Sunday Aug 31 |
 | Backpacking 7:00:00 [2] 14.3 mi (29:22 / mi) +640m 16:01 / km | |
| shoes: Asolo Boots |
| Fullhardt Knob Shelter to Lambert Meadow Shelter - The bear never made a return appearance during the night. The morning hike started with a long descent to the valley, crossing under Interstate 81 and arriving in Daleville on US220 around 9:30 am. A convenience store adjacent to the road crossing provided a nice opportunity for a snack and a Sunday newspaper to catch up on the college football scores and the weather. The forecast looked good for most of the week but I was worried that the various hurricanes and tropical storms brewing down south might mean some heavy rain late in the week.
After a short break in Daleville, I began ascending to Tinker Ridge. I reached a powerline crossing with a view back to Daleville. Glancing at my watch, I was reminded that just about this time, the Fair Hill Rogaine was about to get underway back home. I continued along the rocky ridgeline and eventually passed Hay Rock - a large rock overlook that is unfortunately littered with graffiti, including (gasp!) even an AT logo. I didn't stop to climb up for the view of the Carvin Cove Reservoir but continued on to Lamberts Meadow Shelter.
Due to some poor mapping and confusing blue blazes on a side trail, it took me a few minutes to locate the shelter. There is a primitive tent area just south of the shelter and another section hiker was staying there. Soon a family pulled in to the tent area as well. After dinner (mushroom stroganoff), an older man and a young boy came up to the shelter to shoot the breeze. It turned out the man was a member of the Roanoke Trail Club and was working to maintain this stretch of trail. He and his wife had section hiked over 1400 miles of the trail when one day his wife said to him, "Honey, why don't you quit your job and we'll thru hike the trail?". "But what about the kids?" he replied. They had a boy and a girl, ages 8 and 10. "We'll take them with us," she said. And so they thru-hiked the trail as a family, summiting Katahdin in September of 2001.
Tomorrow would offer some of the best scenery on the trail in Virginia. I was really looking forward to it. |
Saturday Aug 30 |
| Backpacking 6:00:00 [2] 13.5 mi (26:39 / mi) +823m 13:56 / km | |
| shoes: Asolo Boots |
| Bobblets Gap Shelter to Fullhardt Knob Shelter - The whippoorwills were my alarm clock this morning. I awoke before dawn and force fed myself the leftover curry from the night before. I was on the trail by 7:45. The morning trail closely paralleled the Blue Ridge Parkway with several road crossings that afforded nice views. Wildlife sightings today included orange salamanders, a turtle, many millipedes, a walking stick, a lost dog, and a bear near the shelter just before dusk.
I reached Fullhardt Knob shelter by mid afternoon and was resting in the tent when I heard footsteps. Another hiker - Mark from Richmond - was pulling in. He was out for the weekend only and was getting off the trail the next day in Daleville. Mark had hung his hammock in the woods nearby and I was tenting by an old firetower foundation. After seeing the bear, we both decided maybe it would be a better idea to sleep in the shelter. This shelter had an unusual system for collecting rainwater off the shelter roof and storing it in an underground cistern for use as drinking water. Thanks to some recent rain, there was some water available. I used it to cook up a satisfying dinner of whole wheat angel hair pasta with puttanesca sauce. |
Friday Aug 29 |
| Backpacking 3:30:00 [2] 9.6 mi (21:53 / mi) +732m 10:59 / km | |
| shoes: Asolo Boots |
| VA 614 Jennings Creek to Bobblets Gap Shelter - App. Trail Section Hike 2008. Up at 4:30 am and on the road by 5:30 for the drive to Pearisburg, VA. My initial plan was to stay in Pearisburg Friday night and then get a shuttle to the trail on Saturday morning. But it was only 1:00 pm when I arrived at the Rendezvous Motel in P-burg and Brenda (the owner and shuttle driver) said she could get me to the trail that afternoon. So after a 90 mile shuttle, I was on the trail by 3:00 pm hiking south.
From Jennings Creek, the trail begins ascending immediately to the crest of Cove Mountain. Not more than 100 feet up the trail, I saw my first snake - slithering away under some leaves. Not a rattler, but might have been a copperhead. About an hour into the hike, I was stung by a wasp on the back of my leg. I passed by Cove Mt. Shelter and then began traversing a burned area. At Bearwallow Gap, the trail descends to a road crossing right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Someone had left a few jugs of water there for hikers. Water management would be important on this hike since the area has been in a drought the past few years and many of the streams and springs are dry.
I pulled in to Bobblets Gap Shelter by 7 pm and made a quick dinner of pumpkin curry with brown rice. It was too much food to eat so I stowed the leftovers in the foodbag and turned in for the night. I had the shelter to myself but was within earshot of the parkway. |
Thursday Aug 28 |
| Weights 45:00 [3] | |
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| Sit-ups 4:00 [2] | |
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| 225 |
Wednesday Aug 27 |
| Hiking 1:30:00 [1] 5.0 mi (17:59 / mi) | |
| shoes: Asolo Boots |
| Middle Run Natural Area - One last practice hike with pack. Saw a lot of mountain bikers. |
Tuesday Aug 26 |
| Weights 45:00 [3] | |
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| Sit-ups 4:00 [2] | |
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| 200 |
| Road Run 34:15 [3] 4.25 mi (8:02 / mi) | |
| shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8 |
| Brandywine Park - Ran from the Y after hitting the gym. Typical Brandywine Park loop including the section up by the stadium. |
Monday Aug 25 |
| Hiking 1:40:00 [1] 5.0 mi (20:00 / mi) | |
| shoes: Asolo Boots |
| Iron Hill County Park - Practice hike with pack including four climbs of the hill. First time here since last winter when the entrance was still closed. It's now re-opened and there have been some changes. They're installing a disc golf course and have torn up a good chunk of the woods at the top of the hill. They've also added new playgrounds and a "bark park" for dogs - a large ugly mulched area surrounded by chain link fence. Needless to say we won't be able to hold any more O-events here until a map update is done.
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Sunday Aug 24 |
| Hiking 2:40:00 [1] 8.0 mi (20:00 / mi) | |
| shoes: Asolo Boots |
| Fair Hill NRMA, MD - Practice hike with pack from the North Appleton lot. Basically a big clockwise loop around the Mason-Dixon map. |
Saturday Aug 23 |
| Hiking 4:00:00 [1] 12.0 mi (20:00 / mi) | |
| shoes: Asolo Boots |
| White Clay Creek SP & Preserve - Practice hike with pack starting from the Carpenter Rec Area lot then down to the Nature Center, over to the Park Office, Pomeroy Trail, Charles Bailey Trail, and David English Trail before turning back.
Saw lots of gypsy moth caterpillars and a baby black snake but the weirdest sight was an older woman cycling veeerrry slowly along the gravel road by the nature center wearing a small pack. I thought maybe she had a child in tow but as she passed, I saw that the pack was a bird cage and inside was a parakeet. Very strange. |
Friday Aug 22 |
| Road Run 33:26 [2] 4.0 mi (8:22 / mi) | |
| shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8 |
| Newark, DE - Lunchtime run from the office. About 10% slower than when I was in shape. Leg still feeling fine. |
| Hiking 1:15:00 [1] 4.0 mi (18:44 / mi) | |
| shoes: Asolo Boots |
| White Clay Creek SP (Judge Morris Estate) - Quick loop with pack. Breaking in new boots. |
Wednesday Aug 20 |
| Hiking 1:20:00 [1] 4.0 mi (20:00 / mi) | |
| shoes: Vasque Sundowner |
| White Clay Creek SP - Practice hike with pack from the Carpenter Rec Area lot. I need to get some more hikes in over the next week to prepare for the annual section hike (planning on doing 120 mile from Jennings Creek to Pearisburg, VA starting Saturday 8/30).
Finished just as the concert (Rockabilly Trio) was beginning so I stayed to listen for about an hour. |
Monday Aug 18 |
| Trail Run 18:38 [2] 2.25 mi (8:17 / mi) | |
| shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8 |
| White Clay Creek SP - Saw the Dr. today to have him take a look at my knee. When I made the appointment a couple weeks ago I still had some inflammation but of course it subsided over the past week and today my knee was feeling almost normal. The Doc said things seemed ok and to get back to him if the symptoms reappear on resumption of running.
After work I decided a visit to the scene of the crime (WCCSP - where the injury started on 4/5) was in order. Parked at the Nature Center lot and ran south along the Pomeroy Trail, crossed the creek at the Wedgewood Rd. pedestrian bridge and then north along Creek Rd. Stopped at the midway point to stretch my leg. Sluggish pace but the legs felt okay. Keeping my fingers crossed. |
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| C • Don't you hate that... 3 |
Sunday Aug 17 |
| Weights 45:00 [3] | |
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| Sit-ups 4:00 [2] | |
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| 200 |
Saturday Aug 16 |
| Cycling 5:00:00 [3] 76.7 mi (3:54 / mi) | |
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| Long ride on the Delaware flatlands with a few obstacles along the way. Headed out from home on Rt. 273 east to Rt. 9, crossing the C&D Canal on the Reedy Point Bridge. When I reached Port Penn, a sign indicated there was a bridge out south of Augustine Beach. I stopped at the interpretive center to consider my options and a man there told me he thought cyclists could still get through. Fortunately, that proved to be the case.
Continued on Rt. 9 south to Paddock Rd. where I turned towards Smyrna. After a quick lunch stop at the Smyrna Wawa, I crossed Rt. 13 and headed north on the Delaware Bike Route. I had maintained a good pace to Smyrna but then had a moderate headwind to contend with the rest of the way. I reached Middletown to discover that there was some sort of street fair in progress and Main St. (my intended route) was closed to traffic. A mariachi band was belting out a spanish version of "My Way". I detoured through some side streets and then continued north on Rt. 15.
My plan was to recross the canal at the Summit Point Bridge but found the bridge was still undergoing construction with only one lane open to alternating traffic. I detoured east to the old St. George's bridge and then finished up on Rt. 7. |
Friday Aug 15 |
| Weights 45:00 [3] | |
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| Sit-ups 4:00 [2] | |
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| 225 |
Thursday Aug 14 |
| Weights 45:00 [3] | |
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| Sit-ups 5:00 [2] | |
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| 250 |
| Cycling 35:00 [3] | |
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| At the gym. Hill profile, level 12, 311 cals. |
Tuesday Aug 12 |
| Weights 45:00 [3] | |
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| Sit-ups 4:00 [2] | |
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| 200 |
Monday Aug 11 |
| Cycling 1:30:00 [3] 22.0 mi (4:06 / mi) | |
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| Hanover, PA - From Mom & Dad's out through Codorus State Park and east to Jefferson. Turned left at the square in Jefferson and then returned via Krafts Mill Rd. through Porters Sideling and then via Old Hanover Rd. and Moulstown Rd. This is a nice route - need to remember it for future reference. |
Sunday Aug 10 |
| Miscellaneous 45:00 [2] | |
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| Hitting around and then one set of singles with Phil. |
Saturday Aug 9 |
| Hiking 1:30:00 [1] 6.0 mi (14:59 / mi) | |
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| Boiling Springs, PA - Hiked south on the Appalachian Trail from Children's Lake in town up to the top of Center Point Knob with Jo, Phil, and Craig. A nice mix of farm fields and woodlands. The weather was spectacular - upper 70's, sunny and clear. |
| Miscellaneous 2:00:00 [2] | |
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| Three sets of doubles tennis on the Allenberry Har-Tru courts with Bob, Phil, and Mom. We all grew up playing tennis so this was like a trip back in time to the 1970's. I hadn't picked up my racket in over 5 years but the muscle memory kicked in after a prolonged warm-up. Some fun and funny points - a real blast. |
Friday Aug 8 |
| Cycling 2:50:00 [3] 42.0 mi (4:03 / mi) | |
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| Boiling Springs, PA - A ride I found on the mapmyride.com website. It was designed to start near Mechanicsburg but I re-arranged it to begin by the lake in Boiling Springs. Just as I was getting ready to head out, a thunderstorm rolled through. It cleared off quickly though so I set out from Allenberry under sunny skies.
The ride went northwest and skirted the eastern edge of Carlisle then followed Conodoguinet Creek before turning north to the Blue Mountain foothills. Storm clouds were building again as I made the turn south and the skies opened up near Mechanicsburg. I rode through the rain since there was no accompanying lightning. Shortly after the rain ended, I passed a local park with a pavilion where I stopped for a quick Power Bar. Returned to Allenberry around 6 pm. |
| Note | |
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| My whole family is gathering in Boiling Springs to celebrate my Dad's 80th birthday. All 5 of my brothers and sisters will be here as well as all the nieces and nephews. It should be a fun weekend. My Dad is an avid fly fisherman and the world-famous Yellow Breeches Creek here is his favorite fishing spot. We're staying at the Allenberry resport located right along the banks of the creek. |
Thursday Aug 7 |
| Weights 45:00 [3] | |
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| Sit-ups 4:00 [2] | |
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| 200 |
| Cycling 35:00 [3] | |
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| At the gymm. Level 12, 327 cals. |
Wednesday Aug 6 |
| Weights 45:00 [3] | |
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| Sit-ups 4:00 [2] | |
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| 200 |
Sunday Aug 3 |
| Cycling 3:15:00 [3] 48.7 mi (3:59 / mi) | |
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| Chester County, PA - Artists Paradise ride from my "On a Country Road" cycling book. Started and finished at Everhart Park in West Chester borough. The weather was perfect and the scenery was great - Brandywine Creek, horse farms, even the requisite covered bridge. The first 16 miles along the creek were pleasantly easy but the ride turned hilly after that. I was planning on a food stop at the Unionville Corner Store at mile 40 but discovered it doesn't exist any more. I continued on a few miles and was pleasantly surprised to find that Northbrook Orchards has re-opened. I stopped for a turkey panini which provided the needed fuel for the uphill return to West Chester. All in all, a very nice ride. |
Saturday Aug 2 |
| Weights 45:00 [3] | |
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| Sit-ups 4:00 [2] | |
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| 200 |
| Cycling 35:00 [3] | |
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| At the gym. Level 12, 324 cals. |
Friday Aug 1 |
| Weights 45:00 [3] | |
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| Sit-ups 5:00 [2] | |
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| 250 |