May 10 - Central Virginia

DAY #59
START LOCATION: Random Stream near Catawba, VA
FINISH LOCATION: Lamberts Meadow Shelter
TODAY'S MILEAGE: 15.4
TRIP MILEAGE: 709.7
MILES TO GO: 1,469.4

It was really cold last night. I needed nearly all of my clothing and
my sleeping bag to keep me warm in my tent. I stayed warm, but I had
to go fetal position to keep it that way. But, I slept ok and only
woke up a few times.

I adore my MSR Pocket Rocket but it is very unstable. I prided myself
for cooking on it twice a day for the last 2 months without knocking
it over. I knocked my pot of oatmeal off of it this morning. So the
streak starts anew... July 20 will beat it.

My hike started with some beautiful green pastures with grazing cows.
It was cold but there was zero breeze and the sun was brilliant. I
warmed up quickly. I passed Gar from Norwell said my good morning, we
chatted about the delicious AYCE I skipped the day before and then I
pushed hard to the second Catawba road crossing. I walked the 1 mile
"yellow-blaze" down to the Catawba General Store. I needed
electricity, light resupply and a payphone. Well, they were good for
the first two. But, payphones are disappearing faster than the US
middle class. The woman working there said I'd pick up AT&T service as
I ascended in the afternoon and got closer to Roanoke & I-81. So, I
charged up, resupplied and had a burger for lunch with some locals in
the meantime. I struck up conversation with an electrician, a plumber
and a real estate agent. They were all friends who met at the Catawba
General Store for lunch almost everyday. They asked me about the
trail, I asked them about the Catawba area, and lots of small talk.
Really nice guys. As we all wrapped up lunch I asked... "Any chance
one of you fellas passing the trailhead on the way back to work?" They
ALL jumped and volunteered but the real estate agent won. He had a
wide open SUV and a light workload in the afternoon. It was a gigantic
help. The elevation on the easy walk down registered 800' on my
altimeter over the 1 mile... Pure misery on hot asphalt to walk back up.

I pushed to McAfee Knob where I'd not only break the 700 mile mark,
but I'd get a photo op at what is described as the most photographed
spot on the AT. I'd think Katahdin would be, but I'm guessing more
people make it McAfee than Katahdin. Why? Locals everywhere. It was an
easy 4 mile hike from VA-311. I arrived and Braids and On The Loose,
two thru-hiker ladies from Georgia were waiting their turn on the Knob
for their photo op. I learned that On The Loose was the thru-hiker/
trail magician that left the Cherry Cokes that Smokestack and I
enjoyed back on May 1 at Laurel Creek. I thanked her up and down...
One of my best trail magic finds yet. As the locals cleared out, we
did a camera round robin and got the pics taken. We didn't wait around
long, the sun was disappearing behind overcast clouds.

Pushed across Tinker Cliffs, which was more impressive to me than the
Knob. It's a 1/2 mile walk along a cliff overlooking the Catawba
Valley... It was breathtaking.

Full house at Lambert Meadow Shelter tonight. Walking Man East, Grace-
n-Glory, Gar, Braids, On-the-Loose and my ol' pal Hopi from LA was in
the house. I met Hopi back in Franklin, NC and caught up to him at
Partnership. We never seem to hike together for any length of time but
always seem to catch one another at random times. He's good company.

It's 10:35 PM and as I'm wrapping up this blog post, there's something
trudging it's way down the hill, across the stream and up the other
side. I hear crushed leaves and sticks as it's walking. Maybe a late
arriving night hiker looking for a tentsite? I peeked out of the tent
in that direction but see nothing but blackness. Night hikers have
headlamps... Animals don't. So, it's either a bear, a deer or a
coyote. Hmm... We'll see what the shelterers think in the morning.
Walking Man East was an Army Ranger and Ranger school instructor, so
I'm betting he knows what it might be. Whatever it was, it's gone
now... We'll see!

-natedog