First / Previous / Next / Last

June 25 2001

Distance Traveled: 12.6 (+.4 in side trails)     Total Miles: 19.1 (19.9)

Location: Wine Spring.

Entry:

Woke up later than I planned. I wanted to get up and watch the sunrise from the tower, but it was populated by sleeping teenagers. I ate a quick snack, then moved down the trail for breakfast while they slept. 

I made it to Rock Bald, a nice .2 miles off the trail and had had a snack while taking another self portrait. Heard thunder in the distance, so I packed up and headed to Cold Spring Shelter for lunch then moved on. 

The trail is full of north bounders today. I saw 17 total, plus 15 day hikers that were also northbound. Anyway, soon after leaving Cold Spring Shelter, the storm started and temperatures went down.

I hiked in rain and fog for hours. At the junction with the Bartram Trail, it quit and by the time I made it to Wayah Bald, the sky was clear which made for great photos and viewing. 

At Wayah Bald, I ran into a group of six hikers (north bound), 2 older fellows, 2 teenagers, and a man and woman that looked to be in their 20's. The 2 that looked to be in their 20's were guides from some camp leading the others - paid to hike! They said their tourists were Yankees from Florida and they were some slow movers. The cool thing was that the woman looked familiar and she said I looked familiar to her. Apparently she was hiking the AT and was there about the same time I was  - Virginia, June '99. We figured we probably saw each other at the Catholic Hostel in Pearisburg.

After they left, I moved on to Wine Spring to set up camp by the trail. The camp area at Wine Spring beside the trail is very overused, but back into the woods thru some laurel someone has built a nice fire ring and some cool small stone benches. I think it would be a nice place for a shelter, but there is already one 4 miles south.

Temperatures are dropping. It already feels like the 50's. I set up the hammock for cold weather and plan to wear long underwear tonight. I'll head to Rainbow Springs Campground tomorrow for food re-supply, laundry, showers, and maybe a stay at the bunkhouse.

First / Previous / Next / Last