On May 3rd I ran a 69-mile loop linking two tanZ permanent orienteering courses outside of Blacksburg, VA as a solo self-supported effort. My route ended up with ~13.5K feet of climb and took me ~20.5 hours to complete. I visited 43 of 49 permanent controls (I count #54/E although I didn't find the flag, which was already reported missing). I had to give up on the last six controls because I was at risk of hypothermia while moving slowly at night through steep terrain and thick vegetation in a heavy rain.
Preliminary route info (below) was posted earlier to drum up interest, but there were no other takers. Mark himself might've joined, but was busy with Cerberus. This is perhaps all for the best as I probably would've caught some flak for significantly underestimating the route's distance and difficulty! Livelox replay here. Photos and a write-up of the adventure follow...
Preliminary route description:
00.0 - Appalachian Trail parking, head south
08.7 – Leave AT at War Spur Shelter (w), direct ascent War Spur
09.9 – War Spur Overlook, end 1.2 mi, 1300’ bushwhack
10.9 – War Spur TH, rt 603
00.0 - Appalachian Trail parking, head south
08.7 – Leave AT at War Spur Shelter (w), direct ascent War Spur
09.9 – War Spur Overlook, end 1.2 mi, 1300’ bushwhack
10.9 – War Spur TH, rt 603
12.9 – Leave rt 603, start Mountain Lake Permanent O-Course
17.x – Pass near spring/creeks on course (w)
21++ – Finish Mountain Lake Permanent O-Course, descend rt 700
17.x – Pass near spring/creeks on course (w)
21++ – Finish Mountain Lake Permanent O-Course, descend rt 700
27.1 – Pass covered bridges, enter Newport, VA
30.2 – Mini Mart
31.7 – Leave Hwy 460, start Pandapas Pond Adventure Course
37.x – Pass near creeks on course (w)
40++ – Finish Pandapas Pond Adventure Course, ascend Brush Mtn.
44.1 – Mountain Valley Pipeline (2808’)
46.1 – Leave Brush Mtn. (2996’) descend spur to N
47.3 – Cross Rt 621 (1828’) near USFS/Wilderness boundary
47.4 – Ascend USFS 10791 Whitaker, avoid private property
48.0 – Leave USFS 10791 at bend, bushwhack NNE to AT
30.2 – Mini Mart
31.7 – Leave Hwy 460, start Pandapas Pond Adventure Course
37.x – Pass near creeks on course (w)
40++ – Finish Pandapas Pond Adventure Course, ascend Brush Mtn.
44.1 – Mountain Valley Pipeline (2808’)
46.1 – Leave Brush Mtn. (2996’) descend spur to N
47.3 – Cross Rt 621 (1828’) near USFS/Wilderness boundary
47.4 – Ascend USFS 10791 Whitaker, avoid private property
48.0 – Leave USFS 10791 at bend, bushwhack NNE to AT
49.x – South on Appalachian Trail
50.8 – Appalachian Trail parking
50.8 – Appalachian Trail parking
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| Preliminary: ~12.5K climb, 50-60 miles |
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| Actual: ~13.5K climb, 69 miles |
The weekend's weather called for on and off rain showers with mild temperatures. Driving up from Durham after work on Friday, I took the scenic route through Floyd. A quick grocery stop in Blacksburg preceded low-key car camping at a remote AT parking spot near the Keffer Oak. I believe this is the second(?) largest tree along the entire trail. I slept about as well in the Honda Fit as I would've in a tent.
I was running by 6 am. The first 9 miles of my journey took me southbound along the AT and into deep memories from three previous thru-hikes. A horse and buggy reminded me of a farmhouse excursion in 2001. A thru-hiker and his dog dredged up warm memories from 2007. I relived the joy of listening to birdsong while cruising early miles in the morning dew, just like back in 2013.
Fueled up on positive vibes, I filtered water near War Spur shelter and started a 1300' off-trail ascent of War Spur. I quickly escaped laurel into buck berry. My sigh of relief turned to gasps of pain as I plowed through unavoidable, but thankfully small swaths of briar. Soon I began following a trail, which became more and more distinct. I reached Rt 603, 12 miles in at just over 3 hours.
Steady, not too slowly and now time for some orienteering. I'd been wanting to visit the Mountain Lake permanent course for years. Its design is what originally inspired the scrabble-O format. I was not interested in forming words, but rather clearing the 25-control course quickly and carefully. My route (Y-H-Z-V-D-C-B-J-N-S-X-W-R-I-U-A-O-P-K-G-L-F-T-E-M) was about 15 miles long and took 5 hours.
Navigation went smoothly through Mountain Lake. The map was good, the course beautiful and a lot of fun. I leaned heavily on handrails. The drizzle came and went. Whatever bobbles seemed short-lived, but time is slippery when fully immersed in orienteering. I checked my watch among moss-covered boulders: time to pick up the pace down the road past covered bridges to the mini mart in Newport.
I left the Super Val-U Grocery 39 miles in at 10h30m chugging a ginger ale and stuffing my face with an egg sandwich. I faced an unpleasant, but short stretch on the divided highway before promptly starting the Pandapas Pond Adventure Course. With the help of a well-established trail system, navigation initially went easier than Mountain Lake. I was pleased to visit 14 controls before dark.
Around here is where the bottom fell out. First, I miscounted a third parallel spur to be the fourth and began dropping to a saddle that never materialized. I checked my altimeter, which I only partially trusted. I decided to keep descending to a creek junction and attack from the next reentrant east. If I was right, I'd hit control #78/E. If I was wrong, I'd hit a trail. Rain came down hard, visibility dropped.
Turns out I was right, but I'd have to be careful on the next two legs without good handrails. Thick vegetation further restricted the distance of each bearing taken in the rain with headlamp. To make matters worse, I was completely soaked and getting cold while wearing all of my clothing besides a trash bag. I made the correct decision that I could no longer orienteer fast enough to stay warm.
After abandoning the six remaining controls, I turned my attention to getting across and off of Brush Mountain. I had a nagging suspicion that the crux of the journey still lay ahead. The 1:45000 map that Mark had printed for me on waterproof paper was of limited help. I navigated through new development, re-calibrated my altimeter at the Mountain Valley Pipeline and set my sights on the 3,000' mark.
Once there, I was to turn almost directly north, punch through dense vegetation and descend steeply down a spur through the wilderness and into the valley. If I hit the exact spur, I'd be right across from a USFS road (10791) that would climb most of the way up Sinking Creek Mountain and get me within a mile of the AT. To give an idea, I'd probably passed about two dozen of these spurs in the last four miles.
With less vegetation to grab onto, the slope was ridiculously steep, up to 45 degrees. The footing was also mostly loose dirt, rock and wet leaves. By the time I registered that I was dropping between spurs, it was too late. As I traversed to the nearest one, I started sliding uncontrollably into the draw. The walls were so steep that the only way out was through the reentrant, complete with blowdowns and 10-foot waterfalls.
It was well after midnight by the time I emerged from the wilderness. On the plus side, I quickly found 10791 right across the creek. The next 1400' climb was mostly straightforward until the very end. My energy was dropping. I also needed to replace my headlamp batteries just as the rain started back up. The final snag was getting cliffed out for bit while traversing along the ridge to the AT.
Two miles of running southbound on the AT through a downpour in the dark brought me back to the car at about 2:30 am. I cranked the heat, changed clothes and shivered uncontrollably for about an hour before falling asleep. This adventure was everything I hoped it to be. I'm thankful for the experience. I look forward to repeating something similar among redwoods in the coastal mountains of CA in July!
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