Day 58

Starting Mile 830.5

I didn’t get moving as early today as I wanted to. I got on the trail around 6:30. and started my 5 mile trek down to the Tyre River. During these miles I lost 3000 feet of elevation, which I wasn’t looking forward to because I was going to gain that 3000 feet back again on the climb up Three Ridges. I didn’t feel too bad as I made my way down. At the  Priest Summit I was able to get some internet so I reserved a hotel room in Waynesboro for the next night. I’m really looking forward to getting into town and getting some food. I really need to stop doing these 7 day stretches between resupplying.

I make it down to the Tyre River about 9 and run into some Trail Magic. I had a couple of drinks and snacks as it talked to Rich. He was a former hiker who enjoys helping out thru hikers. It was a nice little break, but I was there too long. It was already starting to get hot. This should be the last day of up 80s to low 90s days for a little while. Rain is supposed to come in tonight, then we should have rain for the next week. I’m not looking forward to that either. I have really been spoiled with the weather that I’ve had for the last 2 months.

I throw my pack back on, thank Rich for the Trail Magic and cross the Tyre River. After crossing the Tyre River I start climbing. I really started slowing down on this climb as the temperature went up. By 10 oclock I had only made it about a mile and a half and the temperature was already at 80. I was taking a lot of breaks, sitting down as often as I could. I crawl to the Harper’s Creek Shelter by about 11. It took me 2 hours to climb 1200 feet of gain over the 3 miles.

Since I was dragging so much I decided to take a long siesta and then do some night hiking, if the weather cooperated. I definitely wasn’t going to get the miles in today that I wanted and would have a long day tomorrow into town. Instead of having an 18 mile day today and then a 12 mile day tomorrow, it would probably be more like 15 tomorrow. I set my hammock up and went to get a couple of liters of water filtered. Then I just layed in my hammock drinking and eating. It was so hot that I was even sweating while laying in my hammock.

I layed in my hammock until around 5 when the temperature started to drop. It was still really hot and this 2000 foot climb was going to take me a while. Maybe I would do some of my first night hiking of the trip. I shouldered my pack and started climbing. I’ve done Three Ridges a bunch of times over the years and I’d never had this much trouble with it. It’s never been an easy climb, but never this bad. I was doing about a mile an hour. At this rate I was only going to get to the next shelter unless I hiked at night. 

I make it to the view at the top of the first ridge and take my pack off for an extended break. I always loved this view with the vineyard growing down below. I couldn’t take too long because it was getting late. It took me another hour to get up to Chimney Rock, which was only about another mile up. I sat on a rock here for several minutes as well. I had one more ridge to go, so I tried not to sit for too long. Shortly before 8 I made it to Hanging Rock Overlook and the end of my climbing.

It was mainly flat, or slightly down hill from here to the Maupin Field Shelter. Without a significant climb I was able to start making some miles. instead of doing 1 mile an hour I was doing more like 2.5 and made it to the shelter before it was dark. It was starting to get real cloudy so I decided to call it a night. I got everything set up, ate some dinner and went to bed. I was really tired today. I think I overdid it yesterday and over the last several days. Tomorrow will be a long day, but mainly down hill with the only really climb being up and over Hump Back Mountain.

I ended up only doing 13.8 miles today, but it was probably my most difficult day on the trail so far.

Ending mile 844.3