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WEEK 7 - May 4 to May 10, 1981 |
May 5, 1981 (6:47 a.m.)
Am sitting at a table at the Church of the Holy Family Hospice in Pearisburg. Just fried three eggs for breakfast along with which I am having a cinnamony pastry and orange juice. Finally officially celebrated the 1/4 mark on the trail having wine with Joe the "Mill Hunky". I plan to take a full day of rest here having arrived from the "old Wapiti" shelter yesterday around 6 p.m. The hospice is a converted barn with hot showers, bathroom, kitchen (stove, no refrigerator), a study, central room, and sleeping loft. There is silverware and pots but curiously, no bowls, plates, etc. And it's all free for the first night. The only disadvantage is that it's on the opposite side of town from the trail.
May 6, 1981
It looked like rain yesterday and all day today but it did not start until late afternoon. Walked in a very light sprinkle the last couple of hours into Pine Swamp shelter. As I write, the rain has gotten slightly heavier. Carried too much food out of town, as usual. Saw a mustard plant of some type with wavy edged leaves and purple flowers. Also, may apples are in bloom and a plant with lily-like leaves and a flower resembling horse nettle, tomato, etc., stripped of petals. The overcast was too heavy for pictures so I hope I see some more on a sunnier day. The relocations in this section were poorly cut and cleared making them more difficult than they should have been. The entire section is rocky (the relocations loose and rocky) making the journey more difficult than one would surmise from the guidebook and maps (which are of questionable value in any case). I finally saw a wild turkey this morning. They are supposed to be plentiful but this is the first one that I have seen on the AT.
May 7, 1981
Stopped a bit early at the Big Pond shelter. I would go on a few miles but the next good camping is six miles away. I'm trying to keep a consistent twenty mile per day pace from here to Cloverdale so that I can be there on Monday for my mail drop. The shelters, however, are peculiarly spaced. Getting to Niday tomorrow, about 23 miles, may be difficult in this terrain. There was lots of azalea in bloom in this last stretch of trail, particularly around War Branch shelter.
May 8, 1981
A bad day all around. First I started from Big Pond with no water and hiked sixteen miles before finding any. Next I got myself cut off by a brush fire and nearly got fried. It was near a point midway between Niday and Newport. I would report it but there is no way to do so until tomorrow. On the brighter side, I finally got a picture of the flowers I have been seeing for the last week. Also saw another turkey today (and a turkey hunter).
May 10, 1981
Dragon's Tooth was spectacular but very touristy. Saw three mini-dragons on the rocks - the area is lizard filled. Almost made it to Lambert's Meadow shelter last night. Camped within a mile and a half. The day is rainy and the Post Office is closed so Cloverdale will wait until tomorrow. I have caught up to the Mill Hunky and his friend Carol who left Pearisburg the same day that I did but skipped forty miles. We have spent the day, along with two other long distance hikers, eating and swapping stories. There is supposed to be a black snake living here at Lambert Meadows ("Big Blacky") but we haven't seen him. The mice are strangely absent, though.