Day 87-Welcome to the AT Amusement Park. Please Keep Your Arms in the Car Until the Ride Stops.

June13-14 miles-Rod Hollow Shelter to campsite at Raven Rocks-AT mile 1008.9

Today we entered a section of trail known as The Rollercoaster. It is a 13.2 mile section (or so) of densely packed ups and downs. These ups and downs are known as PUDs (Pointless Ups and Downs).




PUD 1-The first up of the PUD was click click click of the trekking poles on the rocks...just like going up the first part of a rollercoaster. At the top, I put my arms up and said weeee all the way down. Okay, I didn’t really do that because there were many rocks, and I would have face planted in a hurry. 

Sure Foot in the car in front. 

PUD 2-This was the highest one. It went up to Piney Ridge. Was there a view? Not really. 

PUD 3-At the top of PUD 3 I heard a crashing in the woods. I caught a glimpse of black, and a bit of brown. I had stopped to pee. I could hear a huffing noise, and it was getting closer! I thought I’d better hurry up! About that time, the beast came bounding out onto the trail right in front of me! It was a German Shepherd! Seems it had taken itself for a hike, because no one claimed it as theirs. 

Just at the beginning of the descent on PUD 3 I came to the 1000 mile mark! There was a couple there named Jeff and Linda. They didn’t know what the marker meant. I was happy to enlighten them. Linda took my photo for me. 





Of course Flat Will and LB made it too!


Jeff and Linda-very nice couple. 

PUD 4-The non-PUD PUD. It was easy up, and easy down. 

PUD 5-Made up for the Non-PUD of 4. 

PUD 6-Definitely making up for 4. Steep up, and steep down. 

I know, hard to tell the steepness 

PUD 7-Much like 6, but a longer downhill. Stopped and ate my lunch at the creek crossing at the bottom. 

PUD 8-Not terrible, but still lots of rocks. 

PUD 9-Bears Den Rocks. This was the top of 9. There was a sea of humanity sitting out on the rocks. 

This was the least amount of people I could not get in the photo. There was trash, including a half full something from McDonalds. People are pigs!

PUDs 10, 11, and 12-So many people! It took me forever to do these because I kept having to stop to let the hoards of people go by. Even when I was going uphill, people would just keep coming. It was exasperating. 

At the bottom of Bears Fen Rocks


On the highway that i had to cross to start PUD 10. 

I thought when I crossed the highway that I would leave the people behind. Nope. Apparently, they were all heading up or back from Raven Rocks. When I got to Raven Rocks, Dusty and Sure Foot were there. We  were supposed to go another .2, but there was a good campsite here. 

The view from Raven Rock

Look at that house! What a view they have!

Apparently we are now straddling the VA/WV border. We all missed the sign (.2 back), but Dusty went back and got this photo. 


We still have at least one more PUD tomorrow to finish this rollercoaster ride. Hmmm...I’ve never slept on a rollercoaster before. 










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