Hitchhiking and Night Hiking

Friday, May 15

Weather: partly cloudy

Miles travelled: 22

Total miles on AT: 792.0

I woke up to a chilly morning and my tent was totally dry, both inside and out. I had slept well. South Pole and I started hiking at about 7:30 and immediately had some really nice views and an easy gradual climb.

We hiked 14 miles relatively quickly. It was mostly downhill and my left ankle started hurting because the trail descended slowly down a long hill with no switchbacks, and it was slightly tilted, as usual for a climb or descent. Anyway, because there were no switchbacks, my left ankle bore the brunt of the tilt and ended up hurting pretty badly for a while. 

We crossed the longest foot-use-only footbridge over the James River to find Andreas waiting for us in the parking lot. South Pole and I needed to buy snacks so we decided to make a quick trip into town. The only way in was to hitchhike, so guess who ended up sticking out her thumb on a highway for the first time? Yup, it felt weird, and everyone looked angry, but after about fifteen minutes a man in a small two-door pickup stopped for us. His name was Mark and he was on his way to work. He was in a bit of a rush to clock in on time so he had to be quick with us, but I was so grateful he stopped. He worked at a heater factory and used to live in Florida, where he had his own body shop for 25 years. He also explained the awful stench as we approached town; turkey litter (turkey droppings), used to fertilize the fields. The turkey litter permeated the town and smelled absolutely horrific, no wonder it's such a small town.

He dropped us off in town and we went to the hiker pavilion, which was really nice for a free hiker facility. There was a shelter with six bunks and plenty of outlets, a hot outdoor shower, and a port-a-potty. We all showered, then stuck our clothes in a washing machine at a laundromat and had pizza and beer while we waited for the clothes to finish. Andreas must've drank a pitcher and a half of bud light, as though it was water. About half of our conversations are planning mileage and days left and so on, there are lots of numbers and averages involved. 

Our clothes finished and South Pole and I got our snack resupply at the dollar general while Andreas ate a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, his favorite. He told us that the same glue used to stick wallpaper to the wall is also used in ice cream, and if you eat too much of it you get diarrhea, so he only eats ice cream that contains the glue when he's hiking. 

We finally moseyed back to the road to attempt a hitch back, which turned out to be much more difficult than the hitch in. We stood with our thumbs out unsuccessfully for about 15 minutes, then Andreas went to the gas station to ask people and came running back to get us because he'd found us a ride. A guy in a big, old, diesel truck that was missing the tail piece in the truck bed, was giving us a ride back to the trail for $7. He was really nice and the three of us piled into the cab for the 20 minute ride. He was a local, and liked to hunt and fish. He warned us about brown recluse spiders and ticks and bears and told us to be careful.

We got back to the trail and hiked another two miles to the shelter, but I felt energetic from all the food digesting and suggested night hiking. South Pole agreed and we decided to go on, starting at 8pm. Andreas didn't have a headlamp and was comfortable at the camp behind the shelter. We didn't need our headlamps until 9, and then around 9:30 we summited the mountain and had gorgeous views of mountain peaks, the valleys filled with fog and glowing from the lights of civilization. It was surreal.

We wanted to keep hiking until 10:30, but at about 10 we saw a flickering light in the distance and then started hearing cracks of twigs and out of the darkness emerged a man in blue jeans and town shoes, carrying a lighter in one hand and in the other a jug of water and an open pocket knife. "Where did you come from?" Were the first words out of my mouth, startled by his appearance. I was sure I was going to die. He told us he'd left his pack to go get water and couldn't find it when he came back. He'd been severely dehydrated and was still stumbling around nauseous. He said his son had died the day before and he was trying to get away for the weekend before the funeral.

South Pole and I didn't know what to do, we were scared and distrustful but at the same time it was an awful situation for him so we spent an hour and a half building a fire pit and trying to get a fire started unsuccessfully. The short afternoon shower had left all the wood wet and we didn't want to stray too far from the trail or each other or our packs. Finally, he told us we'd done enough. He said he could get it started from there and thanked us, and I left him with snacks and feeling immensely guilty because we couldn't do more to help him. We thought we might see a news story the next day about a death in the woods, and it would be our fault...

It was dark and the fog was thick, which increased our sense of urgency and fear but it was already midnight and I was ready to collapse on a rock and just sleep, so I knew I couldn't go much further. An hour later, we reached a flat spot at a trail crossing that looked fairly unused. We walked a couple paces down the unused path and I looked up to see a hammock tarp. I turned around quickly and whispered to South Pole "someone's there". I was trying to think of the best strategy for camping. There was no way I wanted to hike another three miles to the shelter but I didn't want to disturb a sleepy hiker. A voice interrupted my thoughts, breaking through the silence and darkness "Tracie?" 

It turned out the hammocker was Tracie's friend, Semicolon. He was sympathetic to our ordeal and gave us permission to crash his camp at 12:30 am. He and Tracie hadn't seen each other since a brief encounter 400 miles earlier and since then he had yellow blazed a section in order to get to Katahdin in time; he was planning to return later on. He and South Pole caught up as we both hastily and gratefully set up our tents. I fell asleep quickly and slept hard, until 7:30 the next morning, far later than my usual 6. I was so happy to feel safe and comfortable again. 

Saturday, May 16

Weather: partly cloudy, evening rain

Miles travelled: 20.7

Total miles on AT: 812.7

After my late awakening (South Pole had been awake but waiting for me to wake up), we packed up as quietly and quickly as we could. Semicolon didn't wake up before we left at 8:20. We were walking slowly and were soon caught up by Andreas, who brought news of the stumbling weekender. It turned out he had started a fire and found his pack and was in a much better mood, grateful for our help. 

We took our time and had many breaks for snacks and water. It was hot and the bugs were once again rampant, setting a constant buzz around our heads and flying into our eyes and nose and mouth and ears. If you stopped, they would swarm you and the air around you would become gray. Any pictures I took had to be taken three or four times to get an acceptable bug-free picture. 

We passed 800 miles! It's incredibly satisfying to pass 100-mile markers so frequently because of our fast pace, and I wonder how my mental health will do once I have to go more slowly after Virginia. I know that now I have to make up for lost time at the beginning and for my slower pace when I hit harder terrain in the north. The further along I get, the more I realize that August 7th is really, incredibly close, and I'm going to have to keep pushing every day until then if I want to make it in time. Thinking about feeling exhausted every day is draining, so I try not to think of it too much or I'll end up taking three zeros just to screw my head back on properly.

South Pole and I often talk about numbers while we walk. It's our major topic of conversation; 5.4 miles to the shelter at 840.8, and then 2.2 to the overlook, meaning we'll be 9.7 miles from the campground, which would be roughly 5 hours at a 2 mile per hour pace, factoring in rough terrain and snack breaks...

After our last break, I was really feeling tired and I knew we had a long haul to the top of the mountain, so I told South Pole to go on ahead of me and put on my music and decided to just grind through without thinking too much about how far away I was. I got to the top of the mountain and was surprised by a beautiful grassy bald with flowery trees and a cool breeze. I turned my music off and strolled my way across, taking lots of pictures and pausing to grin madly at the bright green grass with the blue silhouettes of far away mountains behind. It was a magical moment and the rest of my hike was slow and peaceful and happy. I got to the campground at last, where South Pole was setting up her tent and swatting away bugs, moving quickly. Andreas had gone to get water. I took out my things and set up my tent and sat on the grass, smiling and not worrying about anything or even considering the bugs.

We had a fire and chatted with a couple staying at the campsite. They were scuba instructors from the Florida Keys and it was their first day on the trail. They were hoping to do a flip-flop (hike north to Katahdin, then return and hike south to Springer), and all of their gear was still creased and new. They both had the deer-in-the-headlights, eager smiles on their faces and lots of questions, very friendly. I suppose I might've been like that on my first day also...

Sunday, May 17

Weather: partly cloudy, scattered sprinkles

Miles travelled: 21.9

Total miles on AT: 834.6

I woke up to a very wet tent, but it wasn't raining and I had to get out to pee anyway, so I got up and packed my things. Andreas left half an hour before South Pole and I, saying as usual "I don't know if I will see you again, but if not then I will email you from my hotel room, and you are welcome to join me." This has become a ritual for us.

We made good time and saw Andreas at the first shelter, taking his break. There was a day hiker there who had been trying to thru hike for six years but hadn't been able to because of finances. He had some deet-free lemon eucalyptus bug spray that he shared with us, and it worked wonderfully against the bugs. 

After the shelter, we made a .1 mile detour to Spy Rock, which included a fun rock scramble (we left our packs in bushes next to the trail), where we sat for fifteen minutes in the breeze, enjoying a rare moment of cell phone service with a nice view. 

The afternoon moved slowly as usual. I ran out of energy and wanted to stop walking the entire time, but somehow kept my feet moving. South Pole was on a Nutella surge and had plenty of energy to spare, and I was trying to keep up with her. She slows down in the rocky parts so it's easier for me to keep pace. I was listening to music and grinding again so I let her get a little ahead of me (still in sight), so I could sing along to my music without subjecting her to it. At one particular rocky point she stepped on a rock, slipped, and fell, about ten yards ahead of me. "Oh no, are you okay?" I asked, approaching.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, getting up. "It's a little slippery--" WHAM! Down I went, right behind her. We burst out laughing, as neither of us had fallen in weeks.

The last miles were very pretty and it truly felt like a green tunnel. It was overcast and dark, and the trees were tall and fully in leaf. I could smell the tantalizing smell of campfire smoke about a quarter of a mile before I reached the shelter, and by the time I arrived I was totally exhausted. I didn't want to set up my wet tent so I decided to risk the Noro and sleep in the shelter.

Side story: the Norovirus is a severe stomach bug that lasts a couple days and leaves you weak after it's gone. It's very contagious and common among hikers who are unclean. We've heard of several cases this year and most recently stayed in Daleville in a room close to a man with Noro. Since then I have been trying to avoid shelters and privies, fearful of the powers of Noro.

Andreas set up his tent inside the shelter to protect against bugs, and other than the two of us there was a southbounder, Slow Going, who had hiked five miles and been there most  of the day. He'd been hoping to be alone in the shelter. South Pole set up her tent.

We soaked our feet in the creek as we ate our dinner, but it was really cold and I couldn't keep my feet in. It then started to sprinkle so we went to sleep. Andreas thought he heard a bear around 2 in the morning, sniffing around behind the shelter, so he started talking to me and shining his flashlight to scare it away. I didn't sleep well.

Monday, May 18

Weather: partly cloudy

Miles travelled: 27.1

Total miles on AT: 861.7

We woke up early, South Pole and I eager to break our personal records for hiking distance and make it to town for showers, laundry, and all-you-can-eat Chinese. Andreas headed out half an hour before we did, as usual, and we started hiking at 6:15. 

We began on an uphill and I lost South Pole right away. I didn't feel very well and started to wonder if I'd caught Noro from my night in the shelter, but felt better once I'd reached the top of the long ascent. My little toe was starting to get a blister; a sign that I needed new shoes. Lucky I would get them at the end of the day! I put a piece of duct tape on it to prevent any worse damage. 

We walked more slowly than we were hoping and started to worry that we were going to get to town after dark, and hours after Andreas. It was hard to keep going knowing that we were so far from the end. The terrain was very rocky, and somewhere in the middle we lost tree cover and baked. South Pole told me to go ahead and started wavering under the heat, so it was my turn to mentally pull her along. I powered through it, deciding not to stop or I might not start again.

Half our conversation was about numbers, and the other half about the book we would write containing the gossip we made up about the other hikers. We really don't know much about anyone recently because the trail has been so empty and everyone has dispersed, so we speculate about the people we meet and have met, and make up wild and improbable stories.

It was very rocky and slow hiking, and we were really struggling when we got to the last shelter before town, five miles out. I was tempted to stay, but it was more crowded than we'd seen in weeks, with maybe ten hikers set up in and around the shelter. There was a creek right in front so we had a nice snack and soaked our feet and made ourselves continue. I felt much better after soaking my feet and the last five miles went by very quickly; we walked over three miles an hour and made up time. I saw the barrier of the road an hour before I had guessed at the beginning of the day, and as I was crossing, a van passed. South Pole and I sat down on the barrier, I wanted to sit for a few minutes and let the sweat dry off of my skin before trying to get a ride, and I felt drained. The van turned around and came back, and a man came out asking if we needed a ride. It was the easiest ride we'd ever gotten! 

Bob, Lynn, and their dog Annie were very sweet and gave us a mini-tour of town in their minivan before dropping us off at the Quality Inn, where we expected Andreas to be waiting for us. We went to the front desk to find that he had called ahead and wasn't there yet. South Pole was in the shower when he arrived, 15 minutes after us. He'd had a little more trouble getting a ride and although he'd gotten to the road half an hour before us,  didn't manage to get a ride for a while. He had struggled with the hike also, and was very tired.

We cleaned up and went to the Chinese buffet, which had an excellent salad bar but overall was fairly average. We were all exhausted and didn't eat much before returning to our room and knocking out.

Tuesday, May 19

Weather: sunny and hot

Miles travelled: 0

Total miles on AT: 861.7

We went to breakfast and met two other hikers, who raved about their zero day. Feeling tired from the day before, I looked at Andreas and South Pole and said, "what do you think about taking a zero?" It didn't take much convincing to decide that a zero sounded fantastic and we'd reserved our room for another night. 

We had a slow, lazy morning. Laundry, blogging, drying out tents. I collected my package from the post office and sent home a bunch of things, including my too-hot sleeping bag, banking on finding something lighter at Walmart. We called a woman from the list of trail angel shuttles posted at the barricade the day before (we didn't notice it because we got a ride so easily). Her name was Miss Lady, and she was sassy as can be. Andreas got along very well with her and they chatted until we got to Walmart, where she said "Okay, stop talking and get out of my car." We got out, laughing, and got our shopping done. After that, we went to a gas station and asked a man in a handicap van to give us a ride across the interstate to Target. He told us about hitchhiking across the country thirty years ago and took us, where I found a fleece blanket and some shirts to replace the heavy one I sent home.

We had been planning to see a movie, but decided against it after Target because of time, and called a man called Mr. Gizmo (after six failed attempts at other rides on the shuttle list), who gave us a ride back to our motel. He lives in the area and is on a board to promote tourism in the town, and was talking about how hard it is to get funding for projects. 

At the motel, we saw two hikers sitting outside next door to us; Heisenberg and Mighty Mouse. They were drinking beer and chatting, and we joined them, joking and laughing and lounging. 

Afterwards, we went to dinner at a pizza place and took care not to get too stuffed (I'd already eaten a pint of Ben and Jerry's...), wary of feeling tired. It was an excellent break.