Appalachian Trail SOBO Day 76 – The end of the Shennies
10th october 2023
Blackrock Hut (1313.4) - Rockfish Gap (1334.1)
Daily miles: 20.7
Total miles: 1341.5
I slept surprisingly well given the amount of snoring in the shelter. It wasn’t quite as cold and when I woke up at 5am needing a wee I knew I could last until 6:30am without getting up.
Lemonhope is normally up at 5:30am and out of camp at 6am so when I looked at my phone at 6:20am and I saw Lemonhope was still lying next to me I was very confused. Everything felt wrong. I thought my phone could be broken.
I left camp around 7:30am which was later than I had intended. Lemonhope had left before me and when I heard a rustling in the woods I thought it was a bear but it was just Lemonhope. The man loves a nature poop.
I left camp with my sleep legs on and too many layers, so I knew I would have to stop at some point and that was only about half an hour into the day. There was a bit of uphill so I changed into my shorts and took off my fleece and went for just my standard top. It felt nice to be hiking in my normal clothes again.
Hello autumn
Down the other side of the climb it became instantly freezing and I had to put on my fleece, jacket and get my gloves out because my poles were too cold to hold. Lemonhope had passed me earlier while I was delayering. The others were still behind me.
I looked at the map and saw there were a bunch of pointless ups and downs, and although everyone had said they were going to hike mostly trail today, I decided to do a little bit of road to cut off the pointless ups and downs.
The last day on Skyline Drive
I really enjoyed the first couple of miles. It was quiet and peaceful and there were hardly any cars. Just one and then 17 motorbikes!
I’ve been having pain in my ankle, on the top. So I Googled it and it seems to be tendonitis most likely from overuse, possibly from road walking, possibly also from where I stubbed my toes really hard on some rocks twice in one day. And causing me pain on the other foot is that corn which I still haven’t been able to get rid of. So I have been going slowly as to not aggravate it too much. Another reason for walking the road because I would get there quicker and not have to rush.
I got to a point where the corn was causing me too much pain and I stopped and sat on a wall and took my shoe off and gave my foot a massage.
Then I saw Cal (he is having the same tendon pain) and just behind him were Toe and May Queen, so they had decided to walk the road too! They had planned to get back on the trail at the same point I had so we all walked together.
It was so cold. The wind was blowing its icy blast and because we were in the shade it felt even colder. We found a patch of sun and took a half an hour break at an overlook to warm up. May Queen didn’t have enough water so yogi’d some off a old man who asked if he could take our photo.
And the last day in the Shennies
Warming up in the sun
Power nap
Girls girls girls
We see a lookout, we take a break at a lookout
We continued along the road for longer than planned and I was pushing it too hard to keep up with them, so I fell back a bit to go a bit slower. I had to stop a couple of times to massage my corn.
Road walkin
At least it’s a pretty road
It wasn’t long before I caught up to them at another overlook where they were lying in the sun and they got their sleeping bags out and had a nap. I was just preparing to leave when a guy came over to talk to us. As soon as the question “so did you all know each other before you started” was asked I was up and out of there! We have been asked that so many times.
A break done properly
Hi
Plus, just a half mile down the road was the junction of the AT and a parking area with portaloos and that was good news for me because I had to go. When I came out the loo I saw Lemonhope on the grass. He had hiked the trail all morning and was now taking the road. We had done road all morning and we were now hopping back on the trail!
Portaloos are a wonderful sight
It was fairly bad decision on our part. The trail was far more taxing than I had anticipated. It was so rocky and the rocks were hidden by the leaves. Although it was nice to be walking on trail again, this was a bad section. I fell over again, cutting open a just healed cut so that was annoying, but at least the pain in my knee was distracting me from the pain in my ankle.
The trail was a bad decision
The weather station
It was pretty though
We had arranged to stay with a trail angel tonight who was picking us up at Rockfish Gap at 4pm, so we had to hustle a bit to get there. We arrived at 3:45pm and he was there waiting for us.
Crossing the interstate
We piled into the car with 4 of us squashed into the back seat. We went o the outfitter which was closed so our dreams of warmer gear have to be put off. Then to the post office for May Queen to get her new shoes. Then to Walmart to resupply and get food for dinner. I wouldn’t have chosen to resupply then because I was hungry and it was all a bit overwhelming but I threw a bunch of the same old stuff and some random stuff into the trolly and hoped for the best.
Walmart
My resupply
Back at Sharky’s place - which is amazing - we were able to get showers and do laundry and all the good stuff. I got the blow up bed in the office which suited me. My own space.
Happy to have a hot shower
I had some chores to do - like call my parents! - and then we sat down to a family meal of veggie and tofu stir fry cooked by Toe and May Queen and it was delicious. A big bowl of health.
Nourishment
Family dinner
Then we got into the hot tub! It was a clear night so we could look up at the stars and I blasted one of the jets onto my ankle. I feel very clean and very relaxed!
Oh and the best thing was I got cuddles from Maybe
Maybe! I love her.
