27 Mile Shakedown Hike: Mt Rogers to Damascus.

3 Days, Stinky, Sore Muscles, Blisters, Pain and Awesome Views.

First, before I begin this entry: I was chastised for a mistake in my last post.  I had stated that there were 1000 persons coming into Damascus for Trail Days and have been corrected that is is actually 10-20,000 persons coming into this small hamlet for Trail Days weekend. Here is an interesting article from one of the newspapers around Damascus VA chronicling Trail Days. Check it out. http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/may/20/annual-trail-days-festival-draws-thousands-damascu-ar-1927722/

So I finished my 3 day hike on the Appalachian Trail last week.  I chose to enter the Appalachian Trail about 4 miles south of Mt Rogers, the highest peak in Virgina with an elevation of just shy of 6000 ft,  hike north to check out the views, reverse course and hike south 27 miles back to my car in Damascus. What a great hike.

I arrived in Damascus Friday evening about 5PM, went to the outfitters and checked into their hiker hostel for the evening and worked out an early departure to Elk Gardens with their hiker shuttle. Kudos to Mt Rogers Outfitters for a class act store and support on the shuttle.

Dave's Place Hostel Damascus VA

So, receiving the key to my room at the hostel, I unpacked and checked out my room.  If you have never stayed at a hiker hostel, they can be anything from dirty and nasty to almost luxurious.  Dave's Place hostel was very simple, clean and I had a room to myself Friday night.  The room provided bunks for two persons and were just a wooden platform with a thermarest mattress on top to put under your sleeping bag.  A towel was provided so you could take a shower if you wanted.  To be honest, this was not a bad hostel, it was clean but many also provide a refrigerator with drinks and snacks, and more importantly at least a mattress to put your sleeping bag on...Oh well, it was clean, tidy and a place to rest my head.

My room for the night

So, after getting my gear unpacked and checked, studying the maps and guides so I knew my route, springs and water availability, and general mileage for each day, I settled down on the porch.  While relaxing, I met two other hikers coming into the hostel that were finishing their section hike of the AT.  They had started at Springer Mountain and traveled about 500 miles to finish here in Damascus.
So, it typical hiker tradition, we all headed out to the local watering hole for beer and pizza.  These two hikers were a wealth of information about thru hiking and I was able to glean a few pieces of good advise on how to manage my hike.  Hats off to Cardnial and his buddy.  By the way, Cardnial is a trail name.  Each long distance hiker either selects or is given a trail name by hikers on the trail.  This becomes the name you are known on the trail to all. This is one of the many traditions found on the Appalachian Trail.

Trail head at Elk Gardens

Mount Rogers Recreation Area Map.

Up and early on a sunny Saturday morning, I take the shuttle up to the Elk Gardens trail head and hike north to summit Mt Rogers.  There was not a close trail head to attack Mt. Rogers from the north so I hiked 5 miles north and summited the highest peak in Virgina and one of the tallest peaks on the Appalachian Trail.  The hike up to the summit began at an elevation of of 4400 ft and 

Typical Spring where I would
filter water.

gained 1300 ft of elevation over 4 miles so this section of the trail is very manageable.  After taking in the summit, it was now time to turn around, head back to Elk Gardens and continue south to Damascus 24 miles away.

As I slip back quietly on the  trail,  I enter a world removed from the hustle and bussle of the "real world"  As I trasition from the meadows into the forest, the temperature is noticibly cooler.  The smell of the forest is strong and fragrant and I allow myself a moment to let the smell of fresh air, dirt, and vegitation into my soul. I am alone on the trail and view the trail  in front of me as it winds around rocks and trees beconing me to travel thru its majestic splendor. I notice the white blaze placed on a tree.  This is the blaze that marks all of the AT.  White blazes mark the actual trail, blue blazes mark side trails to water, views, water, campsites, towns ect.  So I hitch up my pack, take a sip of water and quietly slip deeper into the mystic of the Appalachian Trail.  The only sounds are the robins and finches in the trees and the light clack produced as my trekking poles make contact with the  numerous rocks on the trail.  This is truly "God's Country".

Buzzard Rock

I begin the hike with a fairly difficult climb into the mountains, by lunchtime, I have summited another peak and am sitting on top of Whitetop Mountain on an outcropping called Buzzard Rock with a fantastic view of the valley a couple of thousand feet below.




View from WhiteTop Mountain

After a brief repast of peanut butter crackers and energy bars I descend an extremely long downhill decent off the Mountain and reach the shelter for the night.  I refill my water bottles, prepare a bit of dinner, hang my bear bag and spread out my gear in the shelter for the evening.  I settled down, and started a fire which of course brought another hiker like a moth to a light to the shelter.  He was a younger guy that was hiking about 800 miles of the trail and had headed out of Damascus 17 miles away early this morning.  We talked for about an hour enjoying the fire and it was then time to hit the sleeping bag as I was heading out at first light trying to travel the 17 miles to Damascus tomorrow. (Another side note: It is always good when a hiker packs a twelve pack of beer from Damascus, realizes the beer is extremely heavy and proceeds to offer me the opportunity to lighten his beer load...)

Shelter on the AT.

So, up at 4:30 to a breakfast of oatmeal and breakfast bars asI broke camp at first light.  Aches and Pains were taken care of by my drug of choice, Tylenol, and again I was enjoying the quiet of the early morning forest.  The next several miles were enjoyable and the trail was easy....famous last words....As soon as I was comfortable and making good time, the trail of course decided to make an ascent up another mountain with steep narrow switchbacks that seemed to go on for miles ...it did.....stretching my stamina and willpower for the rest of the morning.  Lunch was by a mountain trout stream and it was back to attacking the trail.  The trail was treacherous at times and a mountain goat would have been happy to live on these parts of the trail, steep, slippery and tenuously holding onto the side of mountains, the trail is both rugged and beautiful at the same time.

Mountain Stream

However, I fell in the late afternoon, on a narrow portion of the trail, hurting my right wrist.  Using trekking poles to help my descents became painful because of the injured wrist and hiking became slow and painful again.  So, three miles out of Damascus, I decide to shelter over on the trail, set my tarp and campsite up just off the trail, eat dinner and I am off to dreamland before sundown.

I awoke early Monday morning to a beautiful day, a 3 mile to hike into town and a wrist that wasn't swollen and that was much less painful.  I broke camp, enjoyed the last several easy miles into town, had a wonderful breakfast and with a bit of sadness left the woods and the wonderful trail town of Damascus, VA for the hustle and bustle of the "real world" Grrrrr...

So...be looking for the next post where I will be discussing my selection of shelters I may be carrying on the trail. Wow, hammocks, tents, and tarps...fascinating reading...stay tuned..