Miles Hiked Today - 16.0
Total Miles Hiked on AT - 395.8/2,193 (18.04%)
Damascus (470.7) to Lost Mountain Shelter (486.7) - camp at Lost Mountain Shelter
Total ascent - 4,057’
Total descent - 2,622’
Total States Completed - 1/14
Coming to you live from the Lost Mountain Shelter. Really good effort today. 16 miles with 4,057’ vertical ascent. I hadn’t planned on going that far - but the weather was perfect and I just kept going. Temperatures were mid 30’s to start the day and warmed up to mid 50’s - perfect sunshine all day. Although I don’t like cold, RAINY conditions - I do actually prefer days like today for hiking. It takes less out of me with the cooler weather.
Great returns with the new shoes. My feet felt much better at the end of the day. I still have that heel pain - I think it’s just from the bruising that occurred with the other shoes. My calves were screaming at me during the first climb out of Damascus. I stopped a few times and massaged them. They simmered down after that for the most part. These are the main 2 issues I’m monitoring. I just don’t want them to get any worse.
I hiked by myself all day. I did run into a couple day hikers - and another snake. I was really happy to find Keeper (Beekeeper) and Dr Who at the shelter when I arrived tonight. Dr Who is out for a couple weeks to trial some gear. It’s only his 3rd day on the trail. He thru-hiked the AT in 2018. He plans to do it again this year - starting on May 1st. He will flip-flop — start in Roanoke, VA and head north. After completing the northern section at Katahdin- he’ll come back to Roanoke and head south to Springer. I think he has something there - he misses all the early cold conditions, starts in a flat area of the trail where he can gain his trail legs - and eliminates the big crowds at Springer to start. It’s definitely an interesting approach. He was going to give a presentation this year at Trail Days on this very topic.
We started a fire and talked for a couple hours. Camping is much more fun with a fire. A nice lawn chair and a cooler of pop wouldn’t be a bad adder as well. One can only dream. We were laughing how the AT followed “The Virginia Creeper Trail” for a few miles today. I guess this is a pretty popular trail that stretches quite a ways in Virginia. But — could you give it a different name! It doesn’t give you that peaceful, easy feeling. We thought of some other names: “The - Look Behind Your Back Trail”, “The - I’m Watching You Trail”, and of course “The - Most People Make it Out Alive Trail”. All good options.
Today was an enjoyable hike. I have target destinations - but I’ve decided I’m just going to take advantage of great weather days when I’m feeling well and have the opportunity. This next month should present some “green light” conditions. Hopefully I’ll be ready when they come around.
Here’s to being back on the trail. Wishing everyone a healthy, Happy Thursday.
I am welcome here
Nice views
Creeper Trail
I had to put on sandals to cross high flowing creek
Nice trail
Another non venomous snake #4
Big glowing water
Trail passes by some roads
First climb out of Damascus
Nice trails
River by the Creeper Trail
Big stream I had to cross in sandals
The Virginia Creeper Trail
Leaving Trail Town USA
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