Stories

Stories about adventure, travel, and living. Hope you enjoy.

Knees

  • Part 1
  • Part 2
  • Part 3
  • Last

As a twenty year old I was living in the Washington DC area with my parents. I was recovering from a concussion and was out of school for the year. With time and many doctor visits I finally was feeling better and longed to be in the mountains. Things had not been going very well for me and I really needed something to make me feel better, hiking was my choice.

The only close mountains to the area were the Shenandoahs, located about a hundred miles west. It was winter but I talked my father into taking me to the park and dropping me off to camp and hike for a week. The doctors would not let me drive yet and probably would not let me hike if we had asked.

Staying at Big Meadows I was the only camper in the large campground. It had snowed recently and the ranger offered that the other campers left because of the harsh conditions. He was really wondering what I was doing there and where my vehicle was; but I didn’t explain.

It was fun being in the mountains again. Though I was visiting the Park in a limited fashion, by staying in an improved campground, there was no one else camping. I had pretty good equipment for the day in a down bag, mountaineering tent, and good wool and down clothing, making it possible for me to be comfortable in the difficult conditions.

Sitting in the tent at night I read the map by the dim glow of the candle lantern planning my visit to the park. The next morning I would explore the Big Meadows area and eventually hike south to Lewis Springs Falls.

Morning arrived with an oatmeal and hot chocolate breakfast. After cleaning the dishes I packed for the day. I really didn’t have a schedule but I had to get moving because it was too cold to sit and do nothing.

The trails were snowy and icy in spots but I was careful as I hiked around exploring. It did not take long to realize that none of the visitors’ concessions were open at that time of the year. To the best of my knowledge I was the only person in the area. I could run naked through the woods and no one would know, but who wanted to freeze to death.

Hiking to Lewis Springs was easy. I was going to do a loop trail but decided to walk there and back mostly on the famous Appalachian Trail instead. Dreams of being a thru-hiker danced in my head as I walked the mile stretch of the trail. The hike went well and I decided that I was ready for the next day’s hike to Hawksbill Mountain, about four miles distance one way.

After returning to camp I had to go for water about a half mile away. I did not have a large container so the water fetching would be an ongoing task. On my exploring earlier in the day I found a heated restroom with water. No other sources for water seemed obvious, but I don’t think the rangers were worried about pleasing me, the only person in camp. There was probably a secret weather proofed faucet somewhere, but I wasn’t really concerned after I had found the heated restroom.

My life camping was simple, do what was necessary to stay warm. I would eat, hike, or go to the tent. Campfires were not important to me. I cooked on a small camp stove and had learned to live without a fire.

Day two started as a repeat of day one, but I had a sense of anticipation wrapped around my scheduled hike. I knew that hiking alone in the winter was probably not the safest thing for me to do. I also knew that my balance was still disturbed and the doctors had absolutely forbid me from even bumping my head, but my spirit was strong and I was going to be careful.

With a daypack filled with essentials I began the day’s journey. Hawksbill was just a short hike but still was more of a challenge than the previous day. The hike was uneventful. It seemed like I was the only person on the trail that day and I very well could have been. I saw no signs of life. It was cold and brisk with ice or snow covering most of the Appalachian Trail. In my heavy mountaineering boots I plodded carefully toward my destination.

 

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