Day 64-Going Wading, and a Tooth of the Dragon,

May 21-16.8+1/3 mile road walk+.4 blue blaze-AT Trail mile 704.6

Yep, that’s right...crossed the 700 mile marker!

Crappy photo, but hey it’s the best I could do. 

Crossing the 700 marker was just a very small part of the day. The rest of the day was far more...adventurous. 

Well, let’s start at the beginning shall we? Of course, it was raining for the third day in a row. Everything was wet. We had decided to go to Four Pines Hostel, with the opportunity to do laundry. I couldn’t bear to put on my wet pants and hoody again, so I just hiked in my long underwear, and my stinky pink shirt. I saved my t-shirt and shorts so I would have something to wear at the hostel. I also didn’t wear my waterproof socks, which ended up being a good move because just about the first thing we had to do was wade across the flooded river. It was up to my knees. Fortunately, Dusty was in front of me. She went first, and I followed. She did a video that I’ll put on Facebook. Oh, and the water was cold!

At least this one had a bridge. 

I was happy to climb because that meant no more river crossings. There were still several streams of water, one was even the trail. 

The trail crossed this one. 

The trail was this one!

I trudged along getting progressively wetter. For a time, I couldn’t even take photos because my finger wouldn’t operate my phone. Once I warmed up a bit going uphill, I got this one. 

More blooming Laurel. 

The main trail feature for today was Dragon’s Tooth. Truthfully, I wasn’t going to do the blue blaze to the Tooth. I was just too tired, wet, and cold. But, when I got to the trail, the sky had miraculously brightened (it was still raining, of course). Before I could change my mind, I dropped my pack, grabbed my poles, and walked (like a drunken sailor with the weight off my back) the .1 to the Tooth itself. 

The Tooth they call Dragon’s

Up closer

The area next to Dragon’s Tooth. 

I was really glad I did the blue blaze because if I hadn’t, I would have been so mad at myself considering what followed. 

Oh...that doesn’t look good...

Don’t know if you can tell, but that is a drop off. See the rocks on the right? That’s what I climbed down. I threw my trekking poles down, and basically slid on my butt. 

I came down those...with my pack on my back. In the rain and wind, those rings were pretty slippery. 

Coming down from Dragon’s Tooth was the longest.7 miles of my life! In fact, I think my life flashed before my eyes at least once every tenth of a mile (I’mgonnadieI’mgonnadie)!

Dusty and I had left before Sure Foot was awake (we tried to tell him we were going to Four Pines Hostel instead of Pickle Branch Shelter, but he didn’t hear..I had Rafiki give him the message). Sure Foot caught me at the last mile. 

We got to the road and did the 1/3 mile road walk to the hostel. Primo applauded as we walked up the driveway. It’s a full house here at Four Pines. 


All the bunks are full tonight! Dusty and Biscuit saved bunks for Sure Foot and I. Primo even moved to the top bunk (Dusty did the same for me) so Sure Foot could have the bottom bunk. 

Tomorrow we are shuttling to Daleville, then hiking south back to here (2 days). Our reason for doing that is because the creek is flooded (chest high to get across it) not far from here. By the time we get back, the water should be lower...we hope. 







Comments

  1. tacomatenMay 22, 2020 at 12:04 AM

    Colleen, this is John Welsh. You are in my neck of the woods. Spent a lot of time on I-81 while going back and forth from DC to Knoxville for 10 years. Also the Shenandoah valley is one of my favorite places. Also spent time in most cities up and down that road.

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