A Martin Luther King Day Hike

Happy New Year! As promised we are already doing better this year than last when it comes to writing here. I could stop now and still have written more than this time last year. However there is a purpose in writing today so let it commence.

Every January hundreds of thousands of people hunker down at their desks and put on their thinking caps and ponder where they'd like to see themselves in a year from now. Most of those people plan health and/or fitness related goals (I know this for a fact since I've seen about 120 new people in my fitness center every week since January 2). We too made some health and fitness related goals but not the general 'get fit and healthy' ones that the Regular Joe makes (ok, we did that too as a broad term).

No, our goal was much more specific. One, for example, is to run a marathon this year. (Historical Fact: A marathon is 26.2 miles being named from the Greek battle of Marathon where the message carrier ran to Athens from Marathon being 26.2 miles apart, with news the Greeks had won the battle and then he fell dead on the spot. Why then would thousands of people ever run a marathon? We're not sure but we'll find out for you. And since we figured we are 26 this year it would be rather poetic to run 26 miles.) Another goal is to hike at least once a month to complete all of the Appalachian Trail in the Shenandoah National Park and that is what brings us here today.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Weekend started out very cold and windy in Northern Virginia. I had originally planned a training run for Saturday but after looking at the wind chill decided against it. Instead we decided to move our Monday hike to Saturday to begin our first hike in the Shenandoah National Park along the Appalachian Trail (AT).  After an hour plus drive to Front Royal, VA we entered the park and were promptly forced to turn around because the road was closed, I'm sure due to the snow accumulation they received further South. If there is one thing you should know about us is we are not easily deterred. Scott was very determined to begin our New Years Rez and had a back up plan. There was a small section of the AT leading into the National Park beginning on a state route which we quickly found.

We arrived, parked, bundled up, put on our packs and went forth into the great, white wilderness. The first portion was up a semi steep hill. It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been the 6 inches of snow and the bitting winter wind determined to knock us over. We prevailed along that section of the hike and eventually found ourselves going downhill with the wind at our backs, a nice change of pace. We crossed a stream, two streams actually and wound our way along the AT headed for Shenandoah National Park.

Scott showing me we follow the White Trail Blazes.

We found a tree with a great natural den in the base, so I squatted down in it. Not comfortable or warm.

After about 1.5 hours, the tracks we'd been following turned off the trail (not that there was a path to follow really with all the snow). The footprints we had been using as our guide went right toward a shelter and bathroom facility but the white trail blazes continued to the left. Scott, with his new, barely broken-in hiking boots took this next challenge in stride and cut a nice path for me to follow in my mesh, snow sodden running shoes.

If you look really close in front of Scott, there are no footprints.

Another hour after trekking along in the forest we climbed some rocks and discovered a beautiful vista overlooking a valley of trees and hills. We knew we were close to the line separating private land and Park land but we didn't know how close. It only took about 20 steps later to find the plaque indicating that invisible line of demarcation. We had done it! We'd reached the summit and accomplished our first hike of the year along the Appalachian Trail. Now, to get back to the car.

"I knew we were close!"

Well, long story short, we arrived back at the car freezing, hungry, tired and wet about an hour and a half later. Some lessons we learned, one, wearing two pairs of socks isn't just a great way to fight off blisters but its also good for the cold, two, don't wear mesh sneakers during a snow hike and three, check the Park openings and closures before driving over an hour to hike especially in the winter months. One hike down and 5 miles along the AT, another 11 hikes and all of the Trail in the Park left to go!