Start point: 2 miles south of Vandeventer Shelter
End point: McQueens Knob Shelter
miles hiked: 23.3
I say its my first "actual" 20+ day because I pretty much walked 20 miles from Max Patch to Hot Springs, but it didn't really feel like it, and I think going by the book mileage that was only 19.8. This was well over 20 and definitely I felt it.. I got up pretty late, it was a rainy morning so I was in no hurry to hike up Iron Mtn. When I got going I was almost to Vandeventer Shelter and slipped down a little dip in the trail covered with mud. Fell on my butt, but what really pissed me off was I broke one of my trekking poles. Boy I was pissed, paid a good bit for those things and once again crappy weather messed things up for me. When I got to the shelter I had to let off some steam so something like this in the register: "Tennessee can suck it. I'm going to hike into the night again if nesseccary to get into VA and out of this b/s." Well Matt from DC came along who I had met before, but only briefly. We hike together for the next hr or so talking about snowboarding. He is pretty much the only serious rider I've met since being out here, so it was great to talk to someone who shares a common passion. At the next shelter (Iron Mtn Shelter) I came across Thunderpants and Sis (thunderpants is hilarious, great sense of humor), Chick Magnet, Wrath, Captain Knuckles and Creep. Ate some snacks then hiked out. Made it to Double Springs Shelter before dark and hung out more with Matt from DC, Thunderpants and Sis. Ate dinner there and then hiked out in the dark, seeing how far I could make it. Well at what I'm guessing was mile 21 or so my feet really started to hurt. Around 1:30am I got to McQueens Knob shelter which was made in 1936. Its one of the oldest shelters on the trail and is only suppossed to be an emergency shelter. It only sleeps a few people and isn't in the best condition. I was only gonna stop and eat some snacks but it had gotten pretty cold and foggy at that point so I decided to call it a day. Hadn't made it out of TN but there was only about a 9 or 10 mile hike into Damascus for tomorrow so that was good enough.
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