Mile 634.6
Elevation 1,650
Miles Hiked 19.2
It rained part of the previous night, but by this morning it had stopped. It was overcast and somewhat foggy at the Wapiti Shelter. Creak, another hiker, and I left the shelter at the same time and fell in together. His hiking pace was just a little faster than mine, so I thought I would try to keep up with him.
As Creak and I hiked, we discussed a strategy for the days hike. Rain was predicted for the afternoon, and it was already much cooler than the previous day (low 50’s). With those facts in mind, we decided to hike to the next shelter, Docs Knob Shelter, and then make a decision on whether or not to go all the way to Pearisburg, VA. That would equal 18.3 miles on the trail and .9 miles into town.
The hike was strenuous. Right from the shelter we had a 1,400 foot climb. Then we went down 500 feet and back up 400 feet. There were several smaller ups and downs, too.
We reached Docs Knob Shelter at 12:30, rested a bit and discussed going on to Pearisburg. It was just beginning to lightly rain and the temperature was still dropping. We decided to go for it. About 1/2 hour after we left the shelter the rain started in earnest.
Most of the trail for the next couple of hours was uphill. As the rain picked up, the trail became a stream with all the rain water flowing down. There were many rocks and boulders in our path, which made for dangerous going. Nothing is worse than rain slicked boulders, rocks and thick mud on the trail. Coupled with a primarily uphill hike, it made for a difficult and dangerous hike. I can honestly say that I have not encountered such challenging conditions since hiking through the Smokey Mountains.
The last part of the day’s hike was a steep downhill hike into Pearisburg. We slipped, slid and sometimes walked until we arrived at the road to Pearisburg. From there it was almost a mile to get into town.
The motel at which I was to stay was full. A lot of hikers were coming off the trail to get out of the rain. We went to the only other motel in town. Creak and I got two of the last four rooms available. Before I left the motel office two more hikers came in and took the last two rooms in the whole, small town.
Checking in to the motel was nearly impossible. Both Creak and I couldn’t hold a pen, because we were so cold, wet and numb. The desk clerk had to fill out my registration card for me.
The room itself was awfull. It smelled of smoke, the linoleum floor was filthy, the chairs’ upholstery were torn and dirty. There were holes in the floor and bathroom was disgusting. I was happy to get the room. On the verge of hypothermia, I jumped into a hot shower.
We hiked just over nineteen miles from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, which is a fast pace especially in light of the conditions. It was good to be done. The day was over.
