April 11th, 2019, Virginia
Perk was up first, probably 5am. I was already awake but ever hopeful more sleep might come. Once Perk started packing up, I gave in a few minutes later and began packing up as well.
After breakfast Columbus and I got started around 6:45am. It was apparent to both of us that our energy levels were lower today. We would be a bit slower even though the elevation change (ups and downs) was a bit easier. Thankfully the weather was great. And around mid day high clouds rolled in which helped keep the temperatures down.
We ran across 6-7 more NOBO hikers again today. I expect this will be the norm going forward, with ever increasing numbers for a while, perhaps several weeks, until the numbers start declining again. We are seeing those who started in February. Many more start in March. And even higher numbers in April…
We reached Cove Mountain Shelter for a lunch break and decided to add an hour’s rest in the shelter as well. While we rested carpenter bees battled each other for territory in the area, flying noisily and darting back and forth.
After an hour and a half break we packed and moved on. We expected another three hours’ hike to the next shelter, still a bit tired but better fed and a bit more rested.
The hike to Boblett’s Shelter was uneventful. When we arrived we met Wow and Rocky. Wow is English but has lived in Tasmania for most of his life. He is hiking NOBO before he returns home to start a job as medical staff on a new arctic cruise ship. Rocky is from The Netherlands and has finished a year internship at a hospital in Boston. She is on a two-week backpacking trip in Northern Virginia. We all had dinner and shared stories for quite a while before finishing up camp chores and getting to bed.
And here are a few things I saw trailside during the hike today.
