Sarver Hollow Shelter 1511.3 to War Spur Shelter 1523.7 (12.4 miles, 1523.7 total miles)
Sydney got up first this morning, and while Iroh and I were still lying down, told us she realized what she was sick with, and it was strep throat.
I had experience with this, since Sunshine had also contracted strep on trail when we were in New Hampshire. I hadn’t gotten it from her then, even though we shared drinks, and I’d been sharing with Sydney as well, so hoped I was going to be in the clear once more.
Our plan had previously been for Syd to hitch up to Woods Hole Hostel in a day and a half, and for Iroh and I to do a couple big days to meet her there so she could have a rest.
That plan involved her hiking another 12.4 miles today, then 10 more the following, and it was evident that she needed to get off trail as soon as possible. She needed medical care and rest.
I saw there was a road 3.6 miles ahead, and we all discussed our options. We landed on Iroh and Q accompanying Sydney to town and the hostel, where Iroh could spend a few days doing work for stay.
I would meet them on the third day after hiking the remaining miles to the hostel, then take a zero for rest, and to avoid the worst of the rain from Hurricane Ian that was currently working its way up the East Coast.
Sydney asked me to join them today and spend a few days at the hostel as well. It was very difficult for me to say no, but I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t skip any miles this time.
It was the most tempted I’d felt to break that rule this whole hike, and I very much wanted to be there for her, but I’d worked very hard to stand by it, and couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.
Iroh let me give him my trash and empty fuel canister, exchanging it for his half full canister. He also gave me his sit pad and, as collateral to make sure they met up with me again, his battery bank to charge my devices.
I had to laugh, because Sunshine had done the exact same thing when she got off trail to make sure she came back and finished her hike. I trusted Iroh and Sydney to meet me at the hostel, but they both knew I could be suspicious sometimes due to past events, and were very kind to me about it.
We slowly packed up, leaving the shelter around 11:30. Now that it was daylight, the sun filled the hollow with dappled light, and it looked familiar to me, a place I believed I stayed with a hiker named TK my first time around.
Sydney set off a few minutes before us, saying she needed to get started on the climb to prove to herself she could get up there. I felt deeply for her, being sick in the woods was never a fun experience, especially after all the hiking she’d done.
Up on the ridge, we passed some very interesting cairns, that the guide said were believed to have been built by early farmers, though there were plenty of comments in Far Out by various hikers speculating everything from aliens to cider containers.
Iroh phoned a local shuttle driver and after some confusion on which road pickup was less expensive, we coordinated to meet him in an hour and a half, 2.8 miles up trail.
Fortunately for Sydney, it was almost completely a descent off the ridge and to the road. I gave her a tutorial on using trekking poles for ascents versus descents up on the ridge, which she said helped her. We had three poles between us, so we’d each been hiking with one the last couple days.
We alternated the order we were hiking in, and it was always amusing to watch Quasar hike among us. Sometimes he’d run to the front and patiently wait, or not, for us to catch up. I also loved watching him try to pass one of us, quickly growing impatient and swerving around the trail to get ahead.
Iroh let me use his hoodie to hike in, as I was quite cold up the ridge and had my own fleece packed away. Sometimes we’d walk through warm sun spots, but mostly we were shaded from that lovely feeling.
We talked about art, politics, the trail, rituals, and all sorts of things. I already enjoyed conversing with Iroh, and had been pleased to find I liked talking with Sydney just as much. I really felt that we all meshed very well together, and Quasar had immediately accepted me as a new member of the pack.
I tried not to think about my couple solo days ahead, as we travelled through beautiful pastures, finally feeling more of the sun. Syd and I investigated plants that looked like little cherry tomatoes that had the skin of watermelon, while Q rolled in a cow patty that we had thought was just dirt from 20 feet away.
We were all very excited to reach the Keffer Oak, a 300 year old tree, and the largest oak on the AT in the south. Little nature loving hippies that we are, we commenced to hugging the tree, meditating under it, and placing a stone offering at its base.
It was a special way to precede our separation, walking on a bit farther to a small dirt parking lot where Don was waiting. Sydney tried to tempt me one last time to go, but I made myself gave her a goodbye hug instead, wishing her a speedy recovery.
I ate a bagel with cream cheese and a large snickers for lunch, then left the parking lot at 2PM, with about 9 miles to go. I managed to go the wrong way twice when crossing two roads, but got back on track quickly.
I was rewarded for my decision to stay on trail immediately, when I began hiking up and through almost 2 miles of some of the most incredible farm pastures I’d seen before.
I was in Catawba Valley, which I’d now viewed from above multiple times, surrounded by vivid greenery, deep red fields of grasses that rippled in the wind, and could see changing foliage in the distance.
Small yellow butterflies danced in the wind, and I soaked up the warmth of the sun, thanking everything around me for the good fortune I’d received.
I entered back into the forest for more climbing to the next ridge, through a narrow path that snagged my tent poles and headphone cord in rhododendron branches, seeing a few day hikers, but no thru hikers.
I stopped at Laurel Creek Shelter, midway up the ridge. I saw in the logbook Mikey and Pearl had been by earlier, but I didn’t think they’d be staying where I was tonight, having gotten there hours before me.
I pressed on, up a steep, 800+ foot per mile graded climb up to Kelly Knob. I took my time with it, remembering how hiking slower lately had really preserved my energy.
I skipped the side trail to an overlook, as it was now after 4PM, and I still had 4.6 miles to go, wanting at least an hour of daylight at camp. I hiked over a very rocky ridge, before hiking down an even rockier descent for 3 miles that had no switchbacks until the very end.
I’d listened to music earlier, and had put on a very long podcast after the Knob. With 2.2 miles to go, I stopped for a break, eating a couple snacks and donning my wool hat rain and jacket over my hiking shirt, having returned Iroh’s hoodie before he left.
I warmed up very quickly, and took off the hat for a while, hiking through a small, wooded valley with the sun sinking lower as I went, making me feel sleepy.
I climbed for a mile to the shelter, crossing into Mountain Lakes Wilderness, and collecting a couple liters of water just north of the shelter, which I found deserted.
Trying not to think about how much I dislike camping alone, I began getting my dinner ready, changed into warm clothes, and organized my food bag for tomorrow.
I had to hike two 20+ mile days in a row to reach Woods Hole by Friday, and with the days so much shorter I wanted to make my morning as easy as possible.
I put my breakfast and all my snacks into my fanny pack, favoring a Bang energy shot over coffee in the morning. I made a bagel with cream cheese for my lunch tomorrow, and stowed that away as well.
As I was eating my rehydrated al pastor dinner, I was pleased to see another thru hiker arrive. The sun had just set, though the sky was light enough to see by still, as he introduced himself to me as Peacock.
Peacock is from Tennessee, and had just hiked 29 miles to get to the shelter today. He liked to go fast, and had a friend that was only 10 miles ahead of him he was trying to catch.
I was glad for the company, and his nearby presence, in case any more brave deer arrived in the night to get my imagination spinning.
I was dismayed to learn I’d lost one of the straps to my sleeping quilt, which was used to make it warmer by being attached to my air pad. I hoped I could find another one or have another sent to me.
I laid down around 8PM, trying to get cozy and hoping to fall asleep early tonight. I wanted to hike 25 miles tomorrow, and figured it would take me a minimum of 10 hours.
My plan was to wake up at 6 and try to be hiking by 7, hoping to be done before dark if possible. Hiking big miles was more of a challenge when the days were shorter, and the mornings so cold.
I looked forward to reaching Iroh and Sydney in just two evenings, and hoped Syd was doing well. Cell service had gotten much less available for me, so I my fingers were crossed I could get in touch with them on the ridge tomorrow.