Charleston, West Virginia
Kanawha Trail Club

Meadow River Gorge-July 13, 2008

July 15th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

If you like hiking in the rain, Meadow River Gorge was the place to be this particular Sunday. Marlene and Margaret led a great hike to the river and back and then hosted a wonderful dinner. Thanks to both.

Mount Rigi-Switzerland-June 25, 2008

July 15th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

A number of trail club members traveled to Switzerland recently. While visiting Lake Lucerne, Carl led Ron, Andrea and Kathy to the lakefront community of Vitznau. From there they took the cog railway to Rigi Kulm before hiking to the 6,000 foot summit of Mt Rigi. The wildflowers along the trail were vivid and the sound of cowbells made the whole trip worthwhile.

Mustang Sally-July 9, 2008

July 9th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Hi Everyone: Well after many Greyhound bus miles I arrived in Bangor yesterday evening or nite really.  Got a room at Motel 6(fifty dollars for a Motel 6, can you believe it!!!)  Stayed there til 11am and then walked about a mile to the airport where I caught a local bus to downtown Bangor.  What a nice downtown, very attractive and lots of local businesses.  Nice library too!  Had a mango ice tea at one of the local restaurants. 

Will be catching a bus again this evening to Medway where I will stay the nite.  Then I will hitch a ride of 17 miles to Baxter State Part.  Hopefully I will hike the mountain Thursday.  Then I will follow the blazes home. 

It’s a beautiful day here in Bangor.  About 90 degrees. 

Got to see Boston again.  What a city!!  The construction of the new highway system is completed and it looks great.  The bus and train station are next to each other in Boston so I went over to the train station to eat.  They have many more selections to choose from than the bus station.

Watched the people go by.  You can see people from all corners of the world.  All different languages being spoken.  It was nice to be back in a big city. 

It will probably be about 12 days or so before the next newsletter.  I will be going thru the wilderness after leaving Baxter State Park.  My pack is the heaviest it’s been because I had to pack ten days of food.  Will have to eat the heavy stuff first (Smile). 

That’s about all folks.  Will say goodbye and go out and get an ice cream cone.  Until next time: 

I remain your AT thru hiker,

Mustang Sally

Mustang Sally July 9, 2008

July 9th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Hello everyone: 

I’m at Super 8 in Front Royal, Va.  Got in yesterday in the late am with a free ride from a friendly gentleman to the post office here.  Got my bounce box with town clothes and my mail drop (food) box with a letter (card) from the KY family.  Gave my food box to a gentleman I hike with in the Shenandoah as he is short on money but a nice/friendly person.

Shenandoah National Park is not a walk in the park.  Like most of the trail is has ROCKS of all sizes just waiting to get you.  It was beautiful.  The most wonderful thing about the park for us hikers however, were the WAYSIDES, which are restaurants.  The park has 4 or 5 of these off the AT trail, mostly 2/3 miles walk off the trail.  Us hikers will walk a way to get food (real food that is not hiker food).  The blackberry milkshake lived up to its reputation. In all I had about 3 of them during the park hike. 

Currently I’m in Front Royal, VA which is an old town with (remember I’m a history major) a civil war record.  It has really got a nice downtown area and the buildings are brick and of course OLD.  Going to spend one more day here (at a cheaper hotel)and go to the outfitters and try to get a ride lined up for tomorrow to Harper Ferry’s. 

Will be getting off the trail for about 10 days as I’m going home to surprise my daughter who will be coming home from Spain.    

I will and use Greyhound to get back to DC.  Then will continue on Greyhound up to Maine(Bangor) and get local bus service to Millinocket Maine which is the closest town. 

I will really miss my hiking partners.  Hope I can find others when I start hiking in Maine. 

Health wise I’m doing good.  The knees are sore and a little stiff in the am but they still work (SMILE). 

Thanks for all the e-mails and the support.  Love to hear from all of you. 

Take care and hopefully will see some of you while I’m at home. 

Me:  Mustang Sally

Mustang Sally-June 18, 2008

June 19th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Hello everyone!!!
 
Again I’m late in updating you-al, but sometimes it’s hard to get to a computer off the trail.  Currently, I’m at my brother’s house in Mt. Sidney, VA for 2 zero’s and will leave Monday morning. 
 
Left the trail at Waynesboro, VA and have reached the 850.5
mile post.  Waynesboro is a very friendly hiker town and you can always get a ride to wherever you want to go.  They even have a Car Pool Guide that gives names and phone numbers of people in the area that will take you anytime to where you want to go.  Waynesboro is a town that is spread out over a wide area and it’s not walker friendly.  Also, Waynesboro’s downtown has “done gone south” and everything is outside the town center in a big shopping mall held down by (you guessed it) Wall Mart.
 
Weather wise we had four days of over 100 degrees.  It was terrible to hike those days.  Your energy just up and went
but I survived.  We had one night of rain during this last time period and mostly the temperature was in the low 80’s.
 
The hot days did make a decision for me.  I had been toiling with the ideal of flipping up to Maine and walking home.  The heat sealed the deal.  When I get to Harper’s Ferry I will fly or get a bus up to Maine and hike south.  Think I may have the best weather this way, and I don’t have that October Katahdin mountain deadline to meet.
 
Rocks continue to be a problem.  They come in all sizes.  You don’t dare take your eyes off the trail.
 
Encountered two rattle snakes.  Again their rattle warned me, as they blend into the background so perfectly. 
 
For those WWII veterans,  I saw the Audie Murphy monument.  He was the most decorated soldier in WWII.  After the war he got into movies and died very young, around 40.  He was buried on the mountain where his plane crashed.
 
In the food catalogy, I had the pleasure of eating at the Homeplace in Catawba, VA.  It’s an AYCE and the food was great.  Every hiker knows about this place and they always fill the place up.  The Homeplace was the home of the Morgan horse and the family that developed the horse had 600 acres.  Guess they fell on hard times, as the house was sold via auction.  It’s a beautiful house, with a 3/4 surround porch, and all the seats and porch swings you could want.
 
Continuing on the food subject, I will start hiking Monday in  Shenandoah National Park.  The park is famous for it’s blackberry milkshakes and I think I will sample a few.  Will let you know how they rate. 
 
All together I will hike l07.1 miles in the Shenandoah park.
It will bring me out to Front Royal and then it’s about 50 miles to Harper’s Ferry.  That should take most of the rest of June.  
 
Had a gentleman break his ankle on the trail in the last 2 weeks before reaching Waynesboro.  It took him 3.5 hours to make it back to the shelter he left from and then a couple walked into the shelter about 3 hours later.  They had a cell
phone and called the local rescue people and they carried him out.  
 
That’s all the news from the trail.  Will give you a report of the park and Harper’s Ferry before I get off the trail to travel up to Maine.  Til then I’m
 
Mustang Sally 

High Falls- Shavers Fork -May 31

June 1st, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Let it rain! Let it rain! Rain did not deter nine trail club members from completing the eleven mile trek to the High Falls of the Cheat on Shavers Fork. The hike started on the Allegheny Trail and West Fork Rail Trail near Glady. After climbing Shavers mountain we enjoyed a spectacular view of the falls and ended the day with dinner at CJ Maggies in Elkins.

Weston-Gauley Turnpike May 17

June 1st, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Lois led the group on a 10 mile section of the old Weston and Gauley Bridge Turnpike between Burnsville Lake and Stonewall Jackson Lake. This new hike is on the National Register of Historic Places and in 2001 was designated a National Recreation Trail. This section of trail was part of a larger Turnpike that was established in 1849. The road was the main access to the salt industry near Bulltown as well as the main North South route for farmers travelling to grist mills in Sutton. The group enjoyed sunny skies, lush meadows and shaded forests.

nice-trail

taking-a-rest

Mustang Sally’s Journal

May 19th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Hello ATgroup:
 
Got off the trail on Friday, May 16th at Atkins, VA in the early afternoon.  Had to plow thru big fields of tall grasses to get to the road and service station that you can out at right off Interstate 81 (I guess).  Since there weren’t much services there I got a ride to the local post office, picked up my mail and then got another ride into Marion.  Folks are pretty good to AT hikers.  I’m now in a motel that provides free breakfasts.  It’s about a 2 mile walk, all on a sidewalk into downtown Marion. 
 
Marion is a very nice small town that has been maintained and still has its historical structures in use.  The real estate prices here aren’t bad and the people are friendly.  Got some nice restaurants, one of which is Mexican, where I will have dinner at tonight. 
 
 
Weather on the trail as been rainy with thunderstorms and high winds.  We
hikers were lucky as they all happened at night.  Temperatures had been down so winter clothes are still being used.  All the spring wildflowers are blooming and add bright colors to the ever green moss and ferns.
 
 The last shelter we stayed at before coming into Atkins, called Partnership, the whole lot of hikers ordered pizza.  I think they spent all together around $130.  This shelter was built by the National Park Service and some other groups.  The park service public building and parking lot are within a couple minutes walk so the delivery guy can park his vehicle and the hiker(s) walk over and meet him/her.  This fact is known all up and down the AT.  It’s a dream most hikers can’t wait to get.
 
Next off trail town will be Pearisburg, VA about 4/5 days away.  I hope to get there around the 24th as they are going to have a ice cream social and band concert at the gazebo.  After that I’m meeting my nephew at Catawba, Va on May 29th.   We will hike to Mcafee’s Knob which has one of the most beautiful views in the South.  Also, while there we will eat at the “Homeplace.”  It’s a well know eatery that is all you can eat with outstanding food.
 
Speaking of food,  I can tell you for a fact that with walking every day you will lose weight and still eat anything and everything that’s put in front of you.  Every time I have to climb another mountain or hillside I keep that in mind, and somehow manage to put one foot in front of another.
 
Got my second pair of hiking boots.  This is the new pair that I broke in at home and will replace my daughter’s boots that I’ve been using.  Most of Virginia will go pretty fast.  If I quit taking zero’s I should be finished with Virginia by the third week of June. 
 
Thanks for all your e-mails.  It always helps when there’s mail waiting off the trail. 
 
Happy Memorial Day to everyone
 
Me:  Mustang Sally – May 17th

 

 

Mustang Sally’s Journal

May 15th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
 
Hi Folks:
 
Well, its Sunday, Mother’s Day, and I have been in Damascus since Friday.  Will leave here tomorrow after visiting the post office.  Going to send some stuff home and then bounce a box to Atkins, VA (my next supply stop) and mail a letter.
 
Had a big rain storm the last nite on the trail before coming down to Damascus.  In the shelter we have 8 people in a shelter that was made for five.  At least we were all dry and warm.  Four guys had to tent and they got in late and set up in the rain.  I felt for them.
 
I like Damascus.  Two outfitters here and they LOVE hikers.  I’m staying in a church hostel that asks for $4.00 in donation for each day.  Luckily they don’t enforce the 2 day limit as I’ve been here three. 
 
Don’t have any stories to tell.  I did get back together with “Guns” the ex E8 Army guy.  He’s got his car here and we went to Abington (about 15 miles away), my reward.
 
The senior hikers tell me that Virginia won’t take as long as I think, as two thirds of Virginia will be easy walking and I will increase my miles.  I hope they are right. 
 
No big stories to tell.  Got my pack ready for tomorrow and the letters/cards written so off I will go “Into the Wild” of Virginia and Mt. Rogers.
 
Will try to remember more to report next time.  I remain:
 
Mustang Sally

 

 


Mustang Sally’s Travel Journal

April 29th, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Hi to all my ATGroup:
It’s Saturday evening here at Uncle Johnny’s Nolichusky Hostel.  The Nolichusky river runs right along side the hostel and yes, they do rafting on the river.  Two young male hikers (you are only young and crazy once right)  challenged each other to jump into the river and float downriver.  This is the end of April so use your mind as to how COLD that water is.

Arrived here early (around 10am) with a 4 mile down mountain hike.  Will leave here Tuesday morning.  Very nice hostel; $14.00 a nite in the bunkhouse.  The owner and or employees will take anyone who wants to go, to breakfast and dinner places usually in a shopping center where you have several choices of eateries.

No Business Knob Shelter, at an elevation of 3,180, was the last shelter before reaching Erwin.  Erwin is at 1,780 elevation and is 6.3 miles from No Business Knob.  Tips of my toes were ready for a break upon finishing.

Tomorrow (Sunday) I’m going to slack pack.  That means I will only have a day pack (the hostel lends you one).   The hostel drives you to a point north and you then hike back south to the hostel.  Forget all that weight of your backpack.  Then, when you are ready to depart the hostel will drive you back north where you started the slack hiking.  All this for $6.00.  Why do you do this you are wondering?  Well, you avoid          l9 miles of uphill climb from the hostel.  Erwin is at an elevation of 1,700 feet and the end is 19 miles north of the hostel where you reach a 5,180 ft elevation.  With a full pack that would be a really long, tiring hike. 

My next town will be Damascus, VA.  I’m finished with three states.  Figured it will take me about 8 days (if I follow my hike plan) to reach Damascus.
I will average 12.7 miles a day with the longest at 18.2 and shortest 8 miles.

Will take Monday off as I missed the post office Saturday hours.  Only open for 2 hours. More time for real food — Smile

Mustang Sally

 

 

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