Tue, 17 Oct 2006
Miles Today: 2
Total Miles: 14.25

Wow, what a miserable night and day! We woke to a constant rain, gusting winds and a wet tent. The rain started around 9pm last night and didn’t let up until noon today, only to start up again a couple hours later. We, and our gear, were not prepared for all this rain. I had checked the weather forecast Sunday morning, right before we left, and the prediction was for showers. This was more than just showers. It was extremely foggy out, too.

We discussed our possibilities - stay in the tent until the rain stopped then move on, pack everything up now and hike on in the rain or go back to the nearest road and head into town. The tent was getting wetter the longer we sat, and the rain showed no sign of letting up, so we ruled out staying where we were. (My cell reception was touch and go, but I managed to get a signal for long enough to reach my brother and find out the rain was expected to continue for several more hours.) We thought about hiking on to the next hut, nine miles up the trail, but considering our gear was water-logged (greatly increasing our pack weight) and the rocky, leaf-covered trail was now wet and slippery, we decided the safest option would be to head back to the road.

We packed things up as best we could and and hiked back down Turk Mtn. to the nearest road crossing. At this point we weren’t sure what to do. Not many cars were on the road due to the rain and fog, but we tried hitching a ride into town, which was about 15 miles down the road. With no luck initially, we started walking south, heading towards parking and overlooks where we may have better luck. An hour or so later, we gave up on thumbing a ride and called for a cab. Cell reception was spotty, so we had to keep hiking along the road until I got a signal, but eventually we were able to get in touch with someone.

While waiting for the cab, several cars pulled up to the overlook where we were sitting. Figures! One couple was from Germany and talked with us for a few minutes. They had flown into Atlanta then made their way up the East Coast, stopping at Virginia Beach, D.C., etc. on the way, before heading over to SNP. They started at the north end of the park and were now heading south. I felt sorry for them since they couldn’t enjoy any views on this day.

The cab arrived sooner than expected. By this time, the rain had let up, so it wasn’t too bad sitting out waiting for it. As the cab headed south on the road, the fog grew thicker, at one point being so thick we could barely see 20 ft. in front of us. The cab driver said this wasn’t uncommon and that there had been several major accidents on the interstate, 80-100 car pile-ups, because of the fog. I vaguely remember hearing about one of them in the early- to mid-90s. Now I can see why.

After we were dropped off at the car, we decided to head back up the interstate a few miles to Staunton (pronounced Stanton) and stay at a hotel for the night. We hung up the tent and such to dry, did some laundry, ate a good meal and relaxed the rest of the night.

It was a disappointment to be forced off the trail, but I think we made the best decision in the end. The local news reported the area had about an inch of rain, and the fog stuck around most of the day as well. It wouldn’t have been any fun hiking in the rain with heavier than normal packs, we wouldn’t have been able to see much with all the fog and our gear would have been wet for days to come. Not sure what tomorrow holds in store for us. With all the rain, it may still be too wet to hike. The good news is the temperature will be in the middle 70s, which should help dry things out at least.

To be honest, the trail has been a disappointment so far. It’s been great to be out in the wilderness, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, enjoying the fresh air and nature. But the trail itself has not been what I expected. The seemingly endless climbing, rocky trails, poor views (of radio towers, powerlines, etc), no spectacular views of the mountains and valley… Maybe it would be better to drive through the park and hike selected trails, trails with more rewarding vistas…