2019 AT Thru Hike: Week 1 - Damascus to Atkins VA

Week 1 on the trail

I'm starting to feel a little like a real hiker and I'm starting to see more thru hikers who started in Georgia in late February/Early March. My trail cred pales in comparison as they blow by me doing big miles each day.

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Day 1

Time: Wed, 3 Apr 2019 19:39:34 -0400

Location: Saunders Shelter mile 480.1 8 miles north of Damascus

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=36.63803%2C-81.71372

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Breakfast with Helen at Damascus Diner. Walked together from Dragonfly Inn to nobo AT and said goodbyes. 

Hiked  a little with Yawasi a 63 year old section hiker from Blairsville at start. Passed several day hikers sobo. Young kid we saw in town passed me. We talked briefly. He is thru-hiking north. Saw 2 ladies and guy from diner dayhiking. Said they're from Indiana training for a section hiker in the summer through Shenandoah.

Very pretty section along and above river and Creeper Trail where we rode bikes yesterday. 1000 ft elevation gain. 4.5 hours to shelter. Nice lady named Tamela only other hiker at shelter. She's an empty nester semi retired nurse section hiking. Helped her hang her bear bag and chatted.

Pretty night not too cold.

Love you. Miss you ❤️

Day 2

Time: Thu, 4 Apr 2019 18:01:16 -0400

Location: Mile 489 3 mi N of Lost Mtn Shelter 10 mi S of Thomas Knob Shelter

A little over 9 miles today. See some people but overall a lonely solitary experience so far. Pretty weather and scenery along the Creeper Trail and now climbing towards Mount Rogers.

My body feels good. Didn't sleep well.

Passed several section hikers. One older guy is training for thruhike next year

Got several comments on hiking in sandals. 

Several thru hikers passed by my camp. A couple stopped to talk. Real nice middle aged Hispanic guy Xisco from Phoenix. He's not used to the cold. Should be getting passed by more thru hikers soon as they are doing 20+ miles.

Slept at Saunders Shelter last night. Only other hiker there was Tamela a semi retired nurse section hiking very slowly. She was the hiker we saw struggling when were riding bikes on the Creeper Trail.

I passed Yawasi sleeping in his hammock a few miles in. He just showed up and setup camp nearby. He's nice and likes sharing his knowledge. Showed me his hammock setup.

Wind really picking up. Rain tonight and tomorrow. Planning on camping near Thomas Knob Shelter we saw on our hike to Mt Rogers.

Love you and miss you ❤️

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=36.63964%2C-81.63857

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Day 3

Time: Fri, 5 Apr 2019 20:33:10 -0400

Location: Thomas Knob Shelter Nobo mile 498.9

Earned some trail cred today with rain, wind, and big climb to Mt Rogers. 10 miles today. Wore my compactor bag skirt and sealskinz socks and used my umbrella. It worked well.

Broke camp about 9am and hiked till about 4pm. Sleeping in the shelter tonight trying to dry some things.

Saw several day hikers and a small scout group. Sharing shelter with Dad 3 kids and dog. Young couple stopped to eat and enjoyed talking with them. He thru hiked in 2015. They want to do the PCT next year.

Play hiking with coffee beer and cuddling is more fun than real hiking.

Love you. Miss you ❤️.

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=36.65634%2C-81.53539

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Day 4

Time: Sat, 6 Apr 2019 20:41:45 -0400

Location: Old Orchard Shelter 12 mi Nobo mi 510.8

Family with dog slept upstairs in Thomas Knob Shelter. I slept downstairs. Woke up to 3 ponies milling around. The kids and dog were very excited.

2 girls a guy and a dog camped nearby. Chatted with them. Ponies gathered around as I made breakfast on top of the bear box. One licked me and then gave me a little bite.

Pretty day hiking through Grayson Highlands. Lots of day hikers. Cute 60sh lady asked if I was thru-hiking. She did it in 2010.

Finally got cell service and was able to call home. It was really nice ☺️. Mom said Derek's team did well on their ME project competition.

Met Papa John a thru hiker about my age from Auburn AL. He hiked on after chatting with me. He had just taken a zero in Damascus for some honey time with his wife and was trying to catch his group.

Scout group camping in the clearing below. Lots of laughter and a campfire.

It's nice. The scoutmaster came up and talked with me for an hour. He thru hiked in 2010 and knows a lot about hiking. We had a good time.

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=36.68339%2C-81.51112

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Day 5

Time: Mon, 8 Apr 2019 19:43:08 -0400

Location: Trimpi Shelter NoBo mile 524.2

14 miles today. Scouts camped in meadow below shelter. It was nice hearing laughter and watching the fire. Easy Hiker (2010 thru) and Frito (2001? thru) walked up to share stories. It was really nice. Had the shelter to myself. Didn't think I would be sleeping in shelters, but I'm liking them. Less hassle than setting up camp and meeting people. 

Finally went to the bathroom. Nice privy. Looks like I might be brown blazing. 

Met GW (Global Warming) at Hurricane Mountain Shelter at lunch. We hiked a couple hours together. He's from Albany NY and just graduated with an environmental science degree. Showed me a lot of plants and trees. Told me to eat 3 hemlock or white pine needles to get my vitamin c. Knows a lot of bird calls. Neat kid.

Have seen a few SOBO's who got hurt last year and came back this year to finish within calendar year to qualify as official thru hikers.

Lots of section hikers who return periodically with the goal of eventually piecing together the entire trail. Some have devoted many years and come from far away.

Love you ❤️ Miss you 😘

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=36.80938%2C-81.42252

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Day 6

Time: Wed, 10 Apr 2019 07:09:35 -0400

Location: Partnership Shelter NoBo mile 534

Yesterday, I took another blue blazed trail near the Trimpi shelter and went the wrong way for half a mile or so. First time getting lost.

Section Hiker with his dog Dixie was at the Trimpi Shelter. Really nice guy and super sweet lab.

Group of 4 guys started showing up all spaced out. They were a hoot. One of the guys is an IE from GT 89. He works for John Deere and lives in Waterloo IA.  He's been section hiking the AT over the years and invited 3 friends along for a week. One guy was from his church, another younger guy works for him and lives in Wisconsin, and a hot mess of guy who is a childhood friend from Franklin TN who brought pot laced death star gummies for his friends. Lots of guy humor. BOFA: as in bofa my balls. Good times.

They weren't in the best shape and were hurting after their first day. They were headed south to Damascus.

A kid that GW started with, Montana Slim, from Louisiana showed up late. It was nice and cozy. A full house and a real snore and fart fest with middle of the night pee trips for all us old guys.

Everyone was in bed by 9 and up at dawn. Had some more laughs in the morning before parting ways.

Hiked 10 miles alone today to Partnership Shelter. Rained hard the last couple miles. 

Saw GW and a Sobo named Comics hanging out under the awning at the Pat Jennings Visitor Center next to the shelter. Comics posts her comic artwork at Rotu Comics on Instagram.

We dried out and took a shuttle into Marion for some pizza and resupply. A cute old couple Jim Sparks and his wife shuttled us back. Their son was a thru hiker and they love to talk with hikers. Jim's wife was watching the progress of a group of older women thru hikers who call themselves The Wandering Women and expected them to come through soon.

I'm starting to have some real trail experiences and feeling like a real hiker.

GW and Comics talked about other hikers. They talked about meeting the Crawford Family of thru hikers.

Ghost, a 32 year old guy from Germany showed up late. He had hiked 30 miles that day. People fall in love with the trail from all over the world. He watched Darwin and Dixie in Germany and talked about how expensive it is to order the lightweight American gear overseas.

Love you 😘 Miss you ❤️

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=36.88564%2C-81.37465

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Day 7

Time: Wed, 10 Apr 2019 16:24:02 -0400

Location: Relax Inn Atkins VA Nobo mile 545.6

Stayed the previous night at Partnership Shelter with GW, Comics, and Ghost. Chatted with Ghost about his 6 month visa limit and how he wanted to finish the trail so he could visit some places like NY and Boston before returning to Germany.

Comics headed Sobo and GW and I stopped by the Pat Jennings Visitor  Center nearby before heading north.

Stopped for lunch at the Chatfield Shelter with GW. It was a pretty setting among the rhodendron and overlooking a stream. An African looking young lady day hiker showed up but sat in the shelter alone avoiding interaction. Almost like she had some sort of vow of silence.

I like my peanut butter, olive oil, honey combination. Thai rice noodles don't cold soak well, but potatoes, rice, cous cous, ramen, spam, chicken, tuna, and oatmeal do. No regrets with cold soak.

A couple miles later I got my first live trail magic. I got a root beer someone left at a trail register the previous day. A couple came out with some special needs adults. They were so tickled to see us. They had everything a hiker would want including hygiene and medical supplies. Their son had thru hiked and they had been perfecting their spread over the years. I had a cherry Dr Pepper Fritos and Snickers. GW strained his calf/Achilles and gladly picked up an ace bandage.

GW stopped by the Settler's Museum nearby and got a tour from a nice young guy. GW played their old piano.

Since GW was hurting I offered to share a room with him at the Relax Inn in Atkins VA and he accepted. I had already planned to zero there. I feel fine, but I'm trying to heed the advice to go slow to start. The shower was appreciated.

The Relax Inn has seen better days. The reviews are hilarious. We ate at the Mexican restaurant nearby for dinner. It was really good but no liquor.

Love you 😘 Miss you ❤️

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=36.88567%2C-81.37457

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Day 8

Time: Wed, 10 Apr 2019 17:25:51 -0400

Location: Relax Inn Atkins VA NoBo mile 545.6

Zero day today at the Relax Inn with GW. I just recently realized that a zero day means 2 nights. The night you check in and the night you zero. 

Breakfast and lunch at The Barn. Good not great. Not the Damascus Diner. GW saw Space Rocks and recognized other hikers who recently signed The Barn's hiker log. Montana Slim called out GW. GW really wants to get back on the trail.

Been doing logistics and cleaning. Trying to catch up on my journal entries. I'm terrible using my phone. Should have practiced more. Don't know how I'll get around to blogging. Wish I had a desktop computer.

Made reservations for Apr 16-17 at Wood's Hole hostel 80 miles north near Pearisburg VA.

Love you 😘 Miss you ❤️

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=36.88561%2C-81.37475

Sent from the Guthook's AT Guide app