Appalachian Trail SOBO Day 95 – Onwards to Tennessee
29th October 2023
Damascus (1727.7) - TN 91 (1749.3)
Daily miles: 21.6
Total miles: 1750.2
I didn’t sleep that well. In the morning I got up around 6am for a wee and the bunk room smelt like puke. At 7:30am I took my stuff outside to pack up and there were already a bunch of people up drinking coffee.
I woke up starving so I planned to go back to the diner before hiking out and a few other people came as well. I had the same as I had yesterday, the Hiker Hash, and yesterday I felt like I could have eaten 2 of them, this morning was a struggle to get through the whole thing.
Hiker Hash, more potatoey, eggy, cheesy goodness
As we left the diner Professor saw someone he knew and introduced us to Shep. There was a plan to go 26 miles today but with everyone hungover and not having had enough sleep that was unlikely, so when Shep said he was trying to put together a hiker hostel and it would be a 21.5 mile day to get there and he would come and shuttle us, it was a no brainer. Hopefully we could make up the miles tomorrow.
I said bye to Professor, but hopefully he is coming back to join us for another section so it was just farewell rather than goodbye.
Back on trail, straight through the middle of Damascus
old steam train
Goodbye Damascus (a VERY trail friendly town)
I left town a bit later than I intended at 9:30am, I think I was one of the first people to leave because there was a 4 mile climb up out of town. It was very hot and I wasn’t feeling great at all. My breakfast was sat really high and my stomach was so full. I was also pouring sweat and had a headache. I felt hungover but I’d had one drink so I couldn’t be.
Fully loaded with the hotdog costume
I was going very slowly but all I had to do was keep moving forwards. I saw a deer in the trail and got amazingly close to it.
Hey deer
I crossed the Virginia / Tennessee border
This way to Tennessee
The leaves today were the problem. There were so many leaves I was wading through them and they all covered any trip hazards and there was at least 19 miles of trail which were deep leaves. No only is it hard to walk on them for such a long time but they are so noisy too.
I was also peeing a lot even though I’m pretty sure I was dehydrated. So all in all it was a bit of a struggle bus kind of day.
I saw Hendrix lying in a shelter and explained the plan of getting to the road instead of the shelter so he is going to come along tonight.
I saw the smallest AT shelter which isn’t an official shelter and isn’t maintained. It’s about 90 years old and fits 2 people snuggly.
Lots of uphill today
A very old shelter
Water this way
A cheeky little view
The rest of the day was just me struggling with a headache and feeling kinda crappy and lethargic.
I leapfrogged with Hendrix a couple of times. I caught up to him at a road crossing and as we climbed out there were so many motorbikes screaming down the road, that horrible whine of a motorbike engine, and there was about 2 miles of climbing where that sound was overwhelming, not helping my headache at all!
I stopped to get some water from a puddle with a lot of leaves in and I was happy when I got the second climb out of the way and the rest of the trail was a down hill cruise.
Not many leaves left on the trees now
A trickle of water from this pipe in the leaves
I got to a field and had an enjoyable walk through the field and out of the trees. I saw Hendrix sitting on a bench and joined him and we chatted and watched the sunset. We were waiting for some of the others to show up and so we could call Shep and he could do 2 shuttles (his place is 3 miles down the road).
Late afternoon shadows
Open fields
Hendrix sitting on a bench
We had been there an hour and it was starting to get dark and cold and a message from Toe came through saying they would be another 45 minutes so we called Shep and he came and got us.
Last light
Hey cutie
There was a case of Gatorade at the road crossing which was exciting but it was some weird health one and it tasted gross! Shep went back for May Queen and Howard and then went back again and collected Toe, Cal, Safety and Sidequest, Jet and Thigh High - who they had convinced not to stay at the last shelter.
Rabbit Foot was the only one who committed and made it 26 miles to the planned shelter!
No Miles (Shep’s wife) made a huge pot of Spaghetti Bolognaise and Garlic Bread and we also had burgers and sausage and pie which none of us were expecting, and it was so nice of them. They have everything a hiker needs and although the bunk room they have planned isn’t finished yet we were able to camp or cowboy under the pavilion. I am in my tent under the pavilion as I think there might be a little too much condensation on the grass, and it’s forecast to rain tomorrow.
Spaghetti Bolognaise and garlic bread was an unexpected treat
They will have an amazing set up for future AT hikers
I am psyching myself out about Wednesday because the forecast is a low of -5° / 23°F and a high of 4°C / 40°F! I’m not prepared for such cold weather!
