Day 70: Sunken Creek (Rt 42) to Trout Creek (Rt 620) near Pearisburg, VA

“May your dreams be larger than mountains and may you have the courage to scale their summits.”
~Harley Kingy

April 22, 2022
AT miles: 19.0
Weather: sunny and warm (70’s)
Sightings: one deer, a fawn, a lizard, a rabbit, and lots of butterflies
High point: Contemplating life on the bench at the top of the Brush Mtn

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Today was my best hiking day ever on the Appalachian Trail!

Yesterday’s hike was a long hard slog — long miles, lots of uphill terrain, and a heavy pack on my back. Today I was slackpacking, so I was carrying a super-light load in my backpack — just food and emergency supplies. This allowed me to really enjoy my walk. Today’s hike, though longer than yesterday’s, was easy and joy-filled.

I hiked two mountains today — Sinking Creek Mtn (3490’) in the morning and Brush Mtn (3100’)  in the afternoon, with lunch in Craig Creek Valley in the middle.

I started the morning with a lovely 1.5 mile stroll through pastureland. The sun on the fields in Giles County was breathtaking.

I saw a stunning redbud catching the early morning sun.

And anytime a trail goes through pastureland you have funky gates to keep the cows in.

Then I had a manageable uphill climb. The stone steps do make the ascent easier!

For the next four miles the trail went along a ridge line. The views were amazing.

On Bruiser’s Knob I came across over twenty strange cairns, supposedly made by farmers in the 1800’s. Maybe these strange structures were a way to get the rocks out of the pastureland?

I heard a noise and noticed a fawn posing for this picture only ten feet from me!

For maybe a half-mile the trail got very rocky and hard to walk on. Because of my fall in Vermont, I have serious trust issues with rocks, so this section was slow going for me. (This pic does not do the difficulty of the trail justice!)

I passed a sign informing me that I was passing the Eastern Continental Divide. Then the trail did a gentle descent through a pine forest.

After lunch at Niday Shelter I reached the bottom of the valley.  There were numerous streams with bridges of all types to help hikers get across the water dry-shod. However, the bridge builders missed one stream, so I had to slosh through a foot of water. Thankfully my socks and shoes dry quickly!

Then I had my second major ascent of the day up Brush Mountain. I kept chugging, and my efforts were rewarded by finding this great bench. I sat and snacked and contemplated life and the view for quite a while! It was so amazingly peaceful. The time spent on that bench was a serious high point not just of the day but of my AT hike to date.

The most decorated veteran of World War II, Audie Murphy,  crashed his plane on Brush Mtn in 1971, and a memorial was placed on the summit a few years later. People have left all kinds of items there — numerous military medals, coins, dog tags, flags, and painted rocks. The site was quite moving.

After a leisurely descent down to Trout Creek and Rt 620 I was done for the day. One more day (14 more miles) and I will have completed section hiking the entire 540-mile Virginia section of the Appalachian Trail!

Today was one of my favorite days on the trail ever. Being alone in the woods no longer scares me, so I could really focus on the rhythm of walking and the beauty around me!

Today is a great day for a long walk in the woods!