Of Course

April 27, 2011

A steady rain was falling as I left Thunder Hill Shelter.  The gentle kiss of each drop like a soothing apology for yesterday's hail.  Views of the valley below were obscured by the shroud of mist that covered the ridge line.
While in the shelter the previous evening I had been talking to the thru-hiker Beer Hunter about the beautiful photos of flowers that he had captured that day.  Wild azaleas, yellow orchids, and dogwoods were brilliantly captured by his lens. 
"If I recall correctly," I told him, "there is an area just north of here along the trail that has one of the world's largest stands of wild trilliums.  I'm hoping they will be out for us this year."
Within an hour the first trilliums appeared in small clusters of pink and white that dotted the trail side.  Approaching Petite's Gap the forest floor was awash with a sea of trilliums as far as the eye could see.  I have tried to capture this impressive sight in the photo below but I'm afraid it doesn't truly do justice to the magnificent display of color that surrounded me on what would prove to be my last day hiking for this spring.


Trilliums near Petite's Gap

Despite the rain the miles rolled by easily on the long descent down to the James River valley.  Two miles from the James River I met "Still Debating" and "Blue Sunshine" enjoying their lunch of bagels and peanut butter at Matt's Creeks Shelter.  Of course I stopped to chat for a few moments.
"Why don't you at least come in out of the rain for a few minutes?", they asked.
"There's no need.  It's warm.  I've been wet before.  I'll be wet again.  I'm comfortable with that."
Shortly before noon I crossed the James River Foot Bridge, the longest footbridge on the AT, named in honour of William Foot whose efforts made the bridge a reality.

Fortunately the rain stopped as I was crossing the bridge so I had a comfortable hour's wait while hitching a ride into Glasgow and then on to Natural Bridge, VA.  Unfortunately, this would prove to be the end of my AT thru-hike for now as a pre-existing health problem has sent me back home for treatment.  It is very disappointing to be off the trail when the legs are feeling strong enough to hike up and down hill all day every day without getting tired.  If treatment is successful then I hope to get out again this year to finish the portions in New Hampshire and Maine that I have not previously hiked.

There is an eastern proverb in which a Zen master, when informed that a servant had dropped and broken his favourite dish, replied as follows:
"Of course.  The dish was but mine to enjoy for a short time.  I will not cling to what was but rejoice in that which is."

Mileage to date = 776.7