I didn’t sleep very well in the bunk last night. I just got too hot in there and it probably didn’t help that I was on the top bunk either. Today early in the morning and breakfast is served at 7 am. I had a nice hearty breakfast with blueberry pancakes and coffee. After eating the pancakes I thought they were a little salty, not much, but somewhat noticeable. I later discovered that someone mixed salt with sugar, which explains the savory nature of the pancakes.
climb away
Nice section of trail next to Rocky Row Run
When they took me back to the trail, it was around 8:30 am when I started walking. The hike began with 1.5 miles of flat terrain, parallel to Rocky Row Run. Then the climbing began. Over 2,200 feet of elevation gain in 3 miles. At least I was going to do it in the morning, when it was still relatively cold. It’s supposed to be hot today, reaching 80 degrees. The climb ended up being difficult but not as bad as I thought. There were certainly difficult steep spots, but much of it was broken up with switchbacks, which tempered the experience. The summit had great views of the surrounding countryside, including the James River and the bridge I crossed yesterday. At the top I also ran into Energizer and Lost & Found, who I hadn’t seen in about a week. So I spent a little time catching up with them.
The next few kilometers consisted of fairly gentle ups and downs. Offering respite from the climb until the ascent to Bluff Mountain, another 1000 foot climb. Fortunately the climb had a good series of curves that made it quite bearable. Unfortunately, much of it was exposed to the sun, which was quite hot and when I reached the top, my shirt wouldn’t have been any wetter if I had jumped into a lake. But at the top there were pretty decent views and I ran into many of my fellow hikers.
View from the top of Bluff Mountain
I took a short break and had a snack before continuing on as I was running out of water. Luckily there was a water source within a couple of miles that I can fill up on and have a longer lunch break.
800 miles
The next two kilometers were quick, all downhill and not too steep. I filled 2.5 liters of water from the fountain, a sewer that runs under a forest road. I drank about a liter with my lunch, which consisted of tortillas, packets of buffalo chicken, and chips. Accompany it with an electrolyte drink and gummy bears. I then got back on the trail, starting with a quick little climb before leveling out. Less than a mile into my break, I reached another milestone. 800 miles completed!
Shortly after reaching 800 miles, the sky became cloudy, providing some relief from the heat. However, there was a distinct lack of breeze to keep the air warm. A couple of uneventful miles followed with gentle ups and downs until I encountered a juvenile copperhead snake on the trail. At first I barely recognized him and he was bloated from the last meal. I couldn’t get it off the trail, so I took a very generous detour and continued on my way.
fat and bold
The last few miles consisted of a descent to Brown Mountain Creek and then following it to Brown Mountain Creek Shelter. I picked up some more water at one of the stream crossings and headed to the shelter for the night. I set up my tent by the stream and went to bed.
Statistics for day 56:
20.1 miles
5,230′ ascent, 4,514′ descent
US 501 to Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
2DSLC…
Stove use times: 10
Snakes seen on the trail: 8
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