Monday, June 7, 2010

Day 55: Leaps and Mountains

Up with the hot sun on our tents. It was gonna get warm today. Sandbagger showed up in a car with one of his friends from home who was going to hike a few days. Achilles was ready to go, so he got a ride with them back to the trail head. We'll see them up the trail. I gathered all the laundry together and headed to the laundromat and caught up on the blog while I ate breakfast and charged my phone and waited for clean clothes. It was nice and cool in there.

When I got back to camp, Moped was on his way off to the trail and the rest of us organized and lounged. It was really nice in the shade. At 10, we walked over to the library for internet services. We spent time taking care of our business before doing final pack ups and hang outs at the camp.




Little Foot organized a ride back to the trail head with Amy, one if the nice ladies working at the Grocery Express. She got off work at 2, so that's when we met up with her. She said she's always taking hikers back. Thanks Amy!!

Back at the trail head, at the Foot foot bridge, we dropped our stuff and went to go play in the water once again. I wasn't so sure I'd be getting wet before hiking, but it was Little Foot's plan all along to jump again before leaving. Oh, and Xan still hadn't jumped off...


So we went over to the far side of the bridge, back where we were yesterday and went jumping again! Of course I ended up going again, too, but it was nice and warm out in the sun, and I knew I'd be sweating soon anyway. We all did a few jumps and Xan went, too (despite a slight fear of heights...). Neutron, Little Foot and I did one last jump all at the same time (and Xan recorded it beautifully on my camera) before staying out of the water to dry off a bit.

Then it was finally time to hike. 4:15pm. We are all kinda liking this late hiking, cooler weather deal. (Though I don't want to be caught night hiking too too much - you just can't go as fast and the risk of ankle twisting is much much higher...)

Tough climb at times coming out of the valley. Heavy pack, too. I don't talk too much about the actual hiking too much anymore, but please remember that it happens for hours most everyday. Yes, there's a lot of fun during breaks, at camp and in town, but the majority of my time is spent walking up and down mountains and sweating and gulping water. I was not feeling it going up those hills today. The heavy pack (5 days of food) was making my feet, ankles, knees and back more sore than usual. I must eat lots of food in the next day or two. Big breakfast tomorrow.




Amazing views over the James river at spots where the trees would break, and I saw at least 4 deer - two of them could've cared less about me. We all summited right at sunset. It was a beautiful, dramatic sky, but the cool winds were blowing in. Got a bit chilled for the last mile and a half, but made it to the Punch Bowl shelter before I needed to get out my headlamp. We ate in the dark (trying to be quiet since a few folks were already sleeping), and now it's bedtime. Not too many miles today, but a nice relaxing morning and afternoon. Tomorrow will be more like a normal day perhaps....?

(11.1)


-- Posted from the trail...

Location:Punch Bowl Shelter

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