From Three Ridges to Spy Rock: A Backpacking Tale

Part I

March, 2007

After nearly driving off an icy bridge, passing an odoriferous skunk, and a mountain lion, we arrive at Reeds Gap off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Nelson County, Virginia. It is nearly 10 pm and "mountain dark"...which, for those who don't know, means "eerie dark." And, as if we haven't been through enough just in getting here, the howling wind is numbingly cold. We - being Tim Bob, Robbie, Brett, and myself - are the only souls out here. We have come all the way from Newport News to venture along the Appalachian Trail, to test our skills and resolve, to see if we have what it takes to last on the trail for a few days, 3 and a quarter, to be exact. Tonight we have a short hike, headed south bound through the Three Ridges Wilderness. Our goal, simply put, is to hike until we find a suitable campsite. The real journey will not begin till day break.

But we are in for a surprise as we heft our packs and switch on our headlights. The trail is covered with ice! "Are we really doing this?" Robbie says minutes later, as we enter the wilderness, leaving our cars and Reeds Gap behind. We have little choice. In mere moments, the setting changes. It becomes colder, darker, quieter... We are very alone in the woods in the middle of the night, and we have little to guide us but the beams of our headlights. But it is enough. One foot forward at a time, we climb the rocky trail. Leading the way, I watch my footing. At times, I must ram my feet through the ice to get a firm hold. White flakes spray; feet slip. We groan in frustration, yet laugh in disbelief.

It is funny to think how quickly our situation has changed. One minute we are sitting in a warm car, listening to the radio. The next, we're lumbering up an icy trail with stitches in our sides and watching our breath waft into the darkness like vapor. I dig in with my one trekking pole, using its sturdy hold to propel me up the trail. After some slips and falls, we reach flat ground and have an easier time maneuvering over the slick ice. And a mile into hiking, we make camp in a clearing off the AT. By the time we settle down in our warm sleeping bags, it is 11:30. Exhausted, we close our eyes and rest in preparation for tomorrow...