
This cut and paste works great except for picture captions...
Started late today, the creek went down 6-12 inches last night, we all decided to wait until 10:00 to see if it continued to drop... crossed together in case someone slipped and fell, non of us did... we had 2 big crossings, what is normally a trickle caught all the run off from the storms, two nights ago we got over 2"... good thing is it is now easy to find water...
Did 19.5 miles today, trying to line up with the post office hours in Catawba Virginia... hear they also have a great restaurant there that is only open 4 days a week, Thursday being one of those 4...
The other guys decided to go to a hostel tonight and slack pack what I did today plus 4.5 more miles... then slack pack to Daleville Virginia on Thursday... not sure what the logic behind it all is, they have never slack packed so I think they really want to try it...
Had some great hiking today, hiked the face of some of the cliffs we normally walk below... a challenge to say the least... fell one time... lol think that puts me up to 18 hard falls, still got 2/3 of the hike remaining...
Need to doctor the feet in the morning, they have been wet the last 4 days of hiking, time for moleskin... I do keep dry socks to sleep in if needed... not sure what some of these hikers would do were an emergency to come up... this hike with minimum weight is great if everything goes well, I can see where someone could get hurt doing it that way...
Some of the hikers on the trail now are slack packing the whole trail so they can write a book on how to do it... something fishy about that story... takes 5-6 days to do the Smokies, no resupply there unless they had someone pack it in to them??? That will be a new challenge, slack packing the AT... different group of people...
Should sleep well tonight, at the intersection of two streams, they sound so good, just may drown out the sound of those birds in the morning
This cut and paste works great except for picture captions...
Started late today, the creek went down 6-12 inches last night, we all decided to wait until 10:00 to see if it continued to drop... crossed together in case someone slipped and fell, non of us did... we had 2 big crossings, what is normally a trickle caught all the run off from the storms, two nights ago we got over 2"... good thing is it is now easy to find water...
Did 19.5 miles today, trying to line up with the post office hours in Catawba Virginia... hear they also have a great restaurant there that is only open 4 days a week, Thursday being one of those 4...
The other guys decided to go to a hostel tonight and slack pack what I did today plus 4.5 more miles... then slack pack to Daleville Virginia on Thursday... not sure what the logic behind it all is, they have never slack packed so I think they really want to try it...
Had some great hiking today, hiked the face of some of the cliffs we normally walk below... a challenge to say the least... fell one time... lol think that puts me up to 18 hard falls, still got 2/3 of the hike remaining...
Need to doctor the feet in the morning, they have been wet the last 4 days of hiking, time for moleskin... I do keep dry socks to sleep in if needed... not sure what some of these hikers would do were an emergency to come up... this hike with minimum weight is great if everything goes well, I can see where someone could get hurt doing it that way...
Some of the hikers on the trail now are slack packing the whole trail so they can write a book on how to do it... something fishy about that story... takes 5-6 days to do the Smokies, no resupply there unless they had someone pack it in to them??? That will be a new challenge, slack packing the AT... different group of people...
Should sleep well tonight, at the intersection of two streams, they sound so good, just may drown out the sound of those birds in the morning
z04/25/2017
1525-35; earlier carn < Scots Gaelic: pile of stones; perhaps akin to horn. cairned, adjective. cairny, adjective. Examples from the Web for cairn. A "cairn" is a heap of stones thrown together in a conical form to mark the grave, or in memory, of a person.
several days of rambling
04/23/2017
Raining!!! Started at about 12:30 pm; kept pushing it back, now it is here for several hours the way the radar looked the last time I was able to check it....
Sitting in the shelter that is closed, got here and the sign said to overnight use, truthfully it does not look to bad, they have cut most of the dead trees around it...
Trying to type in my sleeping bag sideways... Not sure how far I came today but it was a good hike... Rain.... yes, to much of it... still raining... still calling for 2 inches tonight... that may cause some issues tomorrow, what normally are ditcheswere creeks today, few creeks were creating fording difficulties... trails had water running down them or across them... one good fall today, broke one of my walking sticks... think I can fix it so it is usable... left hand is swollen, think I bruised it, doubtful that it is anything worse than that.... sleeping in a shelter tonight, just easier considering the rain forecast... put on a dry shirt, dry socks and crawled into this bag to warm up... 6:00 pm... 2 other hikers here, hope no more show up... perfect sleeping arrangements right now... guess if someone else shows it would not impact me, I am by a wall... one of the two hikers here sent most of his winter clothes home without replacing them with summer clothes... he is short on clothing, most of what he has is wet... sent his sleeping bag home and replaced it with a blanket from Walmart... tuff way to learn lessons... while I put on dry clothes to sleep in I will put the wet clothes back on in the morning so I have one dry set just in case... If it does rain 2 inches tonight I may just zero here tomorrow... so hard to hike any distance the way it is now... yet I can not zero every time it rains... guess this is a little unusual... it is difficult planning a schedule, wake up thinking maybe 15-20 miles and the weather slows you down to 10... not complaining, just learning as I go...
No signal here at the shelter, writing this in notes and will copy and paste it to weebly... the good thing is it is easier to write it in notes, can add to it without having to update... camera pretty much stays packed away... trying to keep it dry, concerned the cracked screen will let moisture into the phone... which reminds me I need to write a few phone numbers down in case this phone does crash on me
Wrote down some numbers...
Raining pretty good... one of the hikers snores pretty consistently, the other talks to his phone rather than type anything in... the thrill of going to wee wee... as I mentioned earlier I put on some dry clothes... with the rain/moisture it is cold enough to sleep with wool socks on... my shoes are wet from walking in streams, puddles of water, trails with water flowing down them... the wet shoes are cold, very cold, type of cold that makes you shiver... so going to wee wee I have the choice of putting my nice dry wool socks in wet shoes or I can take my dry socks off so they remain dry and stick my warm feet in very cold wet shoes and shiver as I go talk to a tree in the rain... all I can say is I am done talking to the tree and my feet are in socks that are still dry...
Thinking back on most of the things that have caused me issues over the last 70 days I do believe they involve my going to wee wee... interesting enough...
2:12 am. Rain has been continuous... my dislike for shelters has increased... my mattress pad or hips are not thick enough... I try one side then the other... neither seems to work... although my dislike for shelters continues I am thinking of hanging out here for a while if the rain continues... think the runoff from the rain is going to be enough to impact hiking... decide that in the morning...
04/24/2017
Decided to hike it!!! Trails flooded flooded in spots... other spots the trail is great... feet are wet, cold when I stop but overall better than expected... two hikers are looking at going to a hostel and slack packing tomorrow, 24 miles... I have been invited to tag along, just do not want to push it after injuring my knee... be back off the trail if I do that...
Turn of events... we got to the shelter and just past it is a creek, the creek is not passable at this time, the slack pack is off for tomorrow...raining right now so we are not sure how long we are stuck here, may be a couple days... four of us here right now, I set my tent up, one hiker has a hammock and the other two are in the shelter... the hike in today was rough to say the least, trail was flooded in several areas, shoes stayed full of water... at least I have dry socks to sleep in... what was not flooded was so muddy that I had to pay attention to where I was stepping... not complaining, happy I am able to see this part of the trail, to experience it is a treat... weather has been challenging to say the least...
It seems I have a friend, every morning around this time a bird, not just any bird, my friend is the loudest bird in the forest... gets outside my tent and just sings it's little heart out... while I love listening to the birds anytime of the day, this particular bird sings the same thing over and over and over... I do hear it at times just making the prettiest sounds but at this time of the morning it is a terrible annoying tune...
1525-35; earlier carn < Scots Gaelic: pile of stones; perhaps akin to horn. cairned, adjective. cairny, adjective. Examples from the Web for cairn. A "cairn" is a heap of stones thrown together in a conical form to mark the grave, or in memory, of a person.
several days of rambling
04/23/2017
Raining!!! Started at about 12:30 pm; kept pushing it back, now it is here for several hours the way the radar looked the last time I was able to check it....
Sitting in the shelter that is closed, got here and the sign said to overnight use, truthfully it does not look to bad, they have cut most of the dead trees around it...
Trying to type in my sleeping bag sideways... Not sure how far I came today but it was a good hike... Rain.... yes, to much of it... still raining... still calling for 2 inches tonight... that may cause some issues tomorrow, what normally are ditcheswere creeks today, few creeks were creating fording difficulties... trails had water running down them or across them... one good fall today, broke one of my walking sticks... think I can fix it so it is usable... left hand is swollen, think I bruised it, doubtful that it is anything worse than that.... sleeping in a shelter tonight, just easier considering the rain forecast... put on a dry shirt, dry socks and crawled into this bag to warm up... 6:00 pm... 2 other hikers here, hope no more show up... perfect sleeping arrangements right now... guess if someone else shows it would not impact me, I am by a wall... one of the two hikers here sent most of his winter clothes home without replacing them with summer clothes... he is short on clothing, most of what he has is wet... sent his sleeping bag home and replaced it with a blanket from Walmart... tuff way to learn lessons... while I put on dry clothes to sleep in I will put the wet clothes back on in the morning so I have one dry set just in case... If it does rain 2 inches tonight I may just zero here tomorrow... so hard to hike any distance the way it is now... yet I can not zero every time it rains... guess this is a little unusual... it is difficult planning a schedule, wake up thinking maybe 15-20 miles and the weather slows you down to 10... not complaining, just learning as I go...
No signal here at the shelter, writing this in notes and will copy and paste it to weebly... the good thing is it is easier to write it in notes, can add to it without having to update... camera pretty much stays packed away... trying to keep it dry, concerned the cracked screen will let moisture into the phone... which reminds me I need to write a few phone numbers down in case this phone does crash on me
Wrote down some numbers...
Raining pretty good... one of the hikers snores pretty consistently, the other talks to his phone rather than type anything in... the thrill of going to wee wee... as I mentioned earlier I put on some dry clothes... with the rain/moisture it is cold enough to sleep with wool socks on... my shoes are wet from walking in streams, puddles of water, trails with water flowing down them... the wet shoes are cold, very cold, type of cold that makes you shiver... so going to wee wee I have the choice of putting my nice dry wool socks in wet shoes or I can take my dry socks off so they remain dry and stick my warm feet in very cold wet shoes and shiver as I go talk to a tree in the rain... all I can say is I am done talking to the tree and my feet are in socks that are still dry...
Thinking back on most of the things that have caused me issues over the last 70 days I do believe they involve my going to wee wee... interesting enough...
2:12 am. Rain has been continuous... my dislike for shelters has increased... my mattress pad or hips are not thick enough... I try one side then the other... neither seems to work... although my dislike for shelters continues I am thinking of hanging out here for a while if the rain continues... think the runoff from the rain is going to be enough to impact hiking... decide that in the morning...
04/24/2017
Decided to hike it!!! Trails flooded flooded in spots... other spots the trail is great... feet are wet, cold when I stop but overall better than expected... two hikers are looking at going to a hostel and slack packing tomorrow, 24 miles... I have been invited to tag along, just do not want to push it after injuring my knee... be back off the trail if I do that...
Turn of events... we got to the shelter and just past it is a creek, the creek is not passable at this time, the slack pack is off for tomorrow...raining right now so we are not sure how long we are stuck here, may be a couple days... four of us here right now, I set my tent up, one hiker has a hammock and the other two are in the shelter... the hike in today was rough to say the least, trail was flooded in several areas, shoes stayed full of water... at least I have dry socks to sleep in... what was not flooded was so muddy that I had to pay attention to where I was stepping... not complaining, happy I am able to see this part of the trail, to experience it is a treat... weather has been challenging to say the least...
It seems I have a friend, every morning around this time a bird, not just any bird, my friend is the loudest bird in the forest... gets outside my tent and just sings it's little heart out... while I love listening to the birds anytime of the day, this particular bird sings the same thing over and over and over... I do hear it at times just making the prettiest sounds but at this time of the morning it is a terrible annoying tune...
04/23/2017
100% chance of rain today, calling for 2" today so I guess it is going to be heavy at times... should decide if i want to ride this one out, everything is dry right now... think about it while making coffee
Looks the worst of it has been moved to tonight, time to get motivated
100% chance of rain today, calling for 2" today so I guess it is going to be heavy at times... should decide if i want to ride this one out, everything is dry right now... think about it while making coffee
Looks the worst of it has been moved to tonight, time to get motivated
04/22/2017
Going to get back on the trail today... calling for 3-4 inches of rain over the next few days... should be fun
The only bad thing I can think of with a good cup of coffee is you want another cup... Almost 6:30, I am done for the day... did at least 10 miles, have not actually figured it out yet. When I started this morning I made my mind up to take it it slow and enjoy the time... It rained on me, the trail is a mess but still, I am further than I was this morning. Fog is moving in, checked the weather and the forecast for winds and rain are not as bad as they were... Will not complain, hear it is raining in Richmond!!!
04/21/2017
Lazy day today, the rest was really great for my knee, feels pretty good... resupplied my food and mailed a package. Calling for some heavy rainfall over the next few days. At this time I am at mile marker 635, hope to reach the 1/3 distance mark this upcoming week.
Lazy day today, the rest was really great for my knee, feels pretty good... resupplied my food and mailed a package. Calling for some heavy rainfall over the next few days. At this time I am at mile marker 635, hope to reach the 1/3 distance mark this upcoming week.
04/20/2017
Several days behind on the update... my backup battery source appears to be on the blink... had one day of drizzling rain, covered my pack and just enjoyed the rain.. it was so nice... actually it was so nice... Yesterday I hiked one of the more difficult trails thus far in Virginia, it kicked my butt, close to it... wanted to get to the top before my day ended so I would not have it to do this morning... I have noticed I am now able to tackle these peaks without taking breaks, I have a breathing routine down... camped on the top and received a few short showers last night... hiking with a different group of hikers now, this will change as we all work out our own pace... I have increased my mileage, around 15 per day, the knee is still giving me issues... walking with a noticeable limp...
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
stream
cascading stream
stream
another stream
rainy day, been lucky so far
on the table below
a symbol of love
stone ways
rock walls along the top of a ridge, several miles of them
flowers
flowers
flowers in bloom, a rainy day
farms in the valley
Virginia country side
at mile 502 I ran into an older man painting blazes along the trail, I asked him to blaze my pack
an old stone building converted to a shelter
beautiful view from one of the peaks
field on top of one of the peaks
the ridge line is level, a goid sign that the trail is too
black snake, seen three snakes on this particular day, it was hot and they were sunning on the trail, another hiker seen two rattle snakes on this day
Virginia privy... so nice to visit one after missing them in Tennessee
Virginia Shelter
an old mill building
so many beautiful streams
farmers field
path across a farmers field
a narrow passage way through private property
one of many beautiful Virginia farms
boundry tree
dogwoods in bloom
one red line means private property behind the tree, two means federal property, a red circle is a boundary
04/15/2017
04/14/2017
Friday!!! Seems like the weekend was just here... This past week has gone pretty good, trails are nice, Virginia seems to spend more money on their outdoor recreation... simple things like trash cans, privies... one can find a privy at campgrounds, not just at shelters... Yes, you can find them in other states at campgrounds but here they seem to be a common thing...
Enjoyed the Virginia Wild Ponies, I have seen articles on them, National Geo has a story or two on them... but to actually see them was an experience... easy to get to them, they were introduced to the area in the early 60's to keep the trees and undergrowth under control... they eat briars, small trees as well as the grasses... The area was clear cut in the early 1900's then farmers/ranchers used it for cattle, the forest service started purchasing the land in the 50's and 60's... wanting to keep the view and surrounding area for recreation they brought the ponies in... these ponies can withstand the cold weather at the higher altitude... each year the ponies are rounded up, given a checkup and a few are sold...
Went to one of my least favorite stores today, Walmart... purchased some food for resupply so naturally my pack is to heavy... paid .50 cents to ride a shuttle in, 12 miles... .50 cents for the return also... had planned on staying in Atkins Virginia for the night but the stores were so far apart and they have no shuttle... still got 8 miles in and did not start until around 3:00 pm... was able to get a partial charge on my phone...
Laundry has been a little hard to get done, my sister wants to pick me up and take me to their place in Richmond, she will make me walk after getting a whiff of this body... been rinsing clothes our in the creek but that is only good for some of the odor...
While at Walmart waiting on the shuttle back to the shelter we were offered rides by several people, very friendly... felt good to experience that simple act of kindness...
Need to look up HIKER HUNGER... a term I have heard and my walking sticks are named that... At one point I thought it was just the body craving additional calories for the added activity... now I am wondering... few times I gave been around food, plenty of food, real food, normal food... I have not been able to satisfy the craving for food... in Damascus I recall eating 6 snicker bars, 5 Pepsi with sugar, not the diet stuff, 3 pieces of chicken, potato wedges... and then going down the street an hour later for dinner... all I could tell the waitress was I wanted food... she seemed to understand... today it was the same way, got to a town and wanted to eat at every fast food place I seen...
The 24 challenge, not something I plan on participating in but one is suppose to hike 24 miles in 24 hours while drinking 24 beers...
Few other hiker things, no clothes on the first day of summer, eat a half gallon of ice cream at the half way point which I believe I have mentioned...
Friday!!! Seems like the weekend was just here... This past week has gone pretty good, trails are nice, Virginia seems to spend more money on their outdoor recreation... simple things like trash cans, privies... one can find a privy at campgrounds, not just at shelters... Yes, you can find them in other states at campgrounds but here they seem to be a common thing...
Enjoyed the Virginia Wild Ponies, I have seen articles on them, National Geo has a story or two on them... but to actually see them was an experience... easy to get to them, they were introduced to the area in the early 60's to keep the trees and undergrowth under control... they eat briars, small trees as well as the grasses... The area was clear cut in the early 1900's then farmers/ranchers used it for cattle, the forest service started purchasing the land in the 50's and 60's... wanting to keep the view and surrounding area for recreation they brought the ponies in... these ponies can withstand the cold weather at the higher altitude... each year the ponies are rounded up, given a checkup and a few are sold...
Went to one of my least favorite stores today, Walmart... purchased some food for resupply so naturally my pack is to heavy... paid .50 cents to ride a shuttle in, 12 miles... .50 cents for the return also... had planned on staying in Atkins Virginia for the night but the stores were so far apart and they have no shuttle... still got 8 miles in and did not start until around 3:00 pm... was able to get a partial charge on my phone...
Laundry has been a little hard to get done, my sister wants to pick me up and take me to their place in Richmond, she will make me walk after getting a whiff of this body... been rinsing clothes our in the creek but that is only good for some of the odor...
While at Walmart waiting on the shuttle back to the shelter we were offered rides by several people, very friendly... felt good to experience that simple act of kindness...
Need to look up HIKER HUNGER... a term I have heard and my walking sticks are named that... At one point I thought it was just the body craving additional calories for the added activity... now I am wondering... few times I gave been around food, plenty of food, real food, normal food... I have not been able to satisfy the craving for food... in Damascus I recall eating 6 snicker bars, 5 Pepsi with sugar, not the diet stuff, 3 pieces of chicken, potato wedges... and then going down the street an hour later for dinner... all I could tell the waitress was I wanted food... she seemed to understand... today it was the same way, got to a town and wanted to eat at every fast food place I seen...
The 24 challenge, not something I plan on participating in but one is suppose to hike 24 miles in 24 hours while drinking 24 beers...
Few other hiker things, no clothes on the first day of summer, eat a half gallon of ice cream at the half way point which I believe I have mentioned...
04/09/2017
Birds are chattering... bees are searching for the early blooms, great breeze, just hard enough to give my shadow that rugged look, hair blowing... much like a tree with no leaves... Virginia Creeper Trail is busy... a 25 mile bike/hiking trail... cross country bike riders doing the Central Trail, ocean to ocean... the only thing I envy about their trip is the access to the honey buns and milk... bears do not present the danger that the drivers do on these country roads...
Damascus Virginia, nearing the 500 mile point, 30 more miles... Do not recall if I mentioned that 544 miles of the AT is in Virginia, 1/4 of it... the trail has taken on a new look... suppose to be like this for several hundred miles... I did 10 miles this morning in 4 hours 2 1/2 miles per hour... my body will not hold up doing anything over 20 for several days... I do have a knee brace waiting for me at the post office here in Damascus...
Damascus is a small town, older homes, many of which have been turned into hostels or B&B's... three outfitters dealing in both hiking and bike equipment... several places rent bikes to folks who would like to do the Creeper Trail... nice mountain stream in the middle of the town, houses with front porches, picket fences... the towns claim to fame is Trail Days, the weekend of 20 May this year... outfitters of equipment have booths, craft booths, food booths etc several thousand people show up, many of them from the AT, several hikers have said they would like to hitch a ride back here for that event... sort of a Sturges for backpackers and mountain bikers... after that the town goes back to the time of Andy...
I am staying at a Church run hostel tonight, donations for a spot to put my tent... cost me more than I normally pay at other hostels... guilt maybe??? Tent is set up next to an old home with a metal roof, the type that has the shingle look, pressed into the metal... a nice look...
Tomorrow I will go to the post office when they open, figure out what and how much food I will need to get me to my next resupply point... and where that resupply point will be...
Birds are chattering... bees are searching for the early blooms, great breeze, just hard enough to give my shadow that rugged look, hair blowing... much like a tree with no leaves... Virginia Creeper Trail is busy... a 25 mile bike/hiking trail... cross country bike riders doing the Central Trail, ocean to ocean... the only thing I envy about their trip is the access to the honey buns and milk... bears do not present the danger that the drivers do on these country roads...
Damascus Virginia, nearing the 500 mile point, 30 more miles... Do not recall if I mentioned that 544 miles of the AT is in Virginia, 1/4 of it... the trail has taken on a new look... suppose to be like this for several hundred miles... I did 10 miles this morning in 4 hours 2 1/2 miles per hour... my body will not hold up doing anything over 20 for several days... I do have a knee brace waiting for me at the post office here in Damascus...
Damascus is a small town, older homes, many of which have been turned into hostels or B&B's... three outfitters dealing in both hiking and bike equipment... several places rent bikes to folks who would like to do the Creeper Trail... nice mountain stream in the middle of the town, houses with front porches, picket fences... the towns claim to fame is Trail Days, the weekend of 20 May this year... outfitters of equipment have booths, craft booths, food booths etc several thousand people show up, many of them from the AT, several hikers have said they would like to hitch a ride back here for that event... sort of a Sturges for backpackers and mountain bikers... after that the town goes back to the time of Andy...
I am staying at a Church run hostel tonight, donations for a spot to put my tent... cost me more than I normally pay at other hostels... guilt maybe??? Tent is set up next to an old home with a metal roof, the type that has the shingle look, pressed into the metal... a nice look...
Tomorrow I will go to the post office when they open, figure out what and how much food I will need to get me to my next resupply point... and where that resupply point will be...