John and Mike Take a Hike ~ with Natalie!: Day 58 (Monday, June 9th)

Today's Miles: 21.80
Trip Miles: 681.50

Kelly Knob

Tough grade

I started out ahead of M and N at 7:30. I just threw down a power bar and some crackers for breakfast. I figured I'd get water at a spring a few miles north that we were told was still running. When I got there I was happy to find the water flowing strong and clean. There was a ridge walk and a long downhill early on which was a nice change. One thing about this part of Virginia though, when you come to a climb, it's a doozy. The grades out here are extreme. A lot of huffing and puffing and gallons of sweat. The high humidity doesn't help this old New Englander either.

The climb from Rocky Gap to Kelly Knob was along an old road and the half mile seemed more like six miles, but that was only a prelim for the climb later in the day to Sarver Hollow Shelter. Of course, the time of day you face a climb helps to determine the difficulty.

M and N had caught up to me at Laurel Creek and we found some trail magic there. Little Foot's (the young woman from Georgia who hikes with Fievel, really nice kids) mom and dad (Mark and Connie) had set up in a lot at Va. 630 and were cooking on a grill. I see where Little Foot gets her great attitude; her mom and dad are great people.

The Five Hour Crowd at trail magic

There was a bubble of hikers ahead of us who, it turns out, had been at the magic site for five hours. By the time we got there they had drunk all but one beer, all the wine and all but one cup of soda. Trail magic abuse. We'd met this group before and they're not our favorite people. We did get a bite to eat and some water. Mark gave me the last beer in deference to my age. Thanks, Mark and Connie. Your magic made the climb a lot more palatable.

We had another long ridge walk (yah hoo!) and a downhill to Niday Shelter. We got there at 7, got water, ate, and went to bed. The abuse group rolled in an hour or so later. Loud and obnoxious, but they quieted down quickly. We'll hike away from them tomorrow. That's the beauty of hiking; you can speed up or slow down to avoid people you don't care for.

I don't want to end this on a sour note so let me expand a little on Mark and Connie. They drove up from Moultrie, in southern Georgia, to provide trail magic for their daughter and her fellow hikers over the course of a few days. Just nice folks who love their daughter and enjoy being part of the hike. Thanks again, Connie and Mark.

Night all.

P.S. I forgot to mention that after the trail magic, we passed the largest tree on the AT; the Keffer Oak, estimated to be over 300 years old and has a circumference of 18-20 feet.