Dave Byrnes' Adventures

Appalachian Trail - 1986
Overview     Map     Diary     Pictures
Day: 033
Date: Wednesday, 4 June 1986
Start:  
Finish:  
Daily AT Miles: 15.8
Daily Other Miles 5.5 (2.5 Hospice, 3.0 shopping)
Total AT Miles: 612.4
Total All Miles 634.5
Weather: Warm, humid, mostly sunny.
Accommodation:  
Nutrition: Breakfast: Muesli, Quik.
Lunch: Cheeseburger, fries, milkshake.
Dinner: Pizza, salad, ice-cream.
Aches: Feet very tired and sore.
Animals Seen: Two deer, chipmunks, dogs.
People Seen: Six day hikers, many others.
Pictures: Here
GPS Track:  
Journal: Got up at 6:10am and managed to get away by 7:20am.  On the map it looked like that, after a climb, the walking should be easy.  However, despite the fact that my feet felt better and I could stride out and the Trail was fairly easy, progress seemed to be slow.  It was, however, very pretty with lots of flowers, rocky bits, and occasional views.  I fell heavily at one point, when a rock I stepped on moved, but my pack absorbed most of the impact and, after lying there for a minute wondering what damage was done, I got up to find none apart from a sore arm.  Stu had headed off earlier at a fast pace and I didn’t expect to see him until Pearisburg.  The Trail climbed up steeply to an escarpment where it wended its way through thigh-high undergrowth.  It seemed that miles were longer than indicated in the guide.  The Trail came out onto a ledge overlooking the valley in which Pearisburg lay.  Stu was there having a rest.  He too was finding the miles long.  The Trail began to descend and I made a short detour to Angels Rest, a lookout over Pearisburg.  There I found the local Methodist retired men’s group and accompanied them for the remainder for the descent.  There were about seven of them.  They told me that a couple had been murdered at Wapiti II Shelter a few years ago!  The descent was slower than I expected and I didn’t get to the Pearisburg Post Office until after 3:00pm to find the running shoes Fran was supposed to have sent me hadn’t arrived.  My feet were very tired and I hurried out to the Catholic Hospice for AT hikers, 1½ miles out of town, had a shower, then quickly walked back into town.  I saw a small shop which sold KangaRoos running shoes, so mailed my boots back to Marj, then went and bought a pair – they were so good, the high school track team wore them according to the sales lady.  After checking both the supermarket and laundromat were open late, I went to the Dairy Queen and had a very late lunch before shopping and washing.  On the way back to the Hospice, I stopped at the Pizza Hut for dinner, but found myself very full.  Nevertheless, I bought a pint of ice-cream and ½ gallon of orange juice for later on my weary way home carrying washing and groceries and shoes and valuables.  Back at the Hospice I met brother and sister AT hikers, Charlie and Tricia, and spent until midnight repacking groceries, chatting, trying to ring Mark and Fran Binning and eating before going to bed.

ADVENTURE LIST

 

Round Ireland
(2016)

Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)

Via Alpina
(2012)

Australian Alps Walking Track
(2011)

Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)

Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)

Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)

Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)

Three Peaks Race
(2004)

Appalachian Trail
(1986)

Alpine Track
(1983)

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