We had a special guest hiker with us on the seventh leg of the AT in the Shenandoah National Park, our sister Jodi drove up on Friday. We drove out to the trail head that evening and tried to sleep in our cars. Had a fun time catching up with Jodi and all her news from Charlotte, NC. I couldn't fall asleep in my car so I pulled my sleeping pad and sleeping bag out of the car and laid down on them. As I was gazing up at the brilliant Milky Way with a breeze blowing over me I witnessed a meteor shower, I saw three "shooting stars" Around 4am I dozed off. I was the first to wake around 063oam and watched the beautiful sun start to climb over the mountains to our east. I didn't know it, but I would be cursing the same sun hours later. We got our gear and piled into the Grey Ghost and drove 20 miles north to our starting point at Hightop Mountain about 1 mile north of rt 33.Hightop Mountain nearly kicked my butt in the first hour, the Cliff Bar I had consumed so rapidly, was giving me cramps as we struggled up the mountain. Jodi thought I was taking it easy on her but I was really having some issues. When we reached the top and started looking at the elevation map, we realized there where four more mountains of considerable size with descent just as great. It reminded me of the roller coaster in Northern Virginia. Jodi stated she would like to get 15 miles done today, because she need to be home by 5pm on Sunday. I just laughed...I had never done 15 miles in a day and I knew she was being a little to optimistic.
We continued hiking and the day started heating up. We became soaked with sweat from our exertions and tried to keep hydrated by sipping our water at regular intervals. Our spirits were high as we joked and talked up trail. Jeremiah and I must have told Jodi every experience we had on the AT. She was really pushing it and seemed very motivated. But the terrain and heat would take it toll. When I came home on Sunday my wife claimed that we had hiked on the hottest day of the year 103 degrees F. We didn't know it at the time, all we knew was it was damn Hot! Jeremiah said it was the humidity that was killing us. I didn't argue...I was to tired.
Around mile 5 Jodi started complaining about a knee injury. Now I remember how I felt on my first hike so I was pretty concerned...We gave her some Icy Hot to put on her knee, and I put it on both my knees. Around noon we collapsed right on the trail and we each ate a power bar. It felt like heaven or hell I'm not sure. The bugs, flys, bees and gnats were relentless and soon forced us to continue. Jodi was limping more, and I began to think we should readjust our goals and get her off the trail ASAP to avoid furthering her injury...not to mention I didn't want to be out here in this blistering heat. We completed our third mountain and decided to refill at a Park ranger station 2oo yrds off the trail. We saw an amazing congregation of little butterflies, there must have been hundreds. The water from the Park Ranger station was cold and plentiful I poured a whole bottle over my head trying to cool off. Jodi went inside the ranger station to use the bathroom and came out with an ace bandage and an Ice pack that Ranger Rick had so graciously given her. She felt better and wanted to press on. I suggested to Jeremiah we should get to the next hut and call it a day.
As we were climbing the next mountain we began to hear ominous rumbling of thunder in the distance. We tried to pick the pace up but the never ending incline was absolutely kicking our butts. I began daydreaming about what we would find at the Hut maybe some day hikers with a cooler of cokes and beer...yeah. I began hallucinating and seeing things, like the hut and at one point I thought I could see a lake through the trees. Thats when I realized it was just the sky. We limped into the hut and found it was deserted except for the stench of mice or human urine. It was so revolting we had to set up our tents instead. The thunder seemed to be getting closer as Jeremiah heated up water for our trail dinner of sweet and sour pork with rice. I began having muscle cramps that would throw me to the ground writhing in pain. Jodi laughed and said I was a bigger mess than her...which was pretty close to the truth. Jeremiah and I had just finished our medicinal nightcap, when the rain hit. I ran to my new one man tent and jumped in boots and all. Jeremiah hurriedly pulled my rain tarp over my tent and ran down to his tent with Jodi. It was 6pm and the Heavens had opened up. The barrage of rain on my little yellow tent made me feel like I was in a popcorn popper. It felt like I was in a coffin and immediately I felt claustrophobic...Thankfully the rum helped and amidst the din of the deluge I fell asleep. I woke up when lightening seem to strike our hill with a BOOM! the rain seemed to intensify to biblical proportions and I discovered my rain tarp was not on properly and rain was leaking in the side. It was only 9pm so I went back to sleep. Around midnight I woke up again with the urge to go pee and rain seemed to have tapered off so I climbed out of my cacoon. Easier said than done. Through out the night I could hear footsteps and would call out loudly to ward off the bears or deer or raindrops that sounded like footsteps. Around 5am I had enough I began the impossible task of folding my sleeping bag up while laying down in my tomb tent. I got out and walked around waiting for Jeremiah and Jodi and the infernal sun to come up. Eventually they did wake up. We broke down our muddy camp and went down to the Mice hut for breakfast on the picnic table. The Creek was flowing so we filtered some water for the coming day. We all seemed refreshed and amazed that we had survived the night.
We started off by climbing a short mountain the temperature was measurably less but the humidity was still stifling. Jodi's injured knee was frustrating her and she was worried that I would call her a wimp...she doesn't have to worry about that. She was one tough cookie. Besides I was struggling with my own demons, fatigue, too many pounds and lack of motivation. I was hoping she would quit, so I could quit to...but no she wouldn't quit. Around 1130 we decided to go to wayside trail store which is halfway up Loft mountain...Well I demanded it! I had read in the hut's trail ledger that cheeseburgers and cold drinks were available and I was hoping she could get a ride from there. Jeremiah reluctantly agreed.It such a strange feeling to feel air conditioning and drink Pepsi with Ice after being out in the wilderness, I know it had only been a day but after what we had been through it was very much appreciated. After wolfing down expensive Aramark Burgers we adjusted our plan once again. We would hike the last 2.5 miles on the road to our cars instead of taking the much longer winding AT which was 5 miles. The road was definitely easier but the bugs swarmed around us as we wearily trudged to our cars. Halfway back Jeremiah plunged back into the woods to finish on the AT. Jodi and I had enough so we continued down the road and were in sight of the parking lot when Jeremiah drove back and picked us up. 18 miles of suffering but we survived and hopefully Jodi enjoyed helping Jeremiah and I on our AT adventure. I would like her to hike with us through the Tennessee Balds or the Smoky Mountains when we get further south.
