9-27-09 day 117
start: Sarver Hollow Shelter, VA
end: Bailey Gap Shelter, VA
daily mileage: 21.0
total mileage: 1529.2
Weather looked much better this morning. That did not however change the fact that we had to face the prospect of putting on soaking wet, cold clothes before we could get going. Once we braced ourselves through that hurdle the day went off great. After a quick 3 miles we got to see the huge Keffer Oak. Its the oldest oak tree on the southern stretch of the AT, and at 300 years old and about 6ft in diameter, it is awesome. As we took a short break underneath its venerable canopy we could feel a palpable sense of emanating wisdom, just like Rafiki's tree from The Lion King.
After the monsoon yesterday it was a welcome relief when the weather broke into a fantastic cool crisp autumn day. We hiked through a lot of nice southern farmland, complete with cows and donkeys. Fields can be nice but the wet grass soaks your feet, so we found a nice sunny spot for lunch and we able to dry out. The day seemed to drag kinda long but we have to make the miles to Pearsiburg tomorrow otherwise we will run out of food, so how's that for motivation.
When I did eventually make it to the shelter I met a couple of guys out for a few days. The one had thru-hiked last year. I sat around for awhile chatting and waiting for Disney, assuming he'd taken a wrong turn down a Forest service road or something. When he arrived he explained that he'd made the mistake of quickly asking an old man which direction the trail went, and grossly misinterpreting the request the gentleman launched into a 10 minute description of the ATs meandering from Maine to Georgia, thanks buddy...
We have to make 23 miles to Pearisburg tomorrow so we plan to get up a 5:30 tomorrow and get a jump on the day.
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