Dates ........ Thursday September 27, 2001
Miles ........ 10 miles, climb 1100 feet
From ........ Abingdon Gap Shelter
To .............Damascus VA - End of hike.
Weather ... Cold 28 degF, clear, breezy. Afternoon warmed to 50's.

Thursday September 27, 2001

TN/VA state line, Double Springs Gap (4080'), Locust Knob (4020'), McQueens Knob (3885')

Very early this morning, well before sunrise, I heard the pitter patter of little feet and rustling of plastic. Thinking it was another of the near constant interruptions of my sleep by those hyperactive shelter rodents, I turned on my light, ready to thump the shelter floor with the broom. There, in the shelter with me, was a cat-sized black critter with a white stripe down its back and tail. Yike! A skunk! Getting sprayed by a skunk would be a helluva note to end a hike on. That's the only thing I can think of that smells worse than a long distance hiker on a hot day.

Fortunately I've had lots of experience with skunks. When I was a youngster roaming the wilds I learned the hard way that if you disturb them, they get even in a big way. As an adult I learned that if you leave them alone, they will go about their business without bothering you. And sure enough, the latter approach worked. Since all my food was hung out of reach, he just meandered out of the shelter and off into the woods. Phew! That was just a tad scary!

I was packed and on the trail by 10 AM. Jim Yeich was meeting me in Damascus to provide a ride home. If he was there early, he would start up the trail to met me. I hoped that was the case; I am very anxious to get home.

Just after leaving the shelter, descending a slight incline, I noticed a big dark log along the trail. As I got closer, within 50 feet or so, it stood up and sniffed the air. I froze in my tracks when I realized the dark log was a black bear. He saw and or smelled me and took off on a most graceful lope through the woods. They are so graceful and beautiful in motion. Before he disappeared over the knoll into the forest, I saw the sun rays glistening off his sleek fur. Perhaps he was dining on the multitude of acorns covering the ground. It was a thrilling and rewarding sight to see such a beautiful creature in his natural habitat.

Just after my encounter with Bruin, I met two more southbound thru-hikers Sweaty Buckets and Crispy. They were nice young men with lightweight conventional backpacks similar to mine. Crispy explained that he earned his trail name in a cook stove flare-up that singed all the hair off his face and forehead. They were only the 4th and 5th thru-hikers I encountered on my journey. I told them about the bear, which I was sure they would not see.

The Tennessee - Virginia state line was a milepost. It meant I only had 3.5 more miles left of my trek. It was an appropriate place to take a few pictures and rest up a bit. I took off my left boot and massaged my aching, numb left foot.

About a mile or so outside of Damascus I saw my friend Jim coming up the trail. Boy was I glad to see him. We sat down and enjoyed some of the fresh fruit he always carries, then walked into town. Damascus is a neat little town tucked away in a valley of the Appalachian Mountains. It caters to hikers and even hosts an annual festival for AT hikers. I was glad to be here, the trekking part of my journey over. I called home, took a shower at the hostel, and we headed for the interstate and the long drive home.

A happy Free Spirit in Damascus, VA - at the end of this hike.

From Damascus to Winchester VA we saw 14 VA state troopers along the road, many with trucks and vehicles pulled over. Evidently being this close to Washington DC, one of the terrorist attack sites, the troopers were still out in force, perhaps looking for someone or something out of the ordinary. In my many trips along I 81 in VA I have never seen more than 1 or 2 troopers. We stopped in Winchester, got a hearty meal and a hotel room for the night.

Tomorrow I would be home. Thank you Jim Yeich.

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