New Trail: Daleville, VA to Laurel Creek Shelter: Hank Hits a Wall

Old Man and a Stile

Date: Sep. 4 - 8, 2012, Who: Hank & Conor
Where: Daleville, VA to the Laurel Creek Shelter near Newport, VA. (Original destination was Pearisburg, VA - 93 miles)

Weather: Sunny, warm days, cool evenings, heavy rain on Day 2. Length: 55 AT miles (D1 - 15, D2 - 17, D3 - 10, D4 - 13, D5 - 4 back to access road). Elevation: Bounced around 1000' to 3500'.

Irish Trail Superman

Day 1: I met Conor on our last hike in PA and through FB we conspired to hike again when he reached Central VA. He is a thru-hiker from Ireland and did a flip so he has been to Katahdin In ME and is now hiking south to Springer Mt. in GA. So we met up again at the commuter parking lot near Rt 220 and I-81 and after a quick stop into a local outfitter to check the "hiker box" we set out at 11:00a to go 15m to the Campbell Shelter. For a variety of reasons (late start, early morning drive for Hank, full packs, etc.) I found the hike more challenging than I expected given the terrain and distance (not unlike stuff I did with vigor back in May). O well, chalk it up to a tough start.

Lunch Break

One of many great views

Is that a plaid kilt?

Day 2: Woke to misty moistness but enthusiasm since we were just a few miles from MacAfee's Knob, an especially interesting overlook on the trail.  I am feeling a bit weary, so Connor says, "Let me carry your tent and stove."  I resist but then think better of it; the added weight will not slow him but less weight will make my day easier. The weather did not bode well for a good view. We skipped breakfast and planned to eat on top and enjoy sights and heights.  Mother Nature had a different idea and we arrived in light rain and fog. We took a few photos and then high-tailed it to the next shelter for some weather relief and food.

Conor to Hank: move a bit more to the left 

Friends and Food

The day brightens a bit and we trudge off for the Pickle Branch Shelter with a planned stop at Dragon's Tooth, another sight to see on the trail.  I am seeming to have more difficulty keeping up a reasonable pace for me based on previous hikes; of course, Conor is trail-hardened and can scale heights with speed beyond my ability, but he is keeping an eye on me as we go along.  By the time we reach Dragon's Tooth it is 4:00 in the afternoon with 8 more miles to go. We decide to push on since we need water and there is no cover until the shelter. The terrain is steep in places, rocky, slow and wet and I take a tumble and bang up my left arm (no breaks). This takes the wind out of my sails but we plod on. A few miles out from the shelter full rain develops slowing us even further and darkness creeps upon us. Headlamps blazing we (or should I say "I") stumble into the shelter at 8:00 after having started at about 6:00a this morning and only 17 miles covered. Another really tough day. The shelter is warm, dry and cozy compared to the outside, so after a quick late meal we bed down. I am just not feeling like myself.  We decide to cut back our expectation for 17 miles tomorrow and do 10 to give ourselves (me) a break. Conor says that he considers these past two days categorically difficult even for him. Well, time will tell.

Dragon's Tooth

Day 3: We awake to better conditions and, with only 10 miles planned, take our time getting out of the shelter. I am feeling, for lack of better words, anxious, nervous, unsettled. I do not know if I am trying to justify my lack of trail performance when I say (more often than I would like to admit), "Something is just not right; I don't feel like myself, but I have no explanation for how I feel, just lacking the energy I need to keep a good pace." I did allow for the possibility that the trek could take longer than expected so finishing on Monday instead of Sunday is not a problem. The day goes a little better, the terrain is pretty easy but we still arrive into the shelter around 4:30p after some slow hiking uphill. We have time to relax, read, and eat.  But eating is starting to be a problem.  Conor is consuming massive quantities of food (5000 to 6000 calories a day needed to sustain a thru-hiker) and I am losing my appetite fast. I know I need to have fuel but after hydrating sufficiently, trying to choke down another peanut butter sandwich, Cliff Bar (I will probably never eat another one) beef jerky, oatmeal, or freeze-dried meal is a challenge. What is going on? Needless to say I am not enjoying this hike as those recently passed and "taking in the scenery" loses its glamour as I labor on. I realize that if I were not hiking with Conor I would have already given up at one of the roads we crossed, hitchhiked my way back to the truck and headed for home. Conor's a savior. We had many engaging and fulfilling conversations, getting to know each other more and enjoying those times, but even that part of the trip was affected by my malaise.

Can you see where we have been?

Day 4: The plan is to hike 13 miles to the Laurel Creek shelter just on the other side of Rt. 42 near Newport, VA just west of Blacksburg, VA. The day is beautiful, sunny, dry, and moderate. We hike through a variety of landscapes, including high grass, meadows, rocky ridges, and soft pine-needle-packed paths - a near perfect day. Conor is now carrying my tent poles as well and with a fair amount of food consumed by both of us our packs are lighter. I had hoped that a shorter day before would allow my batteries to charge up and make today easier; it was not. As we cross Rt. 42, a hard-paved road, with lane stripes and traffic I wonder if it would be a good idea to call it quits. From the road it is 4 miles up to the shelter over some beautiful meadows, farmland, many stiles, and once in the woods on the ascent, a decent trail. By the time we reach the shelter, I know that the end of the trip is in sight, little energy (I am not exhausted necessarily or gasping for breath, more drained), no appetite, but still well-hydrated. Conor and I discuss our options for tomorrow. At first he suggests just going to the next shelter (8 miles), or to the next road (gravel and not promising for a ride) or taking a zero day and hanging out at Laurel Creek, but now I am really concerned about stretching out my trip any further and skeptical that things will improve. I eat a little bit but spend most of my time lying down in the shelter, which by the way feels pretty good. During the night I am restless, disturbed, and vocal (according to Conor) which is unusual. At one point I have an alarming dream and wake up with the proverbial cold sweats - not a good night.

Expansive

Laurel Creek

Day 5: Even with a rough night I wake up somewhat rested, but convinced it is time to go back down the mountain to Rt. 42. It is Saturday morning and I should not have too much trouble getting a ride. There are people nearby who will shuttle you for a fee and I figure if the schedule becomes protracted I may call one of them. Conor reviewed with me the same options as last night, but I reject them all in favor of a 4 mile downhill to the road. After looking at me for a while, he agrees that this is best. I am feeling a bit more unsteady on my feet so he recommends he carry my pack down. We organize our stuff (he takes most of my remaining food) and when shouldering my pack says that he feels that the weight is good, meaning that I am not carrying more weight than I should be, again confirming that Hank is just not himself these days. Conor leaves his stuff with a note suggesting a a quick return. The day is beautiful and down we go and I am comfortable with my decision and feeling tolerable. We approach the road and find no cell phone coverage, but some houses nearby. He says that there is a better chance of two people being picked up than one and before long a 4-door extended cab pickup truck passes. Within a minute it returns and Beth asks if we are OK or need a ride. We explain and I jump in and Conor heads back up to the trail. I'll miss him. The tale is that Addison, the charming 4-year old helmeted girl in the front seat had asked her mom as she passed us what we were doing. Mom replied: they are probably looking for a ride. Daughter retorts: why didn't we pick them up. Guilt trip turns into road trip all the way to Christiansburg, Rt 11 & I-81 intersection, McDonalds, and it is only 10:00a. Young Briar is in the back seat and they are going somewhere nearby to buy a horse. Addison shares her Mickey Mouse app on her mom's mobile device. Things are improving. I stop in McDs for coffee and an Egg McMuffin seems appetizing so I try one. Not bad. The server gives me a white stiff piece of paper and I make a hitchhiking sign. Feeling better both physically and emotionally, I make my way down to the I-81 overpass of Rt. 11 and within 20 minutes Steve in a Merc convertible picks me up and takes me all the way to Daleville. Wow, Life is Good! Truck fires up on demand and I am off to Richmond soon after 12:00 noon.

Refections: Hiking with someone else is a good idea (but not always possible); a successful hiker needs to listen to his body, stay hydrated, and eat a ton of food; don't fall down - it hurts and it is mentally unsettling; I hope to see Conor again somewhere; there is no room for pride on the trail - take help when you need it; there is no place like home when you feel bad; trail wisdom is knowing when you are just tired from an exhausting but exhilarating trek versus knowing that something is wrong and care needs to be taken - sometimes just pushing through the pain is not advisable; I love the trail and all its wonder; I still did 55 miles - not bad for being seriously under the weather.

Epilogue: It is now one week past my return and I am feeling better. I visited Dr. Matt on Monday and they checked me out - all results are not in but there are a couple of possible explanations for my lethargy: minor respiratory inflection, left over from that cough I picked up on a mission trip in August; poor nutrition (I may not have eaten enough either before or during the trek); anemia; or just being a puddin'. I have a few more tests and maybe something will come back to explain the circumstances because I have just as much desire, if not more, to head out again soon. I suspect on the next trip I will plan an itinerary with shorter daily distances (I may not be able to do 17m a day right now). Maybe I will take a week and just hike shelter-to-shelter (average 8 to 10 miles per day) and just slow things down a bit; what's the hurry? By the way, I have completed just over 500 AT miles which is about 22% of the trail, so I am making some good progress. Let's just take it one day at a time.