Day 58: Knot Maul Shelter to Chesnut Knob Shelter

9.1 miles

Got up at 7am and took my time tearing down camp, left around 9. Talked with Loco Pony & Hummingbird for a while; they left in late February. The walk is kind of boring today; not as many wildflowers out and mostly roller coaster climbs - not steep but just constant up and down. My knee is stiff and sore but much better. I am so thankful it is ok. I am so glad to be out here. I have a real hunger to finish the trail, to summit Katahdin.

The Chestnut Knob shelter we are staying in tonight does not have a good water source, so I had to fill up at a pond about 1.8 miles before the shelter. The pack is so heavy when I have to carry 5L of water! I have been trying to "camel up" - ie, drinking a liter of water every time I get to a water source, so I don't have to carry as much water with me.

The climb up to the shelter wasn't that bad, even with the extra water weight. The open ridgeline provided really incredible views of the mountains and valleys. Got to the shelter - it sounded scary in the guidebook ("concrete block shelter, fully enclosed with door") - but turned out to be quite nice. I really like tenting and having a big of privacy. But being in the shelter is much easier, and this one has 4 walls! Here with All the way, grandbob, don's brother, owl, and 2 section hikers (one named Sammy and not sure of the other).

Day 57: Relax Inn (Atkins) to Knot Maul Shelter

13.9 miles

Saw the Virginia Creepers before we left "town" - they were resupplying out of a car parked at the Relax Inn. Thanked them for my surprise and felt inadequate; I don't think I properly conveyed how amazing their gift was. 

OWL got a ride to the post office with one of their group, and I started hiking about 11, knowing OWL would catch up to me in no time. A really pretty walk today through fields and cow pastures and forest. Got to Crawfish Trail Campsite and saw Smiles there. He was trying to decide whether to stay the night, or push on to the shelter. A decision we all have to make every single day. There was a cool little rhododendron "house" for a small rock cairn on the firepit. Clevergirl & crew were there last night, looks like something Otto would make. It was really impressive - put together like a log house with joints and cuts in the wood.

I left Smiles there, and started the climb up to the shelter. Lots of fence stiles in this area; I have finally gotten the hang of climbing up, turning around on top of the stile, and climbing down. One area had lots of cows hanging out by the river, but they were nice cows and let me pass without any problems.

Strained my knee a bit going up steps after the Holston River Bridge, so it was extremely slow going from there on out. Went about a mile to a campsite - tried to text OWL to let her know I was spending the night there but didn't have any service, so I trudged on...slowly. My knee panged with every step, and I was going under 1mph. Finally got to the shelter about 7:30pm - the latest I've ever gotten to the shelter but still an hour before dark. More than enought time to get water, set up the tent, cook dinner (my favorite: loaded baked potatoes), and then go to bed. All The Way, GrandBob, Hammer, OWL, Loco Pony & Hummingbird are here, along with two section hikers. I am worried about my knee - it is a little swollen - it doesn't feel collapsed or weak so we'll see how it feels tomorrow.

Day 53: Thomas Knob Shelter to Old Orchard Shelter

11 miles
Weird night. Woke up in the middle of the night to the weird section hiker screaming at someone: "are you a thru hiker? ARE YOU A THRU HIKER?" and an unknown hiker saying "yeah I'm a thru hiker but you need to lower your voice...you're raising my blood pressure and that's one of the reasons I came out here to begin with". I'm not sure what was going on but it was really strange.

Got up in the middle of the night to pee and the two section hikers were sitting at the picnic table, smoking cigarettes and drinking tea. So strange.

It is really incredibly pretty here at Grayson Highlands, even with overcast skies. The ponies are cute and unafraid. The terrain is varied but pretty easy.

Went through "Fat Man's Squeeze" - one of the Boy Scouts told us about it last night. OWL said - do you think I'll make it through fat man squeeze ok? And the kid thought *real* hard and finally said, "you'll *probably* make it but there's a trail around it if you can't". Well, you would have had to be a giant fat man to not make it through! It was pretty neat to walk through the rock to the other side.

Speaking of Boy Scouts, we were walking and heard someone singing a song. There were 3 kids up on a rock, singing a song that went something like "chicken in a biscuit, chicken in a biscuit, dipped in mashed potatoes....poTATOES!". Sounds pretty good....

We stopped at Wise Shelter for lunch - mile marker 500.0! In anticipation of the event I downloaded the proclaimers song, and much to the amusement (or dismay) of the section hikers eating at the picnic table, I played the song and OWL & I did a fancy dance in the shelter. (Before you ask: no video exists of this dance).

Started to rain a bit when we got to the corral. There were longhorn cattle with calves in the next section we walked through. Be careful, M80/Trooper/Willow!

Got to the shelter - Torch, Rango, and All The Way are here in the shelter. All The Way has a stick named "Stick With It". Hammer, Mallet, and Half and Half are here too, hammocking. Supposedly there is trail magic (cheeseburgers and beer) a few miles up, but it is supposed to rain for the next few days and I would rather be here, warm and dry for the night, than risk not having a spot at the next shelter

When I went to get water I talked with two of the ladies from the section hiking group; Blue Blaze & Fran the Snake. They are section hiking as part of a group, The Virginia Creepers. They started at springer seven years ago and pick up every year where they left off the year before. Pretty neat - I admire the hikers who are doing this a section at a time. It is a big commitment to thru hike - but now I am definitely a creature of the trail. I think it would be even harder to come out year after year after year, starting over with fitness and feet, and hike a section at a time.

After dinner we heard someone yelling, "Trail Magic coming your way!!" - one of the Virginia Creepers came up to the shelter with a few pieces from a giant WARM chocolate chip cookie! It was so delicious! The fact that it was warm was so completely unexpected - I'd say it's the best trail magic yet. Bill carries a backpacking oven that runs off a canister stove - and he cooks something nice for dessert every night.