[at-l] Short Hike Report

[daveh at psknet.com (Dave Hicks)]

0530 Friday, breakfast eaten, I loaded up my pick-up and headed off to meet
one of my trail maintaining friends to join him and three of his regular
hiking buddies for a hike.  By shortly after six we had everything loaded in
two vehicles and were off.



About forty minutes later, the second miscommunication of the trip became
apparent.  [The first had been that I had assumed they meant
Saturday-Monday, when I was asked if I?d join them for a three-day hike over
Memorial Day Weekend.  Wrong.  Normally they hike Friday & Saturday.  So,
their three days were Friday-Sunday.]



In any case, we stopped for a fast-food breakfast, as is their normal
routine.  Seem that three of the four never eat breakfast until they have
been up an hour or two ? one after a morning run, the others at work.  Hum,
I just had breakfast at home.  Oh well an OJ will be OK.  About an hour
later, we hop off the Interstate to leave a vehicle at Jerry?s Run Trailhead
and crowd the five of us and gear into a Volvo station wagon with 380K+
mikes on it.  Back on the Interstate, the lumber trucks are passing us going
up-hill.



As we exit I-64 we make another breakfast stop ? the first had been too
early and Hardie?s Raisin cinnamons biscuits are better anyway.  What the
hey I?ll be hiking, I can handle a couple of Raisin cinnamons biscuits and
coffee, right.



On up WV route 92 to the ALT trailhead 12.41 miles north of the southern end
of Section 3.



Out of the Volvo, stretch, saddle-up, cross the road into the field, and
stop.  Where does the trail go?  [Word of advice, or MHO, about hiking the
ALT ? good map-reading skills and a compos AND altimeter are needed in
places, if solo hiking.  A small group allows one member to ?peg? the last
yellow blaze while the rest fan out based on the guide?s description and
find the next blaze.  We went through this routine a half dozen times a day.



Just got back on track when the skies opened.  On with the raingear and on
our way again.  Nice steady climb of 700 feet over the next four miles then
down a couple hundred feet to another miss a turn.  Rain lets up.  Stop for
lunch ? home baked whole wheat, flax, & seven grain bread with cheese, plus
some Fig Newmans.  Another seven miles and stop for the night.



Of the five of us, I was the only one with a totally dry pack.  The other
ranged from soaked to just some damp things.  CedarTree?s Packa plus trash
compactor bags inside the pack did the job.  In fact, the inside if the pack
was dry.  So, the trash compactor bags we redundant, but I?ll stay with
them, for a while.



Before dinner Scotch.  Dinner of mint couscous & salmon with dried fruit for
desert.



Nomad 242, Integral Design PrimaLoft bag, and Big Agnes Air Core Pad did
their thing and I slept the night away.



Next morning, more home baked bread and strong dark roast coffee and on our
way descending about two miles down to the end of Section 3 at county route
14.



Another round of false starts and we are on our way south on Section 4.
There was only moderate water in the  ?dangerous crossing? of Laurel Run and
the crossing was easy ? the flood warning for Greenbrier County
notwithstanding.  We saw lots of very water in the rivers and some streams.
However, the heavy rains were spotty so upstream it was hit-or-miss, and we
got lucky.  BTW ? they are in the process of building a bridge at this
crossing.  So, it should not be much of an issue for much longer.



Had a perfect day of hiking across numerous small streams and up mild
climbs ? the occasional round of losing the trail notwithstanding.  Did
about 10 miles.

Stopped for night at Graham Shelter atop Smith Knob.  Another round of
pre-dinner drinks, a meal of Kasha Varnishkes, good camaraderie, and a good
night?s sleep.



Breakfast, packed, and on our way by seven.  About eight miles out to Jerry?
s Run Trail head, by noonish.  In the vehicles just before the rain started.



Total 28 miles and about 4000 feet cum uphill in 2 1/2 days.  Good outing.
Mostly good weather.  Very good company.  Only one down side.  Remember the
"What the hey I?ll be hiking, I can handle a couple of Raisin cinnamons
biscuits and coffee, right."  Well wrong.  I gained four pounds, but I had
fun doing it.



Chainsaw





BTW ? The guidebook list a number of good views.  Only a few were available
with the leaves on the trees.  If you plan to hike this segment, I suggest a
Fall or very early Spring hike.



BTW2 ? This was a shakedown of some new items for me:



1)  New ankle braces ? The first pair they equipped me with were too
restrictive, period.  This pair fit and works better.  However, one week on
Konnarock revealed that the footbed was far too hard.  I worked most of the
week with molefoam on the bottoms of my feet.  This walk was a test of the
redesigned foot bed.  It was far better than before, but by the third day, I
was developing some pain just behind my third toe, right foot.



2) New brand of compression socks ? These are cooler and stay up better than
the old brand, BUT I found that cannot get them on when damp.  On long
distant hikes, I?ll need to take both type.



3)  A new pack ? I am moving back up in weight, from a G4 to a Granite Gear
Vapor.  However, I?m very happy with it.



4)  Big Agnes Air Core Pad ? It?s a pain to blow-up, but the comfort if
worth it.  I fear that my old bones are past the G4 & Zrest days.



BTW3 ? I learned an additional lesson.  One of the fellow hikers was a
Medical Doctor.  He had the perfect container for lots of items ? light,
very durable, very good seal.  Medical specimen jars.  Think about it.  They
come sterile and they don?t want what they are mailing to leak.