UpS and Downs

Slightly cooler weather today, which was helpful. I was sweating before I reached Laurel Falls at the end of the windless gorge!

Laurel Falls

Railroad cut?

Bear scratch

Laurel Gorge

Dead copperheads (top of photo)

Moreland Gap Falls from the top

Eight hours, 3900’ up, 4500’ down, and I found Moreland Gap shelter waiting at the bottom of the hill. Three women who I met on the trail earlier also stopped here for the night, made for a chatty crowd.

Some hiker who stayed last night left the bodies of two copperheads he had killed lying in front of the shelter.

The women were not impressed. One of them picked up a shovel, scooped up the bodies, and tossed them into the woods while muttering imprecations against people who don't clean up their messes ... dead snake bodies, definitely a violation of Leave No Trace protocols.

Fortunately, everyone was tired and observed hikers’ midnight early.

Butterfly wings

9/20 Thursday  

Another flap of the butterflys' wings, and the August heat returns to Cherokee National Forest just in time for my first day on the trail, climbing 1500’ up Pond Mountain as temperatures rose and the wind died, and then descending 720’ on a western exposure. That smell of almost-burning flannel in the dryer? Yup.

Surprisingly, this little niche of Appalachia did not get much rain at all. The hostel owner mentioned how much business he had lost, not that I made a questionable choice in rescheduling or anything ... all his other guests for the weekend had done the same.

Walking through grove of towering trees and tunnels cut through mountain laurel thickets … must be even more beautiful in flowering season than it it now!

Pond Mountain Wilderness

I limped up to the shelter overlooking Laurel Creek, which was noisily racing away its brief moment of stardom as it hurdled over Laurel Falls. Lots of butterflies! The shelter has seen better days, there's no room to set up a tent, and I had to haul water in up a half mile poorly built side trail. Still, it's home for the night.

Laurel Fork Shelter

A Decent Start

The strongest motivation I have to finish up the southern part of the AT is that the trip will likely always begin with a trip down one of my least favorite roadways, Interstate 81. It wasn't too difficult today, actually ... but, six hours on a beautiful post-storm autumn day? Perfect for hiking!

When I checked in at Mountain Harbour, Shannon told me that everyone had cancelled out for the weekend, but the weather was fine. Shuttle leaves at 9 am tomorrow morning, rah!

The cat says I'm okay for a Yankee

A cautionary note: the geography down here tends toward small valleys between steeply sloped hills, with doubtful support for online access. My next post may be as late as the 25th, when I return to Mountain Harbour.

No worry necessary,  this still isn't wilderness! There's conveneience stores everywhere, and I do have my satellite emergency beacon with me.

REscheduling for the calm after Florence passes by

Delay in game!  Out of respect for Nature, I am replanning to start hiking on Thursday, September 20.

An assurance to everyone:  I will be staying in a hostel on Saturday night, and will stay longer if the weather does not flip into the clear post-storm calm that I am expecting.

Forced to stay indoors with nothing to do but enjoy good home cooking ... well, if you want to live an adventurous life, you have to take some risks.

https://weather.com/safety/hurricane/news/2018-09-11-hurricane-florence-forecast-north-carolina-south-carolina-virginia

Expecting New Results

The walls are muttering again about Doing Something Useful With My Time, so I am going to try to collect a few more white blazes before winter e sets in. Hopes for checking off the 1000 mile mark having been dashed in New York last May, I am just pushing to get beyond my mid Atlantic comfort zone.

Also, the partisan drumbeat in northern Virginia ... whatever Canada does to pull off their elections in a couple of months, we need to embrace as protection for the last fragments of our national sanity.

This time, the trail will lead north through the mountains just south of the Virginia border. Highlights will include the shelter at Roan High Knob, highest on the AT at 6186 feet, bracketed by a number of "balds", mountains of similar size that rise above the tree line, close to the Nolichucky Gorge and through the Mountain Harbour B&B (https://mountainharbour.info) , which will doubtless look even better when I collapse at its door after a week of Ups and Downs.

Weather is always a concern in this area. The forecast at the moment is for rain, and rain, and then probably, well, rain.  Having had enough of hiking wet in New Jersey last spring, I will be tuning my hiking plan to dodge between raindrops.

I plan to depart on September 15, return to Round Hill in early October, and post tales of my travels when my Internet connection allows!

Pictures from Delaware

Some photos I took while visiting Claymont to join in welcoming a Kenyan missionary group that Father John Gayton is supporting.

Still serving!

The bridge where Sean and Marie went kayaking

The new Wilmington Poohsticks Bridge

Holy Rosary Catholic Church

Other notes -- one of the big trees in front of 87 South Avon Drive has been taken down, and Claymont Elementary School has been changed to a community center. Time moves on.

Blue Ridge Democrats' Meet and Greet at the B Chord Brewery.

Beer, bluegrass, and blue State visions. State Senator Jennifer Wexton on schmooze, Senator Tim Kaine on harmonica (dark blue shirt, lower left.)