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3/20/2000- I had already delayed this trip due to rain by 2 days.  So I left Monday morning via Greyhound bus Wytheville, VA and spent that night at the Holiday Inn. Tomorrow, I go to Bland, VA via cab to start a 4 day 41 mile backpacking trip to Pearisburg, VA. Greyhound makes stops in many small towns that are close to the AT in Virginia. Then,

At right, the point where I started this year's hike.
By Mike Calabrese

it is just a matter of getting either a shuttle or a local cab to take you the rest of the way to the trailhead.

3/21/2000- Ate a decent breakfast at the motel, then took the cab to the trailhead west of Bland on US52. The weather was threatening but turned out just overcast.  I had the typical out of town ups on the trail. The trail then leveled off for awhile. Then it was up and down, up and down until I got to Jenny Knob Shelter.  A 12 mile day today. I feel as though I never got off of the trail in Bland last year.  I did not see a single other hiker all day or at the shelter that night.

3/22/2000- I'm writing this the morning of the 23rd. Bad day yesterday. I left Jenny Knob Shelter

At left, the AT crossing over I77 west of Bland, VA.
By Mike Calabrese

not feeling well.  Couldn't sleep well as I was the only one in the shelter last night.  The weather was good. The sign at Jenny Knob shelter said that the next shelter north was 10 miles.  The ATC Data Book said 12.2.  They added new trail after VA608 that made it feel like a 15-16 mile day!  Alot of ups and downs.  Nice secenery. Arrived at Wapiti shelter exhausted at 6:30pm.  I just crawled into my sleeping bag and slept like a baby that night.  Again, I did not see a single hiker on the trail or at the shelter yesterday.

3/23/2000-  Got a good night's sleep last night!  My pack packed well, for a change.  I dropped my Pur Carbon post water filter. It bounced into Dismal Creek and immediately floated away.  Then the day went downhill from there.  There was a big up right after the shelter, then ups and downs, then boulderflow.  That wasn't that bad.  The thing that really upset me is that I did not see the only water source that was listed between the previous shelter and the next one.  I ran out of water about 2 miles before the upcoming Doc's Knob shelter and started to panic.  I then ate an MRE, which made me feel better. The shelter turned out to be closer than I thought.  This is the third day that no hikers have been seen either on the trail or in any of the shelters.

3/24/2000-  Again, I did not sleep well last night.  I left my candle lantern on for most of the night as a precaution as well as to burn it down and save weight.  Nice morning.  Got started around 8:30am. It was all downhill until I hit Pearis Mountain.  Then it was up, up, up!  The views on top of Pearis Mountain were fantastic! I hope that my pictures

At right, Jenny Knob Shelter, VA, where I spent my first night.
By Mike Calabrese

turn out.  The trip down Pearis Mountain and into Pearisburg was very rough.  The contour of the mountain and the boulder flow made it a very rough decent.  I fell twice.  I overlooked Pearisburg at 12 noon.  However, I did not get to a phone in town to call my wife until 2pm.  I was going to suggest that this trail might be better hiked from Pearisburg to Bland.  However, after that decent, it's probably better to go from Bland to Pearisburg.

This was a tough hike.  The up between Wapiti and Doc's Knob was brutal. My pack weight was another factor.  It WILL be lighter next time. However, the scenery was fantastic on this trip and the sense of accomplishment made it worth it.  By the way, I did not see a single hiker on the trail or at a shelter between Bland and Pearisburg, VA during my entire 4 day trip!

More Pictures

Mike C