Up before six o'clock, I got a very early start to today's trek. On the trail to Rawies Rest and the descent to Va. 624, I passed rhododendrons and mountain laurel blooming in vibrant colors of purple, lilac and pink. Pleased to see such lovely flowers popping out all over the place. A very fast ten miles and a great breakfast stop at Johns Spring Shelter. Pop Tarts hit the spot as usual, but to be honest, the privy was my true goal. Oh, relief! I won't have to carry that load up the next mountain. Ha.
The well-maintained trail up to McAfee Knob was not unexpected as this has to be one of the most popular places on the A.T. and it surely offers one of the best views along it's 2,000+ mile length. Certainly the best views in Virginia in my humble opinion. Unfortunately there was nobody there to take the iconic trail photo of the hiker (me) standing on the protruding ledge, staring into the distance at the receding ridges. Oh, well! Guess my backpack will have to do. Came across a young couple enjoying an improvised picnic on the rock outcrop another quarter of a mile down the trail. I was tempted to ask them if they'd mind walking back down the trail with me to grab that iconic photo, but thought that it might sound a little crazy. Didn't need the photo that badly, did I? Instead, I settled for one above the cliff face, although it's not quite as dramatic as that slab of granite jutting out over a world of green, now is it? Hard to let it go as I was suffering from photo obsession. Hee.
Another six miles up the trail there is a similar area that is almost just as nice--- Tinker Cliffs. You can walk along the edge of the precipice for a good half mile before the trail plunges back into the woods. One advantage it has over McAfee is that you can camp here. At mid-day I wasn't planning on putting up the tent, but I heard talk from some thrus further up the trail of spending a night cowboy camping on the rocks. Simple enough to do. Just roll out the sleeping pad, lay down the sleeping bag and make sure the weather's nice.
From Tinkers it was merely a race to town. My first hour was strong, the second I was starting to fade and at the beginning of the third I was wondering when the descent to the road would actually start. It finally did and that's where I caught my second wind. Burst out of the woods and onto the shoulder of U.S. 220. Headed off to the left, where less than half a mile of hoofing it took me to a shopping complex.
First stop, Little Caesar's for a large Hot-N-Ready cheese pizza and a two liter soda. Out in front of the shop at a small corner table, I sat back, ate to my stomach's delight and enjoyed the good life. When I left, there wasn't a drop that remained in the bottom of that plastic bottle and nary a crumb to be found. Yum! Second stop, Kroger's supermarket for resupply. Rushed about, up and down the aisles, getting what I needed and happy to see the reasonable prices. Checked out and repacked all the goodies so they'd sit well in my pack.
When I looked up, dark clouds were gathering and it appeared a thunderstorm would be sweeping in fast, so now it was another race out of town to Fullhardt Knob Shelter. Striding full out on the grassy path running parallel to I-81, I was covering ground in leaps and bounds. The rain finally caught me in the last gap before the shelter as lightning flashed and thunder crackled all around. The fear of being struck lent wings to my feet and I flew up the last mile of trail arriving at the shelter at dusk.
There were only two other people in the shelter, Mothership and Twig, and boy were they surprised to see me. "You came up in that?", they asked, pointing out at the rumbling storm. Twig said there'd been a lightning strike not far from the shelter itself. Must have been that big clap of thunder that sounded like a shotgun going off near my ear on my way up. Under the shelter roof, I was now high and dry. Sitting up against the back wall, Twig and I watched a fine display of lightning flashes as we finished writing in our journals.
Iconic McAfee Knob
This Is Virginia
Tinker Cliffs- Part 1
Tinker Cliffs- Part 2
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