Saturday, June 16, 2018
Captain, VA (USA)
I'd been dying to get away from home for a hike for months and, despite the forecasted higher temperatures, I made the decision to drive south to a hiking zone near Virginia Tech. I left my house at 0500 and used I-66 and I-81. On the way, I got gas (Pilot) and breakfast (Wendy's) at 0730. Made good time to the trailhead at VA-601 (Rocky Gap Trail). Left my car, headed, SOBO, at 0930. This was a tough section because it dropped significantly into a deep valley and then climbed up the other side soon afterwards (all within five miles). It was warm but the shade was very nice in the woods. Saw a few deer (including a mother and baby, walking ahead of me without fear) and many pretty flowers throughout the day. Also encountered 12 thru hikers, one of whom was an ND Graduate (Class of '68) who said he'd taken over the NOBO trek for his son who had a family emergency. I didn't talk much with any of them because everyone was trying to minimize the impact of the heat. After a tough climb, I turned around at Lone Pine Peak and headed back down into the valley. I encountered some of the thru hikers again at the War Branch Shelter but kept going. However, by the time I reached VA-632, I was feeling the effects of the heat and considered whether I should stop for a rest. I didn't but worked on an "escape plan", if needed. This was actually the same weekend (two years removed) when I was hit by a bad bout of dehydration and needed to be rescued, so I was quite aware of the symptoms that I needed to spot to avoid another problem. After about a two mile climb (out of three) towards my car, I hit a brick wall, in terms of fatigue, muscle cramps and effectiveness of the food and water I did have. With my head still clear and with the lessons learned previously, I made the decision to backtrack downhill to the road (where I'd seen a tent and car parked). Some hikers shared trail magic (advice and fruit snacks) and I got down without incident. Then it was just a matter of waiting for a local driver to come by so that I could get a ride back to my car. Unfortunately, the delay was significant and I actually ran out of water. This was a bit alarming, since I'd started with three liters, so I decided to walk towards a nearby town that was visible down the road. There were lots of friendly cows along the fences, big shade trees and all the little houses looked quite pleasant. When I encountered some locals, I told them about my dilemma and they provided a gallon of water. Believe me, it hit the spot. Still, I knew I needed to get out of the heat and asked about the distance to the top of the VA-601 ridge - they said it was a long way. So I went back to the trailhead on VA-632 to wait. I only saw one other hiker (who didn't stop) as I lay there in the buggy heat. Eventually, a Trail Angel (Travis) came by and gave me a ride. On the way back to my car, he told me stories about the many bears in the area and about rescuing a hiker with a broken leg during the winter. He also explained that he didn't worry about carrying lots of water because he brought beer! When I reached the AT parking area (1700), I was exhausted and sore after completing 14 miles (counting backtracks). It wasn't a satisfying day, in terms of AT miles, but I felt relieved (and very lucky) that I'd outmaneuvered the elements. As I was getting ready to leave, I met a hiker ("Mouse" and his German Shepherd) and we talked for a little while I recharged on sugar. Drove back towards NoVa after that, stopping several times for food and drink (Wendy's in Christiansburg at 1810) and gas (Sheetz in Mount Jackson at 2045) - I didn’t make it home until 10:30. New rule: don't go hiking in the mountains when it is hotter than 85 degrees! AT Today = 5.30 miles / Grand Total AT = 1128.89 miles