New Trail: Damascus, VA to Atkins, VA

Date: May 29 - June 2, 2013

Where: Damascus, VA (east of Abingdon), to Atkins, VA (Groseclose Exit 54, I-81)

Weather: Start sunny and pleasant through day 4 which changed to rain

Length: 75 miles (D1 - 15, D2 - 17, D3 - 20, D4 - 11, D5 - 12)

Elevation: Damascus (2000), Lost Mountain Shelter (3400), Buzzard Rock (5080), Mt. Rogers Side Trail (5490), Wise Shelter (4430), Trimpi Shelter (3030), Partnership Shelter (3260), Atkins, VA (2420)

How much medicine is appropriate to take for pain on the trail?

If you have been keeping up with my recent blogs you know the story leading up this hike. If not, go check them out. After the outcome of my last hike in the Smokies (did not finish my original plan, but going back to finish in July), I was anxious about how my hips and knees were going to feel on this hike. I had been using ibuprofen as an anti-inflammatory in the past with reasonable results. Naproxen had been recommended by many on and off the trail for pain due to inflammation of the sort one would expect to encounter, but up to that last hike I did not feel like I needed something that strong. I decided that on this hike I would get out ahead of the pain, and take naproxen prophylactically: 2 in the am and 1 at night, the recommended dosage. I had been using it some beforehand to see how I would tolerate it.

Day 1: M and I split (she headed for Richmond) near East Laurel Avenue and the Lazy Fox Inn about 9:30a on Wednesday. I hiked out of town planning to travel 163 miles, all the way to Pearisburg, VA in 12 days (11 nights). I was carrying a moderate load (35#) including my one-man tent and lots of food (but not enough for the full trek) and feeling pretty good. My plan was to hike about 10 miles to the first shelter north of Damascus and see how I felt and then decide if I wanted to go further. I arrived at the Saunders Shelter by 1:30p feeling really good and with only 5 miles to go to the next shelter, Lost Mountain, I decided to push on. I had met Sis on the up hill pull out of Damascus, chatted for a bit and found out she was headed for the next shelter. I arrived before 5:00p to a large crowd that got bigger, since there were still many NoBo thru-hikers on the trail. I experienced good food, good company, and had a good sleep (those new leggings worked great in conjunction with my lightweight fleece sleep sack).

mountain laurel

rhododendron

AT and Creeper Trail ensemble

I met a thru-hiker at the shelter named Enoch, who asked me about me trek. When I told him I was a section hiker and had hiked 15 miles on my first day back on the trail, he paused and said that was a pretty good start, and asked what was I planning for tomorrow? I replied that since I was ahead of plan I would take it easy and maybe do 12.2 miles to the next shelter. He thought that was a good idea and curious about how much I felt I could hike in a day consistently. In my mind I feel like I can do 15 to 20 per day.

Lost Mountain Shelter
Enock with beard at table

Day 2: Since I was feeling so good and ahead of plan, I began to wonder if I could shorten my hike by a day and end on Saturday week. With an early start, if I pushed a bit on this day that would be a possibility. So like yesterday, I planned to hike to the next shelter and then see what was what. The hike was primarily in open country, Grayson Highlands, resembling the Scottish Highlands: very rocky with lots of ups and downs. I was feeling a bit weary after 12 miles but with plenty of daylight, 5 more miles to the next shelter seemed doable. So off I went. Those last 5 miles were very difficult, again rocky and uneven. I had to watch every step, but did pause frequently to take in the sights.

Easy start but rocky thereafter

Following is a video from Buzzard Rock, the best overall view of the day. The peak of Mt. Rogers does not have a view so it is usually passed by after the prior spectacle.

Color in the Highlands

Trail to Mt. Rogers (off the AT)

Multiple ridges to the west

Typical outcropping

Wild (?) ponies

So I pulled into an empty Wise Shelter about 5:00p after 17.2 miles and my feet were starting to talk to me. I checked them out and doctored some manageable sores. Soon thereafter, some thru-hikers presented themselves and then pushed on down the trail. Enoch showed up and the first thing he said was, "So much for an easy day. What are you trying to do, kill yourself?" He had a point: what's the hurry. But I had completed in two days what I had planned for the first three. Pretty impressive. Sis showed up a bit later and we had the shelter all to ourselves, as some thru-hikers were camping a few yards down the trail. Another night of good company, good food and a good sleep. Enoch, Sis and I had a conversation about taking anti-inflammatories while hiking. I commented on my prophylactic regimen. Enoch, wise man that he is, said he did not like to take medicine because he wanted his body to talk to him. Pain means something and he dislikes masking it. He stated that if he were to take naproxen he would feel so good he could do 25 miles on his head, but pay for it later. Was I listening?

Wise Shelter - who is wise?

Day 3: I definitely wanted to slow down a bit but did get out of the shelter early so I would have options. Both Sis and Enoch were still rising when I left. Still feeling pretty good, but my feet were sore. My plan was to hike to the Hurricane Mountain Shelter just 10 miles away and see how things were progressing. If I pushed past this shelter I had two options: the first was a campsite 7 miles past or the next shelter another 10 miles. Again I got to the shelter and felt pretty good and had time to push on, so I did. Somewhere before the campsite, I stumbled a bit and turned my ankle, not severely but I could feel some discomfort, Usually what I do in those circumstances is to take it easy for a bit to see if it goes away. I was not limping but I could feel a little pull the rest of the day, but it was not slowing me down. 

Things may not be what they seem.

Even the most up-to-date trail information can be misleading. Sis had decided she was going to tent at the campsite and so I knew there would be company there so I set my sights on it and pushed on. There was a pretty steep ascent so by the time I reached the top I was ready to stop and it was getting close to 6:00p. The trail markings for the campsite were somewhat confusing but I deduced where it was from maps and other information. I found the turn off and headed downhill to the campsite. First action was to see if there were any dry level spots for a tent (nothing promising), and second to check out the spring (I had just about finished all my water). I realized that the spring was basically a marsh with only an oily looking shallow pool surrounding by boot sucking muck. As I was pondering the situation, an onslaught of mosquitos arrived. In short order I determined that this was not a habitable campsite and that I needed to get back on the trail as fast as possible and hike the remaining 2.5 miles to the Trimpi shelter. The terrain was not too bad so I made good time but still arrived at 7:30p completely done in. All my thru-hiker buddies were already in the area; they had all passed me sometime during the day or while I was down in that swampy hole. I had hiked 20 miles when I had originally thought about 10; what is going on? I was worried about Sis and what she would do when she saw that campsite. I put my head down on the table in front of the shelter and just crashed. After a bit I organized my stuff in the shelter and met Little Bird, a youngish girl from the Central states already in her sleeping bag with Peppy, her sheep dog in residence as well. I saw Enoch again and he gave me the same quizzical look. I was now significantly ahead of my original plan, but now I knew I had to slow down. My feet were really sore and I had expanded a blister on the ball of my right foot that I thought I had taken care off. I ate and crashed but the balls of my feet were pounding. I swore I would only hike 10 miles to the Partnership Shelter the next day. Sis came in just before dark and had completely missed the turnoff to the bad campsite. We were glad to see each other safely in a hospitable place.

Trimpi Shelter

Day 4: I took it really slow in the morning, knowing that I only had 10 miles to go today and Little Bird had already told me she was taking a half day. The Partnership Shelter is within a few hundred yards of the Mt. Rogers Visitor Center and Headquarters, close enough to Marion, VA for pizza delivery. It had a solar shower, piped water, and a beautiful privy. That's all Little Bird talked as we leapfrogged each other through the morning. We arrived about the same time to find a group already in residence, led by Sawyer (he saws logs in his sleep), a 40 something guy with Tourettes Syndrome (self-proclaimed and obvious), a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics and vocalizations and often the compulsive utterance of obscenities. His story is too long to tell, so if you want to hear it give me a call (804-543-6379). It suffices to say that I had not been called the names applied to me that day since I was in college. He was not malicious but could be significantly intimidating if you did not know what was going on. How many times do you get called a mother- f__ing son-of-a-bitch" before you realize he is just saying: hello, I like you. I soon was able to translate his outbursts (must be those Rosetta Stone french lessons) and engage in meaningful interaction. His entourage consisted of a variety of trail hobos and groupies. He had resources so he an an accomplice had hitch-hiked into Marion and brought back the mother load of food for all to enjoy. When Little Bird and I arrived around 12:30p there was a mountain of food on the table and someone in the party grilling hot dogs. Harsh language aside, we chowed down. After a shower and sorting out of stuff for the evening, we walked up to the Visitor Center to check things out. Now my feet are really hurting, especially my right one which was the foot with the turned ankle connected to it. Sis showed up and met her sister in order to take a "zero day" (no miles). Enoch passed through and hitch-hiked into town. Little Bird and I ordered a large pizza, breadsticks, and salad. What a feast. We passed on the grilled chicken a la Sawyer; the chicken had been sitting out practically all day since they returned from Marion. The weather so far had been good, no rain, moderate temperatures, but things were going to change. So I had a phone conversation with M and got the hour-by-hour forecast for Atkins, VA, a wide place in the road at an intersection of US 11 and I-81, 10 miles away. Rain would build throughout the day so getting there and taking a day in town was a distinct possibility. I had become more acquainted with Little Bird and Peppy while we shared a pizza and we had similar hiking plans. Before going to bed I had my foot up on a bench at the shelter and one of Sawyer's groupies looked at the ball of my foot and said, "Man, that don't look too good." Another throbbing night.

A hiker friend up ahead 

Partnership Shelter - a palace

The Upper Deck - comfy and quiet

Sometime during Day 4 the lens movement of my camera started sticking when I turned it on; no more Hank pictures.

Day 5: I decides to get up really early and head out with a cold breakfast; no time for cooking. I wanted to get ahead of the rain and the skies were threatening. I got my trailrunners on and the feet seem OK for now, tender but manageable. So I hightailed it and by 10:00 the rain began in earnest. Now another feature of Atkins, VA is the Sunday buffet at The Barn, an establishment just off the trail. The buffet is open from 11 to 2 and the place closes at 3. Buffets area a favorite of thru-hikers. So there were many reasons to get to town on schedule and I was sure that I was not going any further this day either and would take a room at the Relax Inn, also just off the trail. With a steady rain my feet became soaked; Gore tex is for the birds, if you stick your foot in a bucket of water with anything less that waders on your feet are going to get wet, and the waterproofing makes drying your boots difficult. The trail as it winds down from the mountain ridge plows through much tall grass so everything from waist down is drenched. I was not having fun at this point and all I wanted to do was get to the Relax Inn, dump my stuff, get some lunch, and rest. Little Bird, Peppy, and I arrived simultaneously at the Relax Inn and I knew she was planning on staying there. There were a half dozen other hikers thereabouts. We decided to share a room to save some money and have a little company through the afternoon and evening. She said that during her hike she had shared many a room with some random hiker dude and was used to it. Peppy was her comfort. The buffet was good; I cannot remember the last time I ate chicken-fried steak - I ate two plus a ton of other vittles for $7.99. The ball of my foot was really sore now and I was favoring it. While we were going into The Barn, Sis showed up and we chatted for a bit. I was rubbing my ankle and she asked if I was alright (she is a nurse). I said I had tweeked my ankle and she gave it a look. "Did you know it was swollen?"; "Uh, not really"; "Does it hurt if I push here?"; No."; "Good, no blood clot"; "Phew." What next?

The Barn

Change in Plans.

So after lunch we went back to the motel, washed clothes, took a food inventory, called home, relaxed. I started taking a closer look at the foot, since now I am hobbling around. The blister on the ball of my foot is larger still and an angry purple color underneath. Is that a bruise? The ankle was swollen and hurt as well. I had already talked to M and told her where we were and what we were doing. A fellow hiker about my age was out front of the motel under the overhang and we started talking. He asked about my foot and ankle and said I should consider taking a day completely off to see if the swelling would go down. We talked some more and then I talked with Little Bird and she was concerned about the bruising under the blister as well. Up until then I had not considered taking a day off and just resting; I was over a day ahead of my original plan and had already hiked 75 miles. When I told the guy that I lived in Richmond 4 to 5 hours away. He opined that if he were me he would just go home and rest there instead of staying holed up in a cheap motel. I also began to consider the fact that one day was probably not going to be enough rest. So I called M and we planned that I would call her the next morning very early and let her know if my situation improved enough where I could take an extra day at the motel and then continue on. She was prepared to come at anytime to pick me up. At this point I was pretty down, but then realized that I was just experiencing difficulties like any other long distance hiker, so I decided that this would be an experiment in recovery. How long would it actually take for the ball of my foot to improve and the ankle swelling to subside? I would find out by sitting in my Poyang chair in the Garden Room at home in Richmond with my foot and ankle raised and iced and not at the Relax Inn. Things settled down in our room and I slept a blissful sleep in a comfortable bed with a watchdog in the next one. Little Bird and Peppy were good company and help be deal with my ups and downs that afternoon and evening.

Relax Inn - a hiker Paradise

Day 6: The ankle looked a little less swollen but I could hardly put weight on the ball of that right foot. So I confirmed with M early that I was coming off the trail and she hit the highway to retrieve me. We enjoyed a comfortable ride home. End of hike, a bit prematurely, but a reasonable effort.

So what happened? The combination of prophylactically taking naproxen in order to alleviate the expected pain in my knees and hips (remember the Smokies) and a desire to eat up those miles and finish a day early (to impress whom?) conspired to make me feel really good (I had no appreciable hip or knee pain) and hike more than my body was conditioned to do. Enoch was right from the get-go, I was starting out too aggressively and I had medicated myself so I did not realize the extent of what was going on with my feet and I bruised the crap out of the right one. On that rainy day my feet were swollen (I did not know it)  as well as my ankle and that caused no shortage of abrasions from too tight boots. When I got home they were not pretty to look at.

So what lessons? Consider my limits intelligently and realistically, take pain meds when appropriate and be aware of what my body is telling me. It took nearly a week for the swelling in my ankle to go down and I can still feel ankle tenderness and the effects of that bruise now two weeks later.

What's next? M and I are going to Asheville in July and I am going to complete the Smokies' hike I did not finish in April. I have planned a leisurely trek that I am not going to speed up just because I feel great and somehow think I am "the Man of Steel" when in fact I am a reasonably fit, but nearly 64-year old section hiker with more time to spare than most. Just take it easy Hank; you will have more fun in the long run (or should I say hike?)