1981 Appalachian Trail Through Hike Journal

WEEK 6 - April 27 to May 3, 1981

April 27, 1981

Camped last night near a spring about 2 1/2 miles out of Damascus fearing that if I got to Damascus late I would not be able to find the hostel. Just the opposite is true. Damascus is a very friendly town. The first person that I met coming into town asked me if I knew where the hostel was and directed me to it. Everybody is extremly helpful and the town is large enough that I could buy the things that I needed, food, clothes, and, for the first time in ages, a real haircut. The hostel is an old house behind the Methodist church called "The Place". For $1.50 a day you get hot showers, refridgerator, and a foam sleeping pad. Here with me tonight are Dennis, Keith, Kate, Pete (a twenty mile a day plus through hiker), and a bicycler going cross country. Got absolutely stuffed at dinner for $2.80. Also, arriving by thumb from Elk Park was Rob (are there no purists left? Even Sugar and Spice hitched from Hampton).

April 28, 1981

Left Damascus this morning hoping to get at least twenty miles (I figured around Buzzard Rock) in order to be within shelter distance tomorrow night. As it happened I managed to get to Deep Gap, about 27.5 miles. At least this time the long day ended before dark. While climbing Whitetop, I saw some columbine in bloom. Arrived at the Deep Gap shelter and met Shell, the "Tin Man" who shared with me some ramps that he had foraged. Also here is Joe the "Dancing Bear" who was impressed that I could cover almost 28 miles in one day but more impressed that I could drink Lapsang Souchong tea. The walk along Whitetop Laurel Creek is scenic and the view from Whitetop/Buzzard Knob is the best since the Smokies.

April 29, 1981

Over the balds from Deep Gap to Old Orchard shelter. Quite a chore in the high winds. The rain was well timed, however, coming only at times when I was off the peaks. Sugar and Spice skipped that six miles and went on to Raccoon Branch shelter along with The Tin Man. They missed the famous(?) wild horses, but little else. The theme for the day could have been "The Farm Show". Fought my way through a herd of cows on one of the balds.

April 30, 1981

From Old Orchard to Trimpi shelter where I stopped due to the threat of rain - it didn't. Found out today that the Big Walker Mt. relocation that everybody has been dreading is not yet open. Am spending the evening here, accompanied for the second night in a row by Dancing Bear. Also caught up again with the Tin Man who has been joined by some of his family - a cousin and his son, Curt.

May 1, 1981

Learned a new bird call today. Shortly after lunch I sat a while and watched two scarlet tanagers. After a while I heard their call, memorized it, and identified it later in the day. Couldn't resist taking a picture of Big Walker Mt. from a nice little overlook. Have stopped at Glade Mountain shelter where a mob is beginning to form. (Yes, it's Friday night, again!) Among a multitude of others, there is a group of Cub Scouts who shared some ginger snaps with us. Found $0.06 on the trail today bring the grand total to $0.26.

May 2, 1981

A long and unusual 30+ miles today. Got up and walked without breakfast to a restaurant on Rt. 11 where I ate a large meal. I then walked another twenty miles and had a snack at the "restaurant" at the end of the section. (It turned out to be a junk food tourist snack bar.) Except for the climb up Big Walker Mountain, it was all extremely flat. The last ten miles were all, unfortunately, road walking. Sugar and Spice have vanished from the trail. Wonder where these two "though hikers" have skipped to now? Pete, who I met in Damascus caught up with me on Glade Mountain yesterday and started the day with me but pulled up short with a bad ankle. Hank, a local person who was at the shelter last night, gives the following suggestions for catching:

turkey - Use a rabbit box with the door propped open. Lay a trail of corn into the box. The turkey will follow the trail into the box and when it has eaten the last of the corn it will put its head up. It is so stupid that it is now trapped because it doesn't know enough to put it's head back down between the slats to escape.

grouse - Set an ordinary spring trap with a mirror as bait near a hollow log. After announcing his territory, the grouse will look in the mirror and attack it, taking it as a competitor in his territory.

May 3, 1981

Saw and photographed some unusual looking trillium. More road walking today - probably about half of the 20+ miles. The trail agrees with neither of the 1974 or 1981 guide books so an accurate estimate is impossible. I should be able to get at least close to Pearisburg by tommorow evening as it is only about 20 miles from here. I bothered to take the side trail to the Wapiti shelter which is not worth it unelss it rains tonight (which I doubt). The shelter is on a travelled gravel road and the spring box is broken (although water can be obtained just on the opposite side of the road). [Two hikers were murdered here later in the year.] Got lost today on a badly marked part of the relocation over Brushy Mountain. Spent about 15 minutes thrashing about until I found my way back to the trail. A mole crossed the trail while I was resting afterwards.