Dave Byrnes

Appalachian Trail - 1986

Overview Map Diary Pictures

Day:	036
Date:	Saturday, 7 June 1986
Start:
Finish:
Daily AT Miles:	24.0
Daily Other Miles	0
Total AT Miles:	685.9
Total All Miles	709.5
Weather:	Hot, very humid, mostly sunny.
Accommodation:
Nutrition:	Breakfast: Muesli, health drink. Lunch: Two ham & salad sandwiches, fudge brownie, quart of ice-cream. Dinner: Biscuits and peanut butter, instant pudding.
Aches:	Right foot numb, sweat rash.
Animals Seen:	Two tortoises, deer, chipmunk, groundhog.
People Seen:	Four AT Thru-Hikers, eight day hikers, many others.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:
Journal:	Got up at 6:00am and away by 7:20am on a day that promised to be tough. My feet, particularly the right one, didn’t seem to have recovered from yesterday. I decided that it would be sensible to take it steady and have a break every hour. I would have liked to do 28 miles, but would be happy with 24 which would only leave 13 for tomorrow. The Trail descended at first then passed through an undulating and fairly tiring section. I met Debbie and Alan, AT Thru-Hikers camped on the Trail. The Trail then wound around the side of a long ridge with tough inclines right to left. It was very tough on my feet and it was hot. This was followed by a tough climb to a rocky ridge (Cove Mt) and then slow progress along that pretty ridge. Good views and a pretty Trail. It ended at the jagged rocks known as the Dragons teeth and stopped for the views and a rest. Stu arrived, having put in a big morning from Sarver’s Cabin. There was a rocky descent to the road and the Catawba Grocery. On arrival we found Charlie and Tricia (from Pearisburg) who had hitched in to collect a new pack. I gorged myself on ice-cream, Coke and orange juice as well as sandwiches and fudge while sitting in the shade for an hour and chatting. There was a hot slog up onto NorthMountain where I met “The Greenhorns” (Mike and Frank) who were having an easy day avoiding the heat. It was rumoured they wanted to hike from Georgia to Maine without washing, but they denied it. There was then a long walk along the fairly easy North Mt ridge but I was tired and hot and just wanted to reach water and camp. Eventually the Trail began its descent and crossed a creek where I got water and camped on the Trail. Stu and The Greenhorns camped nearby. It was 7:45pm and I had a cold dinner and retired at 9:15pm. It rained during the night, my feet hurt and the ground was rocky to sleep on.