Rain, Zero Days, and 26-Mile Day

Stats: Friday night 5/20, MM 795.5
(68 new miles, 804.3 total miles)

At Natural Bridge

I’ll start the week with good news: the doctor checked my feet, including x-rays, and nothing is fractured. I have a bit of arthritis but other than that everything looks good. I’m cleared to keep going, thank you for all your prayers!

It’s been another somewhat rainy week. This time I was easily persuaded to take a mid-week zero day to avoid a full day of hiking in the rain. On the good side, the streams are running well and drinking water is plentiful. (Although I also look forward to removing the word "rain" from my blog titles!)

View from Taylor Mountain (Conductor and Fugitive)

Sunday I hiked 18 miles to Bobblets Shelter. Stayed with Fugitive, Conductor, El, California Chrome, Wonder Snake. Not much camping space, only 4 spots with tents right next to each other. Shelter was full, I had one of the tent spots. It was cold that day, high of 56, windy, but DRY.

Monday I hiked with Fugitive. After 9 miles, ran into a woman who invited us to a nearby campground for lunch. She had a store, served burgers, fries, and orange sherbet for dessert. After eating lunch, I felt SO tired and lazy. When Bunny and Hawk told us they were heading to Natural Bridge about 8 miles away, Fugitive and I decided to go there with them.




Can enjoy the beautiful scenery more when it's clear and dry

Another view from Taylor Mountain

Natural Bridge is a rock formation which Cedar Creek (a small tributary of the James River) has carved out a gorge in the mountainous terrain, forming a natural arch 215 ft high with a span of 90 ft. It is the remains of the roof of a cave or tunnel through which the creek once flowed.

Someone famous carved something in the bridge

Natural Bridge has been designated a Virginia Historic Landmark and a National Historic Landmark; lots of history there. Beautiful! Monday night they had a light show where they talked about the 6 days of creation set to a light display. We enjoyed our afternoon off.

Natural Bridge.
Our seats for the light display Monday night.

Tuesday the forecast was rain all day, so we decided to take a zero day and see the nearby caverns, about 34 stories underground. It didn’t feel like we were that far underground, enjoyed touring them. Also met Rich Galen, a political commentator, who was staying at our hotel. Good call to take off as it did rain all day.


 

Me, Rich Galen, and Fugitive

Wednesday it was drizzle, rain, and fog for most of the day. We planned to hike 14 miles, but had to keep going due to a bear alert at the shelter. So we pressed on and hiked a total of 26 miles to Matts Creek Shelter. Arrived around 6:30, my first 26 mile day! Met up with Two Chains, Bug Juice, Little Kisses…and…Moondog! He passed me while I was in Natural Bridge, and thanks to the 26 miles I caught up with him.




Picture taken at 11AM...video at 2PM

Thursday morning, more rain and drizzle. We had to hike about 14 miles to where Mary picked us up. We were so glad to get out of the wet weather! It’s not just the rain, but temps were in the 50’s so it was a COLD rain most of the week. We had lunch at a shelter about ½ mile from the pickup spot, hung out there for a while to get dry.

This bridge is part of the AT

Mary booked us a hotel about 45 miles away in Waynesboro, closer to Charlottesville for my doctor’s appointment. Moondog decided to zero with us, but could not get a hotel near us due to UVA graduation that weekend – everything was either booked Friday night or $200+ per room. So he stayed near where Mary picked us up.

A little Trail Magic Thursday morning

After dropping Moondog off, we saw Colin, another hiker I know. He was walking about a mile to Food Lion for supplies, we gave him a ride there and back, and picked up a few things for the weekend.

Our ride to our hotel was looonnnng because our GPS messed up. What should have been a 45-minute interstate trip turned into 1-1/2 hours of winding roads. Stopped for fast food on the way in, and settled in to unpack. First thing: unpack my wet stuff to let it dry out.



Car full of hikers...and one lovely driver

Friday morning we went to the doctor (thank you, Jesus, for the good report!), did laundry, had lunch, then picked up Moondog for resupply and dinner. Some of the people Mary knew from handing out Trail Magic both times were in Waynesboro (about 60 miles further up the trail) – Sweeper and his daughter Caboose, Foodbag, Sea Biscuit (who is heading home to Belgium), and Spiderman.

We picked them up at their hostel and went to a nearby Chinese buffet for dinner. Other hikers joined us, we had 14 people at our table. Food was good, enjoyed catching up with everyone.

Moondog, Sweeper, Spiderman, Sea Biscuit, Caboose (front),
Foodbag, Mary, Nailgun

Plan to see them all when they hike past our house in Virginia…except Sea Biscuit, who is heading home to Belgium this week. All in all, another busy and fun zero day. I needed both this week! 

I had a few more questions, thanks for asking them, one about shelters and one about equipment and what I’ve found that works for me. Didn’t get a chance to talk to Mary about the equipment, will do that next week.

Shelters are not much more than a roof with 3 sides, sometimes more closed in. They have a platform at the back for sleeping – sleep feet in toward the back, packs go next to the platform. They generally hold 6-8 people, but I’ve seen some that hold only 4 and some that hold up to 14 (mostly in the Smokies). In a heavy rain or when it’s really cold, people pack in and sleep on the floor. And yes, it can be noisy and hard to sleep with snoring, people getting up in the middle of the night, and people going to sleep at different times.

Many have a privy (outhouse) out back, most have picnic tables in front of them. Most have camping space next to them, depending on the terrain. They can be right on the trail or several hundred feet off the trail. Whether staying in the shelter or camping, you hang your food bag up – rope over a tree branch or on a pole near the shelter. Food in the tent or shelter attracts bears.

I’m getting closer to home, so next weekend Mary will pick us up and take us home for a zero day. I’ll be sleeping in my own bed! Can’t wait, and looking forward to seeing Mary’s parents. It’s only been 10 weeks since I left, but it sometimes feels like a year. I am very blessed to be able to live out my dream, enjoying my journey.

Happy Trails, everyone!