Sunday, June 11, 2017
We had free accommodations in the little town of Glasgow, Va., with the unexpected benefit of a hot shower. We camped walking-distance-away from a pizza restaurant and a store for resupply. A cell tower was standing so nearby it cast a shadow on our campsite, so we had a strong wireless connection.
With all these luxuries and a giant, fiberglass dinosaur too, Glasgow offered a lot for thru-hikers to like.
I was glad we stopped here yesterday.
| Weather | Partly cloudy and hot, with temperatures in the low 90s |
| Trail Conditions | Steep and long climbs, but easy descents |
| Today's Miles | 15.0 miles |
| Trip Miles | 799.9 miles |
Still, as pleasant as our stay was, Stick and I were anxious to get back on the trail.
We had made arrangements for a shuttle driver to pick us up at 8 a.m. Though it seemed like we had to wait a long time for him, the driver wasn’t more than a couple minutes late.
He was the son of yesterday's shuttle driver, and a lot more talkative.
After a 20-minute gabby drive to the trailhead, we were back on the trail.
Once we resumed our hike, the trail was easy for first mile.
It was a unchallenging path to walk, with much of it following a stream.
Along the way, we saw several weekend backpackers, including a dad out with his son for the boy’s first backpacking trip.
They had camped at Johns Hollow Shelter, a nice spot with several flat spots for tents.
From there, the trail took on a totally different character. It began a steep, long climb to top of a ridge line called Little Rocky Row.
After a zig-zag climb of nearly 1800 feet, made only a little less steep by several switchbacks, the trail reached a ledge called Fuller Rocks. This spot offered a look back into the valley and the James River.
Thanks to the clear, morning air, I could see the FAA radar dome I had passed two days ago, which was now nearly 20 trail miles away.
Just down the trail from here was a thicket of blackberries. Only a few were ripe, but I made sure to sample some.
The trail continued to climb, but this time the approach was to Bluff Mountain, and for the most part was more gradual than before.
At one time, a fire tower was located at the top of the mountain. It was torn down in the 1970s, and all that remained there today were some concrete footings and steps.
By this time Stick had gone on ahead, so I stopped here to eat lunch by myself and enjoy the gorgeous view.
It was a moment to enjoy, but there was something somber about Bluff Mountain that was hard to ignore.
A small memorial nearby marked the spot where the body of four-year-old Ottie Cline Powell was found in 1892.
The marker said the boy was found in 1891, but this wasn't the only fact that was wrong. Though there were several inaccuracies, they can't negate the sadness of the event.
Little Ottie was attending a school the marker called Tower Hill School. That wasn’t correct because the mountain wasn’t known by that name until the fire tower was built in 1917. As it is today, the mountain was called Bluff Mountain. When the tower was torn down, the name reverted back to the original name.
Historians say the boy wandered off while he and some classmates were collecting firewood for their school. When Ottie didn’t return as expected, townsfolk organized a search party.
It wasn’t until the following Spring when hunters found his body. It was found at this spot on the mountain, seven miles away from the schoolhouse.
A doctor who examined the boy's body determined he had died of exposure the first night after he wandered away.
The concrete block and bronze plaque with inaccurate text were placed here in 1968.
The departure from the top of Bluff Mountain was easier, though it involved another climb.
A couple miles down the trail I met a hiker named Ounce. He was out for a day hike with his three husky puppies. He told me he was a two-time thru-hiker. Then he offered me an orange.
It was a hot day, so this was much-appreciated trail magic.
The remaining miles for today were not difficult, but the warm day didn’t make them easy.
Though I knew i was getting close to where Stick and I talked of stopping for the night near a river, I stopped briefly at a spring to get a liter of water. I was thirsty.
I was about 15 minutes behind Stick, and when I arrived at the river he was still looking around for a good spot to pitch our tents.
We had guessed that there would be some spots where a footbridge crossed the river, which was also near a road. These are typically good places to find tent sites, but the only place we could find was a small space tucked in a thick clump of trees.
There was so little room here that we only had space enough for our tents. To cook dinner we had to walk over to the bridge and sit on the steps.
After dinner, we decided the best place to hang our food bags was from the bridge, so we suspended them from the railing, but not directly over the water. This way, if for some reason the rope didn’t hold or was chewed on by an animal, the food bags wouldn’t fall into the river.
We may have been too lazy to seek out a good tree to hang our food, but we were smart enough to consider the possibilities of something going wrong.
Well death don't have no mercy in this land
Well death don't have no mercy in this land In this land
He come to your house, he don't stay long
Look in the bed, find your mother's gone
I said death don't, death don't have no mercy in this land
Death will leave you standing and crying in this land
Death will leave you standing and crying in this land
In this land
You know he come to your house, and he don't stay long
One of these days, you know your father will be gone
Death don't, death don't have no mercy in this land
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