New Trail: Atkins, VA to Sugar Run Gap (Road)

When: Sept 6 -10, 2013

Where: Exit 54, I-81, Groseclose, VA to Rt. 663 SW of Pearisburg, VA.

Weather: 5 days of partly cloudy to sunny skies; temps in the 80s in the days, 60s at night and dry, dry, dry.

Length: 78 miles northbound
Elevation Changes: The Barn, 2420; Tilson Gap, 3500; Knot Maul Shelter, 2761; Rt. 625, 2334; Chestnut Knob Shelter, 4410; Jenkins Shelter, 2421; Helveys Mill Shelter, 3139; Jenny Knob Shelter, 2684; VA 606, 2059; Watpiti Shelter, 2622, crest of ridge line into Rt. 663, 4030; Sugar Run Gap, 3450.

Day 1 (14m): In late May I planned to hike from Damascus, VA to Pearisburg, VA, about 165 miles. I only made it to Atkins, VA due to some foot problems (see previous post). Well, as Yogi Berra infamously stated, "Déjà vu, all over again." M and I had been to Asheville, NC to see folks and on the early morning return we stopped in at The Barn for a hearty country breakfast. Afterward she headed for home and I headed north at 9:30a with plans to reach the Knot Maul Shelter by late afternoon. I had planned this outing for 5 nights, 6 days and when I reflect now I still had not learned the lesson from my previous attempt to cover this ground. More on that later. I passed through some open country initially with high, wet grass. I was wearing my Chacos and socks and they got wet, which was part of the plan. If I had been wearing my trail runners, they and my feet would have soon been soaked, and previous experience says that would be trouble for my feet. More later. The scenery this first day was pleasing with more views than later days. I arrived to an empty shelter around 5:00p having puffed up a few hills, but feeling fine. Later two young SoBos came in and later still Pete from Florida showed up so there was good company that first night.

Wide Open

Romantic

One of two I saw on the whole trip

Thanks for mowing

Megan and Kirsten at the shelter

Day 2 (19m): I have encountered very few challenges with water on the trail, until this trip. With little rain in past weeks, many streams were dry and sources described in the trail guide where uncertain. I passed a few folks on the trail and to a person the exchange included comments about water availability ahead. I was carrying my tent so I was not limited to shelters to sleep but after a few streams near last nights shelter the water was iffy until Jenkins Shelter 19 miles away. When you are not sure what is between and comments suggest unreliable sources you have to plan carefully. Water is a backpacker's nemesis, weighing a pound a pint. I usually drink a lot of water at a source and then carry just enough to get me to the next, usually about a liter (2 #). There was a shelter 10 miles away but it was dry so if I had stayed there I would have needed enough water to last through two meals and into the middle of the next day. So I filled up my hydration bladder 2.5L (5#) and my extra bottle 1L (2#) for a total of 7 pounds of water. That is a huge burden for someone like me who carries a pack w/o food and water of less than 20 pounds and there was a serious uphill prior to the midway shelter. With my sights set on 19 miles I left my acquaintances at 8:00a, not quite as early as I would have liked given how much hiking was ahead. The day consisted of pounding out the miles, resting occasionally, passing a few other hikers, and seeing some lovely views from the open ridge line going up to the Chestnut Knob Shelter midday. I arrived to an empty Jenkins at 7:15p pretty whooped. Found the water, cooked, ate and bedded down to a solitary night.

One of a few blazes to guide the way on the bald

See the faint ridge just below the clouds?

Great, enclosed shelter, no water

Riley, David, and Brady: squirrel hunters

Jenkins Shelter

Did not see or hear any, thank God.

So, I had some choices for the day: I could have hiked the 10 miles to the Chestnut Knob Shelter at a more leisurely pace, taking in a bit more of the beauty of the bald, and slept in the comfort and security of the enclosed shelter with company (Pete overnighted there) and not have been too beat to hold up my head at the end of the day. But that would have added another day and night to my trip and. O what the heck, I was feeling good and I can do this stuff, right. No serious foot problems (yet?)

Day 3 (14m) This day consisted of hiking the 14 miles of relatively flat terrain with fewer concerns for water, but the trail guide did state that the water source at Helveys Mill Shelter was 0.3 miles down a steep set of switchbacks (and then back up), not something I really wanted to do. So I watered up at the preceding creek (good water) so I would have enough to hold me until the middle of the next day.  Met a few folks along the trail, but for the most part just plodded away on my own. Rarely a view, spent most of the day just below a rocky ridge with little to see. Arrived around 4:00p to another empty shelter. My feet were tingling and I had worked up a little blister (which I tended to immediately) just behind the ball of my left foot. No problem? And I am having so much fun?

Wild trail follows old roadbed

Laurel Creek Footbridge

Laurel Creek

A rare view

Glad he was not a rattler

I encountered this fellow in the middle of the trail. I was about 8 feet away when I noticed this guy which was too close to anything you might meet on the trail.

Access road to I-77 crossover

I-77 looking south 

I-77 crossover looking north

Another empty shelter

Day 4 (18m): So I had some options for this long day: I could have hiked the 10 miles to the Jenny Knob Shelter on a more leisurely stroll and added another day to my trek, but I really did not want to stay out another day and I had started anticipating checking in at the Wood's Hole Hostel (WHH) near Pearisburg and the terrain for today was again a relatively flat ridge line. So off I went with my sights on a camping area at Dismal Falls. The day proved uneventful except for the rockiness of the trail (this caused me foot problems when I hiked through Grayson Highlands on the previous Damascus hike). By the end of the day my feet were really starting to be sore and I now had a small blister on the left foot and the one on my right nestled between the balls of my feet had grown larger. I still was experiencing the benefit of wearing sandals: cool, dry, free. Sandals do have a downside: debris that sneaks in under a heel which requires digging out. I must try to figure out some kind of heel flap on the back to minimize this. I arrived at the campsite around 6:00p to the delight of some dry flat places to pitch my tent as well as the beauty of the falls. There was plenty of flowing water so I took the opportunity for a wash up. I could have taken a dip but I did not want to negotiate the rocks with my sore feet and trembling legs. I pitched my tent with no fly and since the majority of the tent is mesh I was basically under the open sky and later the stars. I had now finished the bulk of my hike with only a 22 miles left and two days to go. I should have been feeling euphoric with how much I had accomplished so far but there was an emptiness and lack of fulfillment. Had a good night's sleep though and awoke rested. I like my little one-man tent.

Dismal Falls with good swimming hole

Day 5 (12m): I got out pretty early and was really looking forward to spending the afternoon and evening at the Wood's Hole Hostel on Sugar Run Road and then meeting M in Pearisburg the next day. My feet were really sore at this point and those blisters were giving me trouble. With a rocky trail, especially the last down bit, I could really think of nothing else but putting one foot in front of the other. There is no going back; the only way to stop the discomfort is to push ahead to the end. It was a rough day with only a few views. I passed a few Sobos but had no meaningful conversations; everyone seemed to have their heads down grinding out the miles. Sobos thru-hiking from ME to GA are more than 3/4 finished, trail-hardened, and looking to the end of their trek. Hiking 15 to 20 miles every day without difficulty is routine. When I saw the Sugar Gap sign and directions to the hostel nearby, I was so relieved. I walked down the gravel road for about a half mile and there she was tucked into a hollow that broaden into fields and meadows below, a rustic and romantic collection of timber buildings and dwellings. I now only had 10 more miles of flat and down into Pearisburg; I was so close to finishing  this section. But that would not be the case. My feet were in similar distress as they were when I pulled up nearly lame at Atkins in May. I was the only guest that night, so I enjoyed a meal with the proprietors and went to bed in the house (not the bunkhouse). I awoke in the middle of the night to answer nature's call and as I hobbled to the head, I realized that there was no way I would be hiking later that morning, the same realization that prompted me to call M back in May to come to Atkins and take me home, in this case just 10 miles short of my goal.

Main house - Wood's Hole Hostel
Sugar Run Road

Day 6 (zero miles): When I decided to end my hike here I only had to call M and tell her to pick me up  here instead in Pearisburg, which I did in the morning. I breakfasted and helped out in the kitchen until M showed in the early afternoon. We were off to Orange for a few days to mow and check on other things.

Wood's Hole Hostel: for a more detailed description of my experience there see an upcoming blog post. The people and place were amazing and it was the perfect setting for me to end my hike, rest a bit, refuel, reflect, and renew. 

Reflections: Some things are predictable if you have the sense to consider the outcomes of similar circumstances.
Damascus hike distance formula: 15 + 17 + 20 + 10 + 10 = foot problems = quit hike
This hike distance formula: 14 + 19 + 14 + 18 + 12 = foot problems = quit hike
What do you think will happen if I plan a hike a month from now and in five days hike between 70 and 80 miles? Have I learned anything now? Yes, I believe so. I had a conversation (among many) with Neville at WHH where we discussed what I was doing on my hikes and what my goals were. After I described the events of the past five days she called me up short to evaluate what it is that I really wanted to accomplish and if it were meaningful. She stated that when I pushed the 19 miles on the second day, I set the pattern that would end my hike early, from a physical, emotional, and spiritual standpoint. I had decided that all I was going to do is grind out the miles so I could finish as quickly as possible, go to that nifty little webpage, log my miles, and be prideful of how much of the trail I had completed. Well, that set me up for boredom, loneliness, extreme fatigue, discomfort and no other feeling of accomplishment or purpose.  She said most wisely, "Hank, you need to have another purpose to engage in while you are hiking." I won't go into all the implications of that statement now, but the main repercussion is that my view of what I am doing is undergoing some major review and reflection. It is not enough, nor should it be, to just pound out as many miles as physically possible in a day and at the end have a feeling of fulfillment. I also now know, for sure, a recipe (formula) for failure when I hit the trail again. My tender feet (like those of most thru-hikers at the beginning of their treks), regardless of sandals or boots, will only take me so far so fast.