It was just 5.5 miles to the hostel and I got started early. It was still dark so I hiked by headlamp.
Hiking by headlamp is a very different experience: quiet, narrow, eerie, and, of course, dark. One revealing thing about night hiking, and something I like, is seeing the glittering eyes of tiny spiders on the ground. They are everywhere; among the rocks, leaves, grasses, and dirt. I assume they are there during the day as well—but we don’t see them. With a headlamp you see their eyes twinkling like tiny jewels, like distant stars, as you approach. They seem to watch you…then they duck and hide if you get too close.
Daylight came and I slowed down—only to avoid arriving before 8am. Then I saw the first magnolia bloom of the season. I wanted to stop and smell the blooms but they were sharply downhill from the trail and I couldn’t reach them.
Tomorrow, or tonight maybe, is supposed to be rainy. Unlike the past three days, the morning was already cloudy. But it’s still nice to see the silhouette of the terrain around you through the trees. In a few weeks we won’t have that. It will be all trees, all the time…except for the infrequent overlook.
I rolled off trail at 8:30 and was happy to see the hostel sign as soon as I reached the road…Bear Garden was almost visible from the trailhead.
Ryan was already there and settled in awaiting his new shoes. Late in the day the hostel owner, Bob, took us to (unfortunately named?) Bland, Virginia for groceries. It was nearly 30 minutes away, a $25 shuttle ride. We were truly in a remote valley—and peacefully quiet. Few cars passed along the road out front. Later in the evening the rain started. But we were high and dry for the night…
Shark Tooth, Turtle, and Ryan 