Forest Fire, Bears, and First 100-mile Week

Stats: Friday night 4/22, MM 447.3

(105.2 new miles, 456.1 total miles)

It’s been a hard and crazy week. I didn’t set out to hike 100 miles, I planned on about 80 to get to Hampton, TN and meet Mary. But a forest fire and bear activity changed my plans.

Sunday morning I left Erwin after enjoying Moondog’s family’s hospitality, including a big breakfast. Beautiful hiking day, warm and sunny. Met a guy who fell and broke his finger at the tip – it landed between two pieces of root and snapped. He had to hike 4 miles to Erwin to get it patched up, then he got back on the trail.

I also ran into Chopper, a guy I met through an online blog who started the same day I did and lives in Virginia. He started in Virginia with his brother and his niece, and is flip-flopping: hiking south to the end then going back and hiking north from his starting point. We enjoyed catching up then both went on our ways. Hopefully I’ll see him later on the trail.

At lunch time, I hit some trail magic – pancakes and hotdogs. In the afternoon, met up with Amber and her dog Theodore again. We hiked together to Cherry Gap Shelter, where I stayed the night. Ran into Angel, Crunch, and Cody. Good day, made it 17 miles.

Monday morning I got up and left early. I had a big hike up Roan Mountain, the last 6,000 foot mountain until New Hampshire. Hiked many steep “ups” to the top. No view here, it was treed in. I stayed at the Roan shelter near the top, another 17 mile day. At this shelter ran into Vinnie, Bear Claw, Slim Rims, Alpaca, Mud Puppy, Andy, Dirty D, Buckles, Five Star, and Crunch again.

Tuesday I had another great hiking weather day. Hiked up and over beautiful balds – Round Bald, Jane Bald, and Grassy Ridge Bald. Not a tree anywhere around on the top, which stretched for a few miles. I felt like I was in the Sound of Music, could see a long distance, beautiful mountains everywhere. Thought I was at the top when I crested a hill, only to find out it kept going up. It looks much flatter in the pictures, pictures just don’t show how it is. Standing at the bottom I was looking up to Hump Mountain in the distance, and it was most definitely UP…straight up!

Hiked 16 miles Tuesday, then stayed at Wilder Mine campground. Met up with Slim Rims, Andy, Firecracker, Kodak, Dr. Koolaid.

Wednesday I set out to do another 16 or so miles. Met two ladies, Mountain Goat from Australia and Finch from Germany, who were taking a coffee break off the trail. I enjoyed a short coffee break with them then kept going.

After that I got to a place where we had to detour around a forest fire by hiking down a parallel service road. The ranger told us it was shorter, but it still took me well past my planned stopping point.

 

Someone marked the 400 mile spot

When I got to where the road joined back to the trail, I decided to stay there for the night after hiking 21 miles. It was about 6PM, and the firefighters were just then allowing hikers who had waited all day to continue through.

The next day, Thursday, I hiked through where the fire had burned. In some places it was still smoldering. Some places were burned intentionally to stop the spread, some places were the original fire…which I found out was arson, very sad. The firefighters worked hard to keep the trail open and to protect it, very thankful for them.

My original plan was to hike to Hampton, TN and meet Mary Thursday night, but she couldn’t get there until Friday and I was past that anyway. So I adjusted to stay at Watauga Lake shelter. On the way passed a cooler with ice cold root beer, so stopped to enjoy one. Then passed a sign warning of bear activity in the area, so I could not camp where I planned to stop.

Met up with Spiderman and hiked with him to the beach at Watauga Lake, where we meet up with TrekARoni, who shared some pretzels with us. He carries a 65-pound pack, inspires me that my 40-pound pack is not too bad. He got his name because he carries pepperoni sticks taped to his hiking poles. Enjoyed a short break with them then headed out because it looked like rain and I wanted to get set up before it started.

we all do this often: check the map book.
Where am I??

I planned to stealth camp (camp in a place other than a shelter) as soon as I passed the bear activity area to beat the rain. But I sensed the Lord telling me to keep going to the next shelter. It was hard to tell how far I had to go because the signs weren’t as good in Tennessee, and not as many of them. Usually the shelters are full by 5PM or so, and I knew I wouldn’t get there much before 7PM.

The last mile or so felt like it took forever but I finally arrived at Vanderventer Shelter. The shelter held 6 and they had one spot left, which I quickly grabbed to stay out of the rain. The people there were people who remembered Mary from the last time she did Trail Magic – Sweeper and his daughter Caboose, Foodbag, and Seabiscuit – and they thanked us for it again. I told them she’d be set up the next day about 11 miles out – they were very excited so I called Mary to tell her about the food they enjoyed most so she could make sure to bring it.

That's my pack on the far right, last spot!

Rained Thursday night so I was very thankful to God for encouraging me to keep going and for the shelter spot. People came in later and camped all around, some of them crowded into the shelter on the floor. We heard from them that we were in a bubble: a large group of hikers camping in one general area. Many stealth camped; they all had to hike longer to get through the bear activity area.

Friday morning I started out early again, and hiked part of the morning in the rain. I was worn out from my two back-to-back 21-mile days at the end of a long week, and some of the people hiked past me.

Picture courtesy of Foodbag. We were all soaked!

Mary got there at 11AM, right before the rain. Seabiscuit helped her set up an umbrella she borrowed from a friend (thank you, Robin!) and get ready for the rain. Mary wondered where I was because I told her I started out first and some of them arrived before me. By the time I got there it was raining steadily and we were all soaked. It was a good time to stop, rest, and eat to get out of the rain – there was also a small overhang on a sign in the parking lot. It always feels good to get picked up for a night or two off the trail.

Seabiscuit, me, Foodbag (seated), Caboose, Sir Eats-A-Lot, and Sweeper
(sorry, Mary posted this and forgot the other names)

 

 


Spiderman, TrekARoni (65-lb pack), and me.

On my zero day, we did laundry, went to see an inspiring movie, and enjoyed an awesome dinner at a small Italian restaurant. Very relaxing and much needed day of rest. Then back to the trail Sunday morning.

Another week finished, feels good. I’ve seen trails that go straight up and back down, and trails that wind back and forth for an easier climb. I prefer the second type, and so does my knee. Continue to enjoy God’s beautiful creation surrounding me every day.

I hiked across the NC – TN border for my last time in NC. Two states down, 12 to go. And TN will be behind me this week when I cross into Virginia on Monday. As you are reading this I’ll be enjoying a nearo (near zero, short hiking) day in Damascus, Virginia, also known as Trail Town USA.

Inspirational sign

Someone told me they didn’t want to live for the zero-days (no hiking, day of rest) but they wanted to enjoy every day on the trail. I’m still working on that because my body likes the zero days and looks forward to resting…especially when Mary picks me up. I’ll see her again in a few weeks, somewhere near Pearisburg, VA.

Thank you all for your support, encouraging comments, and most of all, for your prayers. I am very blessed!

I'll leave you with a few more pictures of the many paths I've walked along the way. Spring is coming to the mountains!

An unusual shelter

(This is Mary, one more picture. Don has lost a bit of weight and gained some scruffiness. Hope he doesn't mind me sharing, I think he looks great!)