Yes, Virginia! 9/21/09
As I write this Sam and Sallie are a day’s hike south of Pearisburg, Virginia a town of about 2700-folks and the home of Andrew Johnston, the 17th President of the U.S. Our southbound duo has completed 1552-miles and have just 626-miles to go. They are right on schedule to finish at Springer Mountain, Georgia the last weekend in October.
Sam’s and Sallie’s recent trail experiences have included flocks of wild turkey, whitetail deer, raccoon, and the obligatory squirrels and chipmunks. Probably the worst encounter so far and certainly the most painful was a couple of weeks ago when our hikers got a little too close to a trailside yellow jacket nest. Sallie took several direct hits while Sam collected at least three or four pretty painful stings. With no ice or sting swabs available, they had to just “tough it out.” Sam said it sure did feel good when it stopped hurting. A day or so later, they came upon another yellow jacket nest literally “on” the trail. This one a bear had raided and dug it up stirring up a maelstrom of winged warriors looking for revenge. Sam and Sallie gave them plenty of room by skirting the area off the trail.
The Appalachian Trail south of the Shenandoah Park has numerous mountain crossings in the 4000-foot range and then, as it leaves the Blue Ridge, it generally hangs out in the 1500 to 2000-foot elevation for miles and miles. The elevations are broken only by gentle descents into the valleys which lay in the 1000-foot range. There have been no dramatic changes in altitude for the past couple of weeks, therefore, not much change in weather or scenery.
One of the more interesting points along the trail the past few days has been McAfee Knob, long famous in AT publications as one of the more photogenic spots on the trail with plenty of jutting rocks on the edge of the mountain on which to pose while a companion takes a photo. By the way, speaking of photos, Sam was heard to say that Sallie was doing a solo thru-hike and he was tagging along as her photographer.
The weather has been a bit more pleasant the past couple of weeks. A few warm days have made work out of some of the ascents, but for the most part a breeze has been moving the air and cooling the trekkers. Night time temps have fallen into the upper 50’s some evenings making sleep even better.
Sam and Sallie are averaging 3-miles per hour and most days put in five to six hours. Sam has found that racking up more than18-miles requires some payback the next day. Therefore, they are taking it easy, if you can carry a 35-pound pack 18-miles up and down mountains and call that “easy.”
Near Pearisburg, Sam and Sallie crossed the New River, one of the oldest and most interesting rivers in North America. Contrarily named, the New River is actually one of the oldest rivers on our continent. It is the only southern river that flows mostly north and is the only river that completely traverses the entire Appalachian range. After crossing the New, the trail begins to ascend to the 5000-foot level where it will pretty much remain for the rest of Virginia. This is the first time since New Hampshire that the AT has been this high. It’s giving the pair of hikers a respite from the heat of the valleys below.
A number of you have asked how do you follow the AT for 2178-miles and not get lost. Well the trail is marked by white blazes painted on trees and rocks every few hundred feet or so. Changes in direction are denoted by two blazes. The trail maintenance groups try to keep the blazes within sight of each other, repainting them frequently. Still, in a driving rain storm or the fading light of dusk, it’s easy to miss a blaze and get off the trail. There are many, many side trails that look the same except they are marked by blue blazes instead of white. Another handy resource is the official guidebook which not only contains a detailed narrative description of the trail, but highly detailed maps of the area. A GPS is handy, but most thru-hikers opt out on carrying one due to the added weight and battery requirements.
Sam and Sallie are receiving regular shipments of staples and treats from home. Sam’s mother-in-law got in on the action this past week, sending a “care package” from Oxford, Mississippi. Sallie is maintaining her weight at 65-pounds and has suffered no serious foot problems since New Hampshire. Sam’s weight is a stable 195-pounds with his daily intake between 9,000 and 10,000 calories.
Sam is now on his third pair of Keen hiking shoes, having received a replacement pair just this week. The Keen shoes may seem a bit fragile to some, with him having gone through three pair in 1500-miles. They do really take a beating day-in and day-out, wet or dry, never getting a rest day,. Rocks seem to take the biggest toll on footwear. Indeed, there are millions of jagged, sharp rocks on the trail. Consider though, the alternative to the Keen shoes or similar lightweight expedition models: they weigh just a couple of ounces compared to the old standard leather hiking boot which may weigh upwards of 3-pounds. Now which shoe would you prefer to be walking two thousand miles in? Kinda’ puts a new meaning to the phrase “walk a mile in my shoes” doesn’t it?
We’re pleased to report that other equipment issues have been taken care of by local outfitters or the manufacturers in every case. Keen has replaced the failed shoes at no cost. Leki replaced the broken hiking poles and Platypus replaced the hydration system through an outfitter. There’s been nothing but good to report about the manufacturers and how they stand behind their equipment.
While staying in Daleville, Virginia, Sam visited the local outfitter and was invited to attend a “ZZ Top” concert in nearby Roanoke. Not being of the same generation as “ZZ Top” one had to wonder how Sam liked their music. He reported that he had a great time and had not realized it, but he actually had a “ZZ Top” starter kit beard. LOL
Damascus, Virginia is in the sights now as Sam and Sallie take up the trail for their last push in the longest state on the trail. Sam’s mom and I plan to rendezvous with the pair somewhere around Damascus near the first weekend in October. We haven’t laid eyes on the boy since early May and Peggy’s getting pretty anxious about the trip. We plan on feeding them and giving them a good place to bed down each evening for a while. Sallie isn’t allowed in Smoky Mountain National Park, so we’ll be “sitting” her for a few days while Sam does some slack packing through the park.
Sam and Sallie thoroughly enjoy your posts, emails, and comments. Keep them coming to mclemoresam@yahoo.com. You can also read the complete adventure at http://samboat.blogspot.com/. Until next time remember:
Yard by Yard, Life is Hard!
Inch by Inch, Life’s a Cinch!
Sam’s and Sallie’s recent trail experiences have included flocks of wild turkey, whitetail deer, raccoon, and the obligatory squirrels and chipmunks. Probably the worst encounter so far and certainly the most painful was a couple of weeks ago when our hikers got a little too close to a trailside yellow jacket nest. Sallie took several direct hits while Sam collected at least three or four pretty painful stings. With no ice or sting swabs available, they had to just “tough it out.” Sam said it sure did feel good when it stopped hurting. A day or so later, they came upon another yellow jacket nest literally “on” the trail. This one a bear had raided and dug it up stirring up a maelstrom of winged warriors looking for revenge. Sam and Sallie gave them plenty of room by skirting the area off the trail.
The Appalachian Trail south of the Shenandoah Park has numerous mountain crossings in the 4000-foot range and then, as it leaves the Blue Ridge, it generally hangs out in the 1500 to 2000-foot elevation for miles and miles. The elevations are broken only by gentle descents into the valleys which lay in the 1000-foot range. There have been no dramatic changes in altitude for the past couple of weeks, therefore, not much change in weather or scenery.
One of the more interesting points along the trail the past few days has been McAfee Knob, long famous in AT publications as one of the more photogenic spots on the trail with plenty of jutting rocks on the edge of the mountain on which to pose while a companion takes a photo. By the way, speaking of photos, Sam was heard to say that Sallie was doing a solo thru-hike and he was tagging along as her photographer.
The weather has been a bit more pleasant the past couple of weeks. A few warm days have made work out of some of the ascents, but for the most part a breeze has been moving the air and cooling the trekkers. Night time temps have fallen into the upper 50’s some evenings making sleep even better.
Sam and Sallie are averaging 3-miles per hour and most days put in five to six hours. Sam has found that racking up more than18-miles requires some payback the next day. Therefore, they are taking it easy, if you can carry a 35-pound pack 18-miles up and down mountains and call that “easy.”
Near Pearisburg, Sam and Sallie crossed the New River, one of the oldest and most interesting rivers in North America. Contrarily named, the New River is actually one of the oldest rivers on our continent. It is the only southern river that flows mostly north and is the only river that completely traverses the entire Appalachian range. After crossing the New, the trail begins to ascend to the 5000-foot level where it will pretty much remain for the rest of Virginia. This is the first time since New Hampshire that the AT has been this high. It’s giving the pair of hikers a respite from the heat of the valleys below.
A number of you have asked how do you follow the AT for 2178-miles and not get lost. Well the trail is marked by white blazes painted on trees and rocks every few hundred feet or so. Changes in direction are denoted by two blazes. The trail maintenance groups try to keep the blazes within sight of each other, repainting them frequently. Still, in a driving rain storm or the fading light of dusk, it’s easy to miss a blaze and get off the trail. There are many, many side trails that look the same except they are marked by blue blazes instead of white. Another handy resource is the official guidebook which not only contains a detailed narrative description of the trail, but highly detailed maps of the area. A GPS is handy, but most thru-hikers opt out on carrying one due to the added weight and battery requirements.
Sam and Sallie are receiving regular shipments of staples and treats from home. Sam’s mother-in-law got in on the action this past week, sending a “care package” from Oxford, Mississippi. Sallie is maintaining her weight at 65-pounds and has suffered no serious foot problems since New Hampshire. Sam’s weight is a stable 195-pounds with his daily intake between 9,000 and 10,000 calories.
Sam is now on his third pair of Keen hiking shoes, having received a replacement pair just this week. The Keen shoes may seem a bit fragile to some, with him having gone through three pair in 1500-miles. They do really take a beating day-in and day-out, wet or dry, never getting a rest day,. Rocks seem to take the biggest toll on footwear. Indeed, there are millions of jagged, sharp rocks on the trail. Consider though, the alternative to the Keen shoes or similar lightweight expedition models: they weigh just a couple of ounces compared to the old standard leather hiking boot which may weigh upwards of 3-pounds. Now which shoe would you prefer to be walking two thousand miles in? Kinda’ puts a new meaning to the phrase “walk a mile in my shoes” doesn’t it?
We’re pleased to report that other equipment issues have been taken care of by local outfitters or the manufacturers in every case. Keen has replaced the failed shoes at no cost. Leki replaced the broken hiking poles and Platypus replaced the hydration system through an outfitter. There’s been nothing but good to report about the manufacturers and how they stand behind their equipment.
While staying in Daleville, Virginia, Sam visited the local outfitter and was invited to attend a “ZZ Top” concert in nearby Roanoke. Not being of the same generation as “ZZ Top” one had to wonder how Sam liked their music. He reported that he had a great time and had not realized it, but he actually had a “ZZ Top” starter kit beard. LOL
Damascus, Virginia is in the sights now as Sam and Sallie take up the trail for their last push in the longest state on the trail. Sam’s mom and I plan to rendezvous with the pair somewhere around Damascus near the first weekend in October. We haven’t laid eyes on the boy since early May and Peggy’s getting pretty anxious about the trip. We plan on feeding them and giving them a good place to bed down each evening for a while. Sallie isn’t allowed in Smoky Mountain National Park, so we’ll be “sitting” her for a few days while Sam does some slack packing through the park.
Sam and Sallie thoroughly enjoy your posts, emails, and comments. Keep them coming to mclemoresam@yahoo.com. You can also read the complete adventure at http://samboat.blogspot.com/. Until next time remember:
Yard by Yard, Life is Hard!
Inch by Inch, Life’s a Cinch!
Sam on the AT - Oh Shenandoah!
Sam and Sallie have spent the past several days on the Appalachian Trail in the Shenandoah National Park. The Park includes many of the higher elevations that overlook the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The AT in the park pretty much follows the path of the famous Skyline Drive at the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Being just a short drive from Washington, D.C. and other densely populated areas on the East coast, the park sees literally millions of visitors each year. The area is flush with wildlife and most weekends bring out hundreds of hikers walking the over 400-miles of various trails in the park.
Sam and Sallie are just over 840-miles from the southern terminus of the AT Springer Mountain, Georgia. They are averaging just under 20-miles per day – a fairly good pace and are on schedule to complete this 2178-mile epic journey around the last week in October.
The equipment is holding up well considering what it’s had to endure in the past 1300-miles or so. The Keen Shellrock Mid shoes are holding up well, although they can use a new pair of insoles. The Platypus hydration system has developed a leak that has rendered it inoperable until the next outfitter’s store. The Platypus consists of a heavy duty plastic bladder or reservoir and vinyl hose with a special valve on the end. The reservoir is filled with water and stored in a special pocket in the back pack. The hose clips to the shoulder strap of your rig making water available without having to stop or open a bottle. All other equipment is standing the test of the trail. The hammock or sleep bivy has performed exceptionally well as well as the backpack system. Sam’s self-designed and fabricated poncho and rain tarp have been the talk of the trail. This might be something to think about making and marketing later.
Sallie is Sam’s friend for life. This journey has bonded their relationship. Robert Ruark writing in the Old Man and the Boy said that every man deserves to own one good dog in his life. Well, Sallie has to be that one good dog. Though she’s had some pretty warm days lately, Sam has refrained from shearing her long coat. She’ll be needing it very soon as the pair heads into the highest elevations of the trail as it traverses North Carolina and Tennessee.
The weather is decidedly changing to fall in the Virginia highlands. Daytime temps this week have been in the upper 70’s while the nights are cooling down with some spots experiencing the upper 40’s for the first time since spring. Sam and Sallie are hiking between 1500 and 2500-feet following the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the weather can be good bit cooler higher up than down in the valley.
Wildlife sightings have picked up in the Shenandoah. Sam reports seeing black bear almost every day now. He’s spotted quite a few deer both the Virginian Blacktail and the Eastern Whitetail. Just the other day right at dusk, he came upon a very large bodied whitetail buck with antlers in velvet. He counted 12-points as he was snapping a photo of the animal no more than 20-feet away. Speaking of close encounters, earlier in the week, Sam heard a commotion just a few feet off of the trail. He turned just in time to see a bear cub scuttle up a tree less than a couple of yards from him. With Sallie on her leash (park regulations) they immediately began to back up the trail when, suddenly another cub spooked and began to run through the brush from a nearby side trail. Sam figured that this was a fairly precarious situation and it certainly held the prospect for getting worse if mamma bear showed up. Well guess what? Mamma bear did appear, but she was about 30-yards down the trail past where the first cub climbed the tree. She made a low grunting sound and both cubs took out to her. She turned and went back down the trail from the direction she had approached. Crisis averted! Several other times Sam and Sallie have encountered bear, each time the bears change course when they spot Sal. Other wildlife is in abundance in the park, squirrels and chipmunks by the “gazillions,” mice, and raccoons. Wild turkey feed across the meadows that the trail cuts. Sam was able to capture several different owls in photos while they napped on limbs during the day.
For the Appalachian Trail, Virginia has more miles than any other state with 533. Sam and Sallie are about 120-miles into it now. With roughly 4-weeks of Virginia ahead, it’s easy to understand why so many hikers drop out in this state. It seems like it will never end. As the trail heads southwest to meet up with North Carolina and Tennessee, the mountains begin to get higher with many elevations reaching the upper four thousand foot mark. Of course, if you climb a 4800-foot mountain, you’ve also got to descend that 4800-feet or at least a goodly part of it. That is where the work in backpacking the AT comes in. A 15 to 20-mile day can possibly see an elevation gain of seven to eight thousand feet in that distance. That is literally like climbing up a mile and a half. Remember also that Sam and Sallie each carry their own backpacks. Sam weighs anywhere from 32 to 38-pounds on this section of the trail while Sallie carries around 10-pounds most days.
So long for now. More updates next week as communication with the trekking pair gets a little easier. Don’t forget to check Sam’s personal blog at http://sambomc.blogspot.com/ . He’s updating it more often now that he has a little better web access. The blog with all of these accounts of Sam and Sallie can be found at http://samboat.blogspot.com/. Send Sam an Sallie a note of encouragement at mclemoresam@yahoo.com. He really appreciates all of the cards and letters he’s been receiving from the folk’s back home.
"Inch by Inch Life's a Cinch, Yard by Yard, Life is Hard!"
Sam and Sallie are just over 840-miles from the southern terminus of the AT Springer Mountain, Georgia. They are averaging just under 20-miles per day – a fairly good pace and are on schedule to complete this 2178-mile epic journey around the last week in October.
The equipment is holding up well considering what it’s had to endure in the past 1300-miles or so. The Keen Shellrock Mid shoes are holding up well, although they can use a new pair of insoles. The Platypus hydration system has developed a leak that has rendered it inoperable until the next outfitter’s store. The Platypus consists of a heavy duty plastic bladder or reservoir and vinyl hose with a special valve on the end. The reservoir is filled with water and stored in a special pocket in the back pack. The hose clips to the shoulder strap of your rig making water available without having to stop or open a bottle. All other equipment is standing the test of the trail. The hammock or sleep bivy has performed exceptionally well as well as the backpack system. Sam’s self-designed and fabricated poncho and rain tarp have been the talk of the trail. This might be something to think about making and marketing later.
Sallie is Sam’s friend for life. This journey has bonded their relationship. Robert Ruark writing in the Old Man and the Boy said that every man deserves to own one good dog in his life. Well, Sallie has to be that one good dog. Though she’s had some pretty warm days lately, Sam has refrained from shearing her long coat. She’ll be needing it very soon as the pair heads into the highest elevations of the trail as it traverses North Carolina and Tennessee.
The weather is decidedly changing to fall in the Virginia highlands. Daytime temps this week have been in the upper 70’s while the nights are cooling down with some spots experiencing the upper 40’s for the first time since spring. Sam and Sallie are hiking between 1500 and 2500-feet following the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the weather can be good bit cooler higher up than down in the valley.
Wildlife sightings have picked up in the Shenandoah. Sam reports seeing black bear almost every day now. He’s spotted quite a few deer both the Virginian Blacktail and the Eastern Whitetail. Just the other day right at dusk, he came upon a very large bodied whitetail buck with antlers in velvet. He counted 12-points as he was snapping a photo of the animal no more than 20-feet away. Speaking of close encounters, earlier in the week, Sam heard a commotion just a few feet off of the trail. He turned just in time to see a bear cub scuttle up a tree less than a couple of yards from him. With Sallie on her leash (park regulations) they immediately began to back up the trail when, suddenly another cub spooked and began to run through the brush from a nearby side trail. Sam figured that this was a fairly precarious situation and it certainly held the prospect for getting worse if mamma bear showed up. Well guess what? Mamma bear did appear, but she was about 30-yards down the trail past where the first cub climbed the tree. She made a low grunting sound and both cubs took out to her. She turned and went back down the trail from the direction she had approached. Crisis averted! Several other times Sam and Sallie have encountered bear, each time the bears change course when they spot Sal. Other wildlife is in abundance in the park, squirrels and chipmunks by the “gazillions,” mice, and raccoons. Wild turkey feed across the meadows that the trail cuts. Sam was able to capture several different owls in photos while they napped on limbs during the day.
For the Appalachian Trail, Virginia has more miles than any other state with 533. Sam and Sallie are about 120-miles into it now. With roughly 4-weeks of Virginia ahead, it’s easy to understand why so many hikers drop out in this state. It seems like it will never end. As the trail heads southwest to meet up with North Carolina and Tennessee, the mountains begin to get higher with many elevations reaching the upper four thousand foot mark. Of course, if you climb a 4800-foot mountain, you’ve also got to descend that 4800-feet or at least a goodly part of it. That is where the work in backpacking the AT comes in. A 15 to 20-mile day can possibly see an elevation gain of seven to eight thousand feet in that distance. That is literally like climbing up a mile and a half. Remember also that Sam and Sallie each carry their own backpacks. Sam weighs anywhere from 32 to 38-pounds on this section of the trail while Sallie carries around 10-pounds most days.
So long for now. More updates next week as communication with the trekking pair gets a little easier. Don’t forget to check Sam’s personal blog at http://sambomc.blogspot.com/ . He’s updating it more often now that he has a little better web access. The blog with all of these accounts of Sam and Sallie can be found at http://samboat.blogspot.com/. Send Sam an Sallie a note of encouragement at mclemoresam@yahoo.com. He really appreciates all of the cards and letters he’s been receiving from the folk’s back home.
"Inch by Inch Life's a Cinch, Yard by Yard, Life is Hard!"
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