Dave Byrnes

Appalachian Trail - 1986

Overview Map Diary Pictures

Day:	034
Date:	Thursday, 5 June 1986
Start:
Finish:
Daily AT Miles:	19.1
Daily Other Miles	1.5
Total AT Miles:	631.5
Total All Miles	655.1
Weather:	Very warm, humid, partly cloudy.
Accommodation:
Nutrition:	Breakfast: Muesli, scrambled eggs (6!), orange juice. Lunch: Biscuits and peanut butter, health bar. Dinner: Macaroni cheese, instant pudding.
Aches:	Feet very tired in new shoes.
Animals Seen:	Dogs, black snake, chipmunks, turkey, cow.
People Seen:	Five overnight hikers, many others.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:
Journal:	Got up at 6:45am after not a particularly good night’s sleep (too warm) and went down and rang Mark Binning from the call phone attached to the excellent Hospice (kitchen, bathroom, large living area and loft sleeping area in an old renovated barn). Fran had sent the shoes First Class after being told they would easily get there and bought New Balance instead of Nike. Not exactly a success story. Mark said they would probably make it out to Shenandoah National Park the weekend after next to see me for a picnic which will be good. I decided to try the Post Office on my way out but otherwise to just trust the redirect I left yesterday. Stu had bought a dozen eggs so we each gorged ourselves for breakfast. I had a six-egg scramble preceded by muesli and followed by a quart of orange juice. After breakfast I called the Post Office who said the shoes hadn’t come in but that the parcel post arrived around 9:15am. I walked into town, meeting Stu on the way, and at the Post Office a guy offered us a lift back to the Trail. No news at the Post Office, although they were helpful, so we set off. The first few miles passed through trashy wasteland and along the highway before then messing around going up and down gullies prior to a long ascent. The late start and slow progress made it doubtful that the Bailey Gap shelter (24 miles) would be reached. We didn’t start walking until 9:35am. Near the top of the first ascent I met a long black snake on the Trail that was in no hurry to get off despite being hit on the head by a rock. I was travelling slowly in my new shoes and resting plenty. On the top of the ridge the Trail was mostly flat going through thigh high undergrowth. It was very warm and muggy and I was drenched in sweat. I had a late lunch at SymmsGap Meadow which had good views. I then pressed on going even slower than I thought and after a difficult 1½ mile rocky descent to Pine Swamp Shelter, arriving at 6:45pm, I found Stu there with a fire going and called it a day. Feet very tired but no blisters from new shoes. I think they’re half a size too big. Went to bed at 9:15pm.