Time to finish what I started

It is time to finish what I started 8 years ago…

The original Appalachian Trail section hike that started it all for me was planned for the fall of 2017. This was the year I turned 60 and when my many years of being a “soccer dad” came to end. (I am sure you are all saying “you don’t look that old”- smiles).

The original plan was to hike NOBO (North bound) from Pearisburg VA (mile 637.5) to Daleville VA (mile 730.6) for a total planned hike of 93.1 miles. I think I had planned to do this in 8 to 10 days. This section includes some famous and popular spots on the trail dubbed the “triple crown”. Dragons Tooth. McAfee Knows and Tinkers Cliffs. There are many iconic photos of the AT with a hikers standing on a cantilevered rock I am sure you have seen… this is McAfee Knob.

I had some backpacking experience from weekends in the Allegany Forest in PA so I was not a complete newb. I borrowed some equipment from my son, bought some new equipment and did some exercise and walking to prepare.

As the time approached I decided 93 miles was bit too much to handle on my first hike and decided to change and start at Mountain Lake road access (mile 664.5) . This by the way is near the resort where the movie Dirty Dancing was filmed. This would take 27 miles off the original plan…

I parked my car in Daleville and hired a shuttle to take me to the start of my hike. The first day was a bit of a challenge but is was all down hill so real problems. The second day I learned how poorly I was prepared and what a physical challenge the AT can be, especially in Virginia. I hiked uphill for more than 8 hours during which time I hit a wall and was only able to take 5 steps without stopping. The final uphill was a 500 ft climb in 1/2 mile up to Kelly’s Knob. I got some moral support on the final push from some experienced section hikers and hobbled into Laurel Creek Shelter.

That night I had no desired to eat, but the other hikers convinced me I needed to eat. The next day I took a “zero” and slept in the shelter all day. The third day I started back on trail but knew I would never make it all the way to Daleville. A few miles in there was a road, I hitched a ride and my first section hike was over after only 14 miles.

Some lessons learned

• need lighter weight equipment and boots
• must have trekking poles
• you will eat much less food than you plan
• must eat breakfast in the morning before starting a hike

Over the last 7 years I have completed a number of hikes in this section. My longest was 35 miles over 4 days that included Dragon’s Tooth. After moving to North Carolina in 2022 I have become a much better hiker and am able to handle the mountain climbs – for the most part. I am down to the last 20 miles to finish my original plan. This will be completed next week in first hike of this adventure including my first trip to McAfee Knob and maybe a sunrise photo like below. It’s about time.