BeeCh Hill B&B/hostel 1463 to Campbell Shelter 1478.2 (15.2 miles, 1478.2 total miles)
After a somewhat fitful night of sleep in the bunk room for no apparent reason, I was dragging in the morning while Shrek had gotten her energy back and was enjoying coffee and a book out near the porch.
The breakfast bell went off around 7:30, and I was the last in after stopping to get my own coffee next to the dining room. There were three fantastic looking casseroles set out for us, including a bananas foster French toast dish and two eggs casseroles.
I loaded my plate with a slice and a half of the French toast, a slice of a caprese style egg casserole, and a spoonful of fruit salad. I’d eat a second plate of the same not long after.
While we ate, Ben said he was going to hike 26 miles to Four Pines, while the section hikers were going to do around 9. Shrek and I would be going 15.2/16.4 to the shelter just before McAfee, intending to catch sunrise there the following morning.
There was a mileage discrepancy between the two map sections of northern and southern Virginia, and I was pretty sure we were going to be hiking 16.4, but only 15.2 would count toward the total. I was thinking it must readjust somewhere else down the line.
Ben left shortly after 8AM, while I continued to try to get myself ready to hike, and Shrek finished packing as well. She patiently waited for me, and I was finally ready to check out just before 10:00.
We walked over grassy areas that looked like private property that the trail was running though on our way into Daleville again. When we got to the four lane road we needed to cross next to the Mexican restaurant, the lure of civilization was too strong, and we veered off toward the gas station right next to the woods.
Shrek bought us a Coke and Dr Pepper, and we sat on the curb outside the gas station with Moose, knowing the sugary, caffeinated drinks would help us on the climb out of town.
It was only 1.3 up, with an elevation gain of just over 900 feet. I put on the Stranger Things official Spotify playlist, which bumped me up the incline with plenty of switchbacks making it easier to climb.
At the top we arrived at a power line view of Daleville, with crackling electricity all around us. I’d never hiked this section in the daytime before, as the last time I came through here I hiked the stretch between Daleville and Four Pines (NOBO) on an overnight hike with Pockets.
It had been our very first hike together after we met on trail, and McAfee Knob had been totally socked in with rain and fog, and by the time we hit Tinker Cliffs it was full dark. Those are supposed to be two of the best views on the Appalachian Trail, so I was very excited to have a redo.
After a little break there, we had a flat couple miles toward Hay Rock on a very beautiful ridge. We had views down to a reservoir on our left that were quite lovely, and traversed several rocky sections as we went.
There were many day hikers out, and Moose was very good for the most part, getting used to seeing new people so frequently after a few days of hiking.
We reached Hay Rock and the Monolith, two large stone formations next to or overhanging the trail. I was feeling hungry, but we still had five miles till water, so I kept hiking.
Just past Hay Rock, I felt the telltale burn on my leg and looked down to see a yellow jacket on my right leg this time, stinging me through my sock. I swore in pain, and brushed it off me with my left foot.
I paused my audiobook, and looked back to see Shrek struggling as well. We had apparently hiked upon an aggressive ground nest, and her and Moose were sustaining heavy casualties.
We ran for it, but Shrek dropped her trekking pole and had to go back for it, a yellow jacket making its way into her sleeve and stinging her twice in the armpit and on her shoulder.
Moose was yelping, and we stopped after a minute, thinking we were safe, but soon realizing the bees still had us, as we brushed a couple off Moose then kept running.
We were .2 past the Monolith when we finally stopped at a safe place. Poor Moose laid down, wincing when we touched him. Shrek had gotten stung no less than six times, and she said she’d seen Moose react at least four times.
I could tell she felt terrible to see Moose in any pain, but it wasn’t her fault. I’d gotten off easiest, with just the one sting. I must have woken them up, while the other two got the brunt of it.
We stayed on the side of the trail for several minutes, adrenaline going like crazy, as bee venom spread through our bodies. Moose made a quick recovery, wanting us to play fetch with him after only a few minutes, which we happily obliged, glad to see him reenergized.
It was after 1:00, and we were famished, deciding to stop early to eat before the shelter. Half a mile descent later, we found another power line, where we sat in the sun, still in shock from the yellow jacket attack.
The day had become extremely overcast, and I’d been sure we were going to be dumped on by rain, but it hadn’t happened. In fact, the sun came out after the stings, but at lunch we saw more clouds gathering to the south, steely gray and ominous looking.
There were strong winds for today, up to 20-30 mph, which was reminiscent of the type of wind that had ripped through the White Mountains while I was there.
It was strange, because the weather forecast had looked fine earlier, and it almost felt like the earth was rebelling against me being on this part of the trail again, wanting me to work for those views I’d missed last time.
I had tuna and crackers for lunch, washed down with a bag of barbecue Lays. After half an hour or so, we continued on, 4.7 miles to go the shelter where we could get water.
Shrek and I were both dragging now, and suddenly my right knee had been taken over by intense pain on the lower right side of the kneecap. Uphill was okay, but downhill hurt immensely, and I wondered if it had something to do with being stung on that leg, or if I’d done something to it while running down the trail.
Luckily it was mostly uphill to the shelter, and the hike went without incident, though I was a little on edge scanning the trail around me for more bees. Moose followed right on my tail, my little shadow as I hiked along.
Shrek was tough as ever, taking the stings she’d gotten without complaint, more concerned for Moose than herself. She had mentioned her shoulders and ankle had been in a lot of pain recently, and she looked completely exhausted, but just kept going.
We stopped to take in a couple cliff views along the way, one of them overlooking the Tinker Creek Valley, with plenty of farmland, houses, and mountains inside it.
Finally we arrived at Lamberts Meadow Campsite, where we saw the two section hikers from BeeCh Hill, then continued on .2 farther to the shelter, arriving there around 3:20.
Shrek was nice enough to collect water for us both while I sat and read the logbook, resting my knee. There was a father and son section hiking the Virginia Triple Crown there, which encompasses McAfee Knob, Tinker Cliffs, and Dragon’s Tooth.
The son had thru hiked the AT in 2012, and soon we were joined by a few other middle aged men section hiking as well. I went on the next water run, limping heavily down to the water source, wondering if I should be concerned about my knee.
We departed around 4:20 with 7 more miles to go to the shelter we were staying at, and only 1.6 away from Tinker Cliffs. I made my way up the incline, through brushy areas, with Moose at my heels.
Tinker Cliffs was absolutely stunning, though we were blasted by wind at the top. The cliffs continued on for a quarter mile, with magnificent views into Catawba Valley, which seemed immense from where we were standing.
I remember vividly when night hiking past this area that it was just blackness past the trees, and I could sense this drop off and space beyond the cliffs, but never imagined the valley would be so vast and the views so spectacular.
We didn’t really have time by then to sit and hang out, but that was preferable for me, as the wind was really quite overwhelming. At one point it blasted me back toward the forest, off balance from the strength of it.
Back in the woods, we had over a mile of descent, and I found myself hiking fast down the mountain, while also limping at the same time, using my trekking poles and left leg to keep as much weight off my right knee as possible.
At one point, doing that caused me to slip on acorns with my left foot and take a quick tumble, but I continued on with no damage taken.
We stopped at a ledge view 2.2 miles before camp at 5:45. We rested for a few minutes, gave Moose water, and Shrek took off his pack, attaching it to hers so he could have an easier walk to camp.
Moose seemed lively and happy, ready to play fetch, being very affectionate with me. He followed close behind me again all the way to the shelter, which was mostly uphill, to my delight.
The last couple miles were very enjoyable. Though I was tired, I watched the sun sinking over the ridge of the mountain ahead, feeling very blessed to be out here hiking this trail, getting to redo such a special section with views this time, and having Shrek and Moose here with me.
I teared up, from a combination of emotion and the wind in my eyes. When I saw the shelter ahead, I threw my hands in the air in triumph, marching upward toward it.
We’d made excellent time, as it was 6:40 by then. We’d hiked 7 miles in just over two hours with a short break, and had enough time to make dinner, set up camp, and get to bed nice and early.
Sprouts was the only person at the shelter, and I was happy to see her there. She said she was thinking about doing sunrise on McAfee, .7 up trail, but wasn’t sure if she’d be up to it in the morning.
Sprouts was tenting nearby, so Shrek, Moose, and I had the shelter to ourselves. The mushroom stroganoff dehydrated meal I’d gotten in Daleville hit the spot, because it was extremely cold up on the mountain with the wind blowing harder than ever.
There was some respite in the shelter, but I was very jealous of Shrek having Moose’s body heat next to her. I was wearing every layer I had, plus my hat, and had strapped my quilt to my sleeping pad to keep warm, which I hadn’t done in months.
We were laying down by 9:00, and I’d set my alarm for 4:30 the next morning to catch the sunrise. I hoped I’d drift off quickly, and tried my best to get warm, knowing I’d need to send for my puffy coat and gloves soon. Tomorrow would be my first sunrise hike, and I couldn’t wait.