Fungus among us

This post is for my good friend Elizabeth.  I will continue to add photos and any extra info I find out along the way.

I am always distracted by the various fungi growing on the ground and in on the trees.  Size, shape, and color always vary.  From what looks like a wad of bubble gum to a horn growing out of the ground (photo pending), I am always excited to find a new species.  There is one plentiful edible out here.  The books say it is unmistakable for any other mushroom, and hikers have told me that this mushroom has the texture of chicken.  It grows as "shelves" on dead oak trees and is orange on top and white on the bottom, and looks darn tasty to me.
Some of the mushrooms look so perfect and almost plastic, that it is irresistible to just poke it. 

Not fungus, but this was the Keffer Oak

"Tell me what you've seen."

It has been a while since my last post, but thanks for coming back!  So much ground has been covered since the last entry in Marion, VA at mile  marker 530.7. 

Often, when I can get a call out to my mother, before she lets me off of the phone, with her pen in hand and handy-dandy notebook ready, she will say "So, tell me what you have seen."  In a hurry to get off the phone, get back to hiking, and conserve phone battery, I will respond
    "ummm... the ground?  And some deer."
And the fact is, that in between land marks, that is the truth. The terrain in Virginia has not been that flat land conducive to 'flying' and 'making up miles and time' that we were promised.  The ground has been rocky.  And unsurprisingly, as we are still in the mountains, elevations still  yo-yo.  There have been absolutely gorgeous sites in the past 326 miles.  And just in time for the summer and Independence Day, moments that would make any American or visitor say the words "God bless the USA."

The day that this lot of the Lollygagger gang went through Atkins, Va, only about four miles of progress were achieved.  Iris and I have taken to calling the new group that we have been hiking with 'The Back of the Bus'; only the coolest kids sit in the back, the wise, and last to stroll into class. 
The day to start the slow days, started out rainy.  When the rain finally let up in the late morning, we set out, with wet tents clumsily packed away.  Not long after taking off, we came across an old aged farm with a sign stating the "Settler's Museum" was free for hikers.  We entered through the back gate and stepped back in time onto an old farm and were right outside of the farm house.  The sun had just started to break through the clouds, and the adventuring seemed ripe for picking, so we set down our packs, set up a clothes lines for drying things out, and set to poking around about the farm.  The farm house was locked but just about every other structure, the root cellar, well house, farm, wash house, etc. was open for the brave ones that dared to venture inside.  The bell out front and the fence around the main house reminded me of visiting my Granddaddy Havana, FL, just outside of Tallahassee.  I think that the only building no one wanted to go into was the meat room. 
We played around in the old 1870's school house and even read our way through the main museum welcoming house.  Just as we started to put our packs on and get moving, fate would have it that we would hear the faint sounds of an ice-cream truck!  It was wonderful. 
That evening, we crossed through Atkins, Va.  but not before we stopped for some food, and a small party with the greatest group on the trail.  We stayed up all night, swapping stories and singing our "all time favorite 'American' songs". 
The day headed out of Atkins was miserable.  It rained all day.  The ground was covered in skid marks indicating where the hiker ahead of you couldn't keep any traction because of the mud. Then, when I was at my wits end and absolutely done with the rain, with 3.5 miles left  to go to the shelter, a large white canopy tent with several of our friend's tents around it appeared in a clearing.  The Piedmont Appalachian Trail Hikers Club sets up for one weekend a year to provide some trail magic, and that was the weekend.  And was the most magical thing I had ever seen.  We were able to set up our tent and cook under the canopy to keep everything dry.  They even had some hotdogs left over and hillbilly French toast in the morning.  Perfect timing for a weary hiker. 
The next day we found a great stream, perfect for testing out m fishing pole.  I caught a small pan fish and pointed out a rather large snapping turtle which kept the guys occupied for a while. 
Walking for about 7 hours a day becomes a little monotonous after a while.  Your neck gets sore from looking at the ground as your pack pulls on it, your feet get tired, and your stomach gets loud.  Occasionally a rustle in the bushes will force you to stop in your tracks in time to see a deer staring at you, just as surprised to see you as you are to see it.  Or a bright orange salamander in the middle of the trail will cause a swerve to avoid trampling it. 
Then, just as you start to get comfortable and pick up the pace, something catches your eye and makes just about anyone jump out of their skin.  We all know what I'm talking about folks; snakes.  I have lost count of all of the venomous and nonvenomous snakes we have seen.  Makes one wonder how many have gone unnoticed.  My favorite creepy-crawly so far though, is the 10 inch salamander I spotted (heard it first) while hiking. 
Along the way we seen several "magic boxes"; these are large boxes that church groups or trail angels will leave along the trail and stock with either snacks and sodas or various other supplies.  As we came across one, we could see that nothing but garbage was left over and the box had recently been knocked over.  Some rustling forced me to look up just in time to see a bear scurrying away.  Apparently, I had interrupted his forage through the garbage.  I tried to get Iris' attention, but he was listening to music and the big guy had already disappeared into the woods. 
Wild edibles are beginning to pop up along the trail as well.  Whether you notice blackberries growing along the trail, or cherries smashed along the trail that have fallen from above, if you keep a weather eye, there is no lack of Vitamin C out here. 
For now, we will get a change of scenery.  We are headed out of Waynesboro very shortly and will be hitting the Shenandoah River and floating North for a little bit of R&R while making up time and catching some fish.  Talk to you all soon!

Hiking rocks!

Rocky trail and mountains make for beautiful views and waterfalls.  While a gorgeous view does not sooth ones knees at all, it does something to lift spirits that nothing else can.  (Though, if your brave enough to endure the cold water, a waterfall might help out sore joints.)
Dismal Falls is an absolutely gorgeous water fall, swimming hole, and fishing hole at mile marker 605.  On a hot day, the cold water is enough to make a weary hiker alive again.  This spot was perfect for camping (although we did not) and catching up with hikers that we had previously met on the trail.  A local fisherman pulled several trout out of the falls up to 8 inches long. 
One of the spectacular and underappreciated views of VA is known as Wind Rock.  This rock outcropping is at MM 660.  A small campsite with no water source is located with the summit.  This rock provided a spectacular view of the sunset and a great night's sleep.  When we woke up in the late morning and prepared our cowboy coffee, we all wanted one last look from the view.  Taking our time packing, we heard what sounded like large military jets.  Shortly after, we were treated with (and lucky to catch the glimpse) a quick fly-over by what looked like a F-16 (sorry, I have no idea if that was actually it) fighter jet.  Fully stocked and loaded.  These two jets were just above the tree line, riding the ridgeline.  It was and intense and exciting moment, just in time to get our adrenaline pumping.  This was the start of a week long ridge line run. 
For about a week, it seemed as though every time we descended, we ascended again to walk along another ridgeline.  Occasionally, you can look straight down on either side of you, literally on the tops of the mountains.  The most stunning experience was running along the top of the Eastern Continental Divide.  This meant that water flowing to the West of the mountain was bound for the Gulf of Mexico and water flowing to the east was bound for the Atlantic Ocean.  A due North view was a perfect 180 view with the sun setting in the West and the moon rising in the East.  The nerd in me still can't get over it. 
Shortly before reaching McKafee's Knob (one of the most well known spots on the trail), we conquered the Dragon's Tooth.  It was a long day.  The rocks of the tops of the mountains make every step alittle more tricky than the last.  The really, truly tricky part was that we reached the summit of the dragon's tooth just in time for sunset.  There is no water up there, and absolutely no suitable camping so a descent was still necessary... after dark.  We had no idea how long the hike would take us that day (it was highly understated in the guidebook).  So down we went.  In the dark, guided only by our headlamps, our group of about 5 hikers at the time began the scramble down the rocks.  It was about 2.3 miles of scooting, reaching, and climbing on the occasional rebar ladder step in place for the shorter hikers.  This would have been a blast without a pack and in the day time, but instead it turned into a test of focus and agility.  It was AWESOME! 
McKafee's Knob was great.  After the treacherous Dragon's Tooth, we expected much worse terrain than the day hiker ready, well maintained trail that we found.  None the less, 4.3 miles in the mountains in June, is still a hike worthy of the amazing view that we gained.  Enjoying the view after dark, we were just headed down the mountain, (much more prepared and without packs) when I heard a heavy drum overhead.  I grabbed the large groups attention and we were all stunned to see 22 C -130 Super Hercules military planes in a straight line headed due South.  Turns out it was the largest joint military exercise operation between the Air Force and Army ever and this was the largest formation of the super cargo carriers ever.  'Merica!!!!!!!!
Water has become a resource that we must plan for.  When we were in Georgia, water flowed freely and readily out of the rocks, cold and ready to drink.  Now, in Virginia and in the summer, any outdoor enthusiasts must plan for extra water usage and less water availability.  Even more, just about every water source in Virginia will require treatment of the water.  Iris and I were descending McKafee's Knob, a major landmark on the trail and in VA, when we saw a group of slack packers just about to the top.  The hike to the top is about a 4.3 miles one way.  It was mid June and hot when Mrs. Cindy and her young gentlemen passed us going up.  They had two empty water bottles and looked like they were ready to fall out from heat exhaustion.  We were almost off of the trail, and had just refilled our water bags.  We gave them what we had and they were more than grateful.  We found out that Mrs.Cindy's husband was in the middle of an expedition of another kind.  Bike Virginia is a group of bike enthusiasts that spend the majority of their days biking up and down the mountains.  It sounded like another great way to see the beauty of this state, while being able to shower every night... hmmm.  What killed us was the amount of day hikers we passed afterwards that had absolutely nothing going up that mountain!  I was reminded of the countless safety meetings last summer at work where all we spoke about was HYDRATION!   

Dismal Falls Waterfalls

 

ECD from the ridge

Audie Murphy Monument

Audie Murphy was a WWII veteran worth a Google

Dragon's Tooth from the road

McKafee Knob

A.T. photo 1 of 2 (gotta wait till  the end for the second)

This is Steelers Country

View from Wind Rock

Wind Rock

Wind Rock

My Little Pony

The last 5 or 6 days have been pretty spectacular.  Pain has been bearable and we had enough food (too much really) to not be hungry.  We also met new friends and pet wild ponies!  Grayson Highlands State Park is a section in Virginia of rolling hills and open pastures.  The ponies are used to keep these open areas from over growing.  There are about 75 of them in the park.  Beacuse this is a popular state park, the ponies are used to people (and used to people feeding them) and will let you walk right up to them. Some of them behave a little better than others.  The hiker known as Half-life let a particular pony get a bit close and it enjoyed licking the salt off of his legs.  The pony followed Half-life for a while trying to get some more salt.  Most of he mother ponies didn't seem to mind when people approached the mares.  It was a little disturbing to suddenly hear a whinny jn the middle of the night though.  But even without the ponies, the views are spectacular.   The trail is a little rocky, but the elevation change is relatively minimal. 
Just outside of the park the white blazes approach a large rock formation that looks formidable but when you see the figures up there, they seemed tovlinger a while, making it seem as though the view is great.  Upon closer inspection,  hikers had to take a blue blaze trail to get up and over this rock.  Our friends, Cookie-Monster and Grilled Cheese, called down and told us that the blue balze would meet back up with the white blaze and the view was worth the climb.  So, we made the climb up to the amazing 360 view of the rolling highlands.  Climbing down... was a scramble.  For those who don't know, a scramble is when you have to use not only your hands to keep balance, but you have to jump and move quickly through places to avoid hirtig yourself.   Basically you use your momentum to get you from one step to thenext rather than just stepping.  The climb down was pretty steep, I had to literally get on my butt a few times to get down!  I have decided that anytime a hiker is stepping on the blazes, they are in for a tough (but fun) time. 
The wildflowers are continuing to bloom.  We came across a stand of Pink-Ladies Slippers.  Hundreds of them, all bunched under a small cluster of pine left over from the timber age in that section.  I was sad to see that someone had dug one up and didn't even bother to put the earth back the way it was.  The flowers require very specific conditions to grow, and removing them is very bad form. 
At some point while cruising along through the woods, I was startled by a strange hissing and screaming sound.  I was suddenly attacked by a Pterodactyl!!!  I barely got out of there with my life!  Haha just kidding, it was a grouse who had chicks that I startled and I guess got too close to.  She did attack pretty viciously though. 
When we reached our stopping point, we reached the Partnership shelter.  This was just behind the Mount Rogers Welcome Center outside of Marion, VA.  The shelter is two stories and even has a shower that is "warm" in the warm months.  Hikers can even call for pizza delivery from the visitors center.   Needless to say, there was an obscene amount of pizza consumed that night.  Kris ate an entire large by himself!  He was pretty proud.  We met some British guys wjo were taking a tour of the states startig with a hike to the half way point on the A.T.  Even though they were Manchester United fans, they were great guys ;)  Steady-Eddy and Fuzzy had never had s' mores before so we made sure that in the 1, 000+ miles they were hiking, they had a proper camping experience.  
The people on the trail never cease to amaze me with their pesonsal stories and kindness.  The people are what makes these woods close to home. 

Enter Virginia

Greeting from Damascus, VA once again!

Kris and I arrived to the trail town again Monday.  This time hiking in on the trail that runs right through someone's backyard and through the middle of town, making our first stop for ice cream extremely convenient.  The small town with a population of about 1,100 has just enough for a hiker to reload on food and fuel and get cleaned up for another stint out in the woods.  And surprisingly, one of the best coffee houses I have seen in a while... even before hitting the trail.  Mojoe's coffee house knows their espresso drinks and makes a mean blueberry pancake.

While we were sitting in the shop, taking full advantage of some wifi and an overload of caffeine, some fellow lady hikers came in to get a smoothie and I happened to over hear their conversation.  The ladies, Dr. Cheryl Hanly and Shenna Shotwell are hiking for a cause.  Their cause is titled "Tell Bullying to Take a Hike; Forge the trail of equality, love and acceptance" and their goal is to spread awareness about the impacts and dangers of bullying, especially among children and teenagers.  They want to help reduce the rate of suicide and are hiking over 2,000 miles to make it happen in their own way.  Their cause hit very close to home for both Kris and I due to recent happenings.  If you are interested in checking out their website follow the link: Learning to Live OUT Loud

As we crossed the state line into Virginia, Kris warned me of the "Virginia Blues".  What I did not fully realize before now was that we will be in Virginia for 500  miles of the hike.  Many people get discouraged and feel as though they are not making any progress because they spend so much time in the state.  However, this state, being almost 1/4 of the trail, will offer many different experiences and excitements   First up will be the Grayson Highlands State Park.  This is the portion of the trail famous for the wild ponies.  We should be passing through the park in about three days.  So, one step at a time, we will make it through Virginia.

The last week of hiking gave a wonderful view of Laurel Fork Falls and relatively mild terrain.  The falls were  large and powerful enough to push off mist  up the rocky trail.  The terrain was nice enough to allow us to make a 14 mile day, our highest yet.  Not much compared to other hikers, but progress none the less.  We also found several Pink Lady Slipper flowers along the trail, which are uncommon to find.

I have finally purchased my first non-resident fishing license of the trail.  As we will be in this state for a considerable amount of time, the logical choice was to buy a license and collapsible fishing pole.  I should be receiving my 4'5", five piece, 1.5 pound Daiwa spin reel and rod (and case) in about a week and I could not be more excited to get a line in the water and some fresh trout in my belly.

Kris and I have replaced the MSR whisperlite cooking system we have been using with a Jetboil.  This will allow us to boil water in less than three minutes, making fuel last longer and food ready sooner.  We are excited because this means that it would be feasible to cook hot food for lunch and we were able to find the French Press piece to fit the pot!  Yay!

So, those super fancy and crazy expensive Salewa boots that have been destroying my feet and morale for much of the trip are now on their way home.  My dad boxed up and mailed my old Columbia boots that I used for work before coming out here.  When I opened the box there was still sand in the material and soles :).  I have replaced the insoles with "Super feet" insoles for a high arch and am excited to see how these work.  They are already more comfortable and lighter, but we will see how they function with a full pack and climbing mountains.

Kris has replaced his winter sleeping bag for a lighter 50 degree bag, I have a fresh supply of music including the new Daft Punk album, and we have a full supply of Vitamin I (ibuprofin).  One more stop at the post office and we are Northbound again.  We should be passing through Marion, VA in about 6 or 7 days.  Until then, thanks for reading and talk to you all soon!

Great Smoky Mountains

The portion of the AT which runs through the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is tough. 
We hiked in from the "Fontana Hilton" on 5/8/13.  The hike was approximately 11 miles including hiking across the dam with a wonderful view of the lake and the mountains we were just about to climb.  A brief rain shower during the walk across the dam welcomed us to the Smoky Mountains.  In the time it took to walk across the dam, the shower cleared and just enough sun was able to cause some "smoke" to rise off the hillsides.  After about a mile we found the AT thru-hiker permit deposit box at the trail head. This is the first year that the National Park is requiring thru hikers to buy a $20 permit before entering the park.   It is also the only segment of the trail that hikers must pay to pass through.   The fine is $125 and I haven't heard of anyone being hassled yet, but we shall see.  Entering the park is a climb that took most of the afternoon.  It was long, but nothing too difficult. 

Two days aftr hiking into the park,  I found out that my very dear friends little sister had passed.  Sarah and I have been best friend's since we met in 5th grade and she introduced Kris and I in 7th grade.  It was the first sunny day in about a week when Kris and I stopped for lunch and got the message.  We could not get any calls in or out for 2 days afterward.  This was the first time I wanted to leave the trail.  It was so tough knowing where I needed to be but not being able to get there.  My heart hurt so bad for Sarah and her parents, Tina and John.  Alea Crider was a beautiful 19 year old girl that loved to laugh.  It has been incredibly hard and I can't imagine the pain her family is going through.  Please say a prayer for them. 

We have passed through the Smokys now.   It was tough but beautiful none the less.  Rocky Top Mountain was a breathtaking and stunning view that I hope to visit again some day. 

Appalachian Trail Days, Damascus VA

Since starting the trail in April, the talk around the camp fire has been about making it to Damascus,  VA in time for Trail Days.  Now that the weekend has come and gone, I doubt that the topic of conversation  will stray far from Trail Days. 
The AT runs directly through the center of this town and every year they invite hikers to come in and enjoy some hospitality. 
Tents are everywhere from private lawns, to the outfield of the ball field, and on private lots along the river. 
Some of the Lollygagger clan found them selves camped in Sherwood Forest.  Norush found us and invited us in.  Along the river on private property, we were just outside of tent city but far enough away from the Riff-raff crew.  Sherwood forest was the only camp community with a "grotto", a pool set up in the creek with a fire pit in the middle of the pool and a hammock over the creek.
Vendors set up within tent city had no intentions of selling products.  Their main mission was to make any necessary repairs to equipment, or in many cases, just replace and upgrade.  Hiking poles were cleaned, fixed, and replaced.  Nobody and Toka had their tent repaired from where Sawdust decided to run through it. 
The First Baptist Church gave free medical screeings including skin cancer screenings and foot exams and treatment.  Even the doggy doctor was there to give the hiking pups a check up. 
Saturday,  everyone gathered for the annual hiker parade.  Unsurprisingly, AT hikers past and present get together and walk.  The parade goes through town as a sea of happy and refreshed (some rowdy) peace lovers.  It was a shock when shouts, screams, and thuds began spreading quickly from very close to the end of the parade and very near behind us.  A car drove into the crowd of parade hikers, hitting several people and trapping one under the vehicle.  Supposedly the driver was elderly and a medical condition caused the accident.  We found out later that night that everyone involved was stable which was a huge relief for all of the hikers. 
Fires were everywhere,  so it wasn't hard to find a group of people to just stand and watch the fire with.  As the evening progressed, the people and drums got louder.  We had heard that there was a drum circle but it wasn't long before we could hear it.  We followed the sound to the other side of tent city where the mood changed and the temperature was muchgreater than just a few yards away.  We made our way through the crowd and immediately found ourselves in a circle of intranced hikers dancing a circle and chanting around a giant fire.  No one poked this furnace, just threw more logs on it.  Something tribal happened dancing in the mud and being roasted by the fire. Everyone has their own motives and personal opinions but around that ring, everyone was there for the same reason, to celebrate.
The next day things started to break down.  Hikers drug themselves back to where they were before the celebration.   Some stayed to recover and some just hit the trail from Damascus.  Waiting on our ride, we stayed Sunday night through even more rain.  Monday morning, sleeping like a champ, I woke up on a water bed.  Water had collected under the tent and lucky did not leak through.  Everything was wet, soggy, and muddy.  What an excellent excuse to go to a hotel in Abington to clean up and dry off...and see Star Trek!  Norush managed to get us a ride with Rush Hour and his girl friend Tara.  It was a great night with great people.... and popcorn and dry clothes... it's the little things. 
Before we left Damascus,  we sadly had to say good-bye to Nobody and Toka and the three best hiking dogs on the trail, Sawdust, Ghost, and Mustard.  They were headed back to Knoxsville for the summer concert season including Reggae Fest and Bonaroo.  It was sad to see them go.  They were excellent hiking buddies and great friends.  I'm going to be super jealous when they are listening to The XX live and we are eating Ramen noodles.   I have a feeling we will see them again soon though.  
Well, now we are waiting for a shuttle to take us back south to finally get back on the trail.  It will be tough after being off for so long, but I cannot wait to get out of town!  We will be going back in at Hampton, TN near Laurel Fork Falls and should be passing back through Damascus in about 6 days.  Check ya later!

Photos below include the entrance to the Trail Days event with Sawdust and the other pups seeing the doctor.  Kris and I with brand new beanies hand stitched by ladies for over 900 hikers.  And just hanging around Camp Mellow with the crew.  Good times and great people.