Thunder Hill Shelter 1421.8 to Middle Creek Campground 1435.8 (14 miles, 1435.8 total miles)
I slept quite well in Thunder Hill Shelter for over nine hours last night, though a mouse insisted on crawling all over the rafters above my head, fiddling with acorns for half of the night.
In the morning, I was able to get myself up around 7:30, when I heard a pack of bear hunting dogs baying in the distance for the first time. I saw Seeker was just about done packing up when I walked by to get my food out of the bear box.
He was off to do 24 miles today, so I wished him well, glad we happened to meet when we did. I returned to the shelter to have a lazy breakfast of two jalapeño cheddar packets of grits I found in a hiker box and a coffee with hot chocolate mixed in that Seeker had given me when we were eating dinner.
I read some more while I ate, and listened to Harry Potter as I packed up. It felt weird to be by myself in the morning, but with the audiobook it felt more normal.
I heard a group of hikers pass by the shelter, though they didn’t venture down the side trail, and I was hiking out by 9:20 back onto the AT.
I’d heard from Shrek when I got service briefly at the shelter, and she’d ended up at the campground I was intending to hike to later today.
My heart was lighter than air as I hiked off from the shelter, thrilled I was going to get to see one of my favorite hiking partners from my northern journey today.
The day couldn’t have been more perfect as I started hiking, no humidity or bugs in my face, bright, sunny skies beckoning me onward toward Apple Orchard Mountain.
It was a quick climb up, through a beautiful meadow full of wildflowers, and past a weather radar station. In the distance to my right I could see low clouds amidst mountain peaks, thought it was all blue skies above me.
I descended a mile and stopped for a bit when I found cell service, perched on a log perfect for laying back on as I ate a package of Belvita breakfast biscuits, already hungry again.
Over a mile later I saw two of the bear hunting dogs walking toward me, each with a long black antenna attached to their collars. They saw me and turned around, leading me down the trail behind them.
They weren’t moving very fast, but there wasn’t room on the narrow trail to pass by for a quarter mile until one of them stopped to urinate to the side and I slipped by.
After that, they began following behind me up a little slope, an increase to their pace that kept them ten yards behind me. The dogs were quiet, but every so often I looked behind me and they were still there. I pretended they were my dogs and thought about names for them in my head.
Eventually as I approached a small stream, I heard men calling the two dogs in the distance. The hounds trotted off, and I knew they made it back to the men when I heard the sounds of praise drift toward me as I kept hiking.
I passed the water source, then ascended .3 to a short side trail that brought me to Black Rock Overlook. Scaling a large boulder that I almost slipped off due to my pack weighing me down, I took in a lovely view in the sunshine around 11:30.
I ate a promeal bar for lunch, then texted with Shrek, who said she’d be at a gravel road 5.7 miles ahead when I got there. Tearing myself away from the beautiful overlook, I got moving again through dark rhododendron tunnels while acorns fell around me.
I listened to my audiobook as I went along, and stopped a mile further at Cornelius Creek Shelter off a blue blaze to filter water and use the privy.
I turned on music for my last climb of the ridge, then began a steep descent, passing a couple women going the same way. Stepping on acorns was unavoidable, and at one point they slid like marbles under my feet and I fell on my butt, surprised it hadn’t happened sooner. I was none the worse for wear, using my trekking poles to pick myself back up.
Less than a mile from the dirt road I saw Shrek heading uphill toward with me with her adorable dog, Moose, and I threw my arms in the air and hurried toward her, giving her the biggest hug I could.
We walked downhill together, chatting all the way as we went, not having seen each other in a couple months since Lincoln, NH. We stopped at Bryant Ridge Shelter, which was extremely nice, and spent over an hour sitting at the picnic table talking and eating snacks she’d brought.
After 3:30, the sky was darkening overhead, and Shrek headed out to hike the 1.5 mile blue blaze back to her parked car. I continued on 3.8 miles further to Jennings Creek where Shrek was going to pick me up and bring me to the campground.
The 3.8 was easy, though I had to go up and over one more mountain, because I was feeling so good to be reunited with a great friend that I made the traverse in just over an hour.
The humidity had picked up in a big way, errant raindrops falling on me down to the road, where I sat for a few minutes before Shrek arrived with Moose.
Middle Creek seemed mostly to cater to RV campers, but the store had delicious burgers that we ate with fries and sodas. We split a private cabin on premises, which was only $60, had three beds, a sofa, an air conditioner, and a fridge.
We sat outside for a while, continuing to swap stories about our times in northern New Hampshire, Maine, and the 100 Mile Wilderness while the sun sank behind trees next to our pond.
It was wonderful to catch up with Shrek, and she said she wanted to spend a few days hiking with me, hopefully through the Virginia Triple Crown, which is one of my all time favorite places on trail.
I took a shower and paid $3.50 to do laundry, because I figured I might as well since I had the option. The three of us had a relaxing evening, watching bats fly over the pond next to our cabin, while Shrek played fetch with Moose, then playing a couple games of backgammon inside later on.
I even ran into one of the hunting dogs I’d met earlier in the day on my way to the laundry room. I knew it had to be the same one I’d seen, and she acted very happy to see me as well, licking my face and following me around again for a bit.
I was very happy to have company again, and felt quite lucky to have such a great friend that were willing to join me on trail when I needed her, just like Ashley and Jordan had done on Katahdin.
I knew it was good for Shrek to get back on trail for a few days, and she had many more exciting travel adventures planned out west after this. I loved being part of a community of wandering spirits, feeling more inspired than ever to continue chasing my dreams.