High Rock Cabin
May 13, 1981 - Camp site near I -77 to High Rock Shelter-
It cleared up great last night. You can see for miles. It is 8:00 a.m. and I am eating breakfast over Big Walker
tunnel over interstate 77. Stayed a long while taking in the breathtaking views. Wrote mom and dad a letter while
sitting. UNBELIEVABLE flat and good view walking. Made it to High Rock shelter and I stayed in old fire warden’s
cabin close by. It had bunks and a door. One hundred feet to the north from cabin is the best view in the world. I've
been gone six weeks and it is getting better every day. I took three pictures but could. Have taken 100. If one
picture is worth a l000 words then to see it in person is worth 1,000,000 words, at least. UNBELIEVABLE No words
can say what I feel!!!! Made14 mile.
May 14, 1981 High Rock Shelter to New Wapiti Shelter-
Left shelter at 7:35 a.m. and walked down hill steadily until I came to a small store where I bought some snacks.
Left store and came to sign pointing the A.T. to the left. I went up the trail two miles before I realized that this was a
reroute going south that had not been opened yet. This was the Burkes Garden relo which was a big one. The new
trail would go through the Bland, Bastain area. I had to turn around and backtrack. Continued to hike hard and
made it to the New Wapiti Shelter. I did around 16 miles of trail not counting the mess up. The new shelter was
very nice. This shelter had been completed earlier on this day. I was the first to sign this register behind the trail
crew who finished it. The leftover end pieces of logs were beside the brand new fire pit which had not even been
used yet. I stayed here alone. I felt honored to be the first user of this shelter. I saw a doe deer soon after arriving
here. She almost came up to me but did pass within 20 feet of me. I left or lost my mouse traps today. ******** On
May 19, 1981 two Appalachian Trail hikers were murdered in this shelter. Randal Lee Smith was arrested for the
murders 10 days later.************
May 15, 1981 -New Wapiti Shelter to Doc’s Knob Shelter-
I did 9.5 miles today. It was too far to make it into Pearisburg today, which was 8 or 9 more miles. I'll get in there
tomorrow. There are three other people here. John Pearson from Hawaii, Keith Fetterman from Virginia, and a man
going the other way from, Penn. Very cold here tonight. It is 40 degrees at 6:45 P.M. Doc’s Knob Shelter.
May 16, 1981 -Doc’s Knob Shelter to Hostel in Pearisburg Catholic-
Left shelter at 6:15 a.m. Hiked as fast and as hard as possible and got into Pearisburg at around 10:00 a.m. Went
to post office first to get mail. Dad and mom wrote me letters and I wrote my brother Pat a letter and my daughter
Melodye a letter. I will write mom and dad a letter when I get back on trail and I have more time. I stayed at the
Catholic hostel. This place is very nice. It is an old barn converted into living quarters for hikers. It has a fireplace,
shower, kitchen, and reading room. Very nice and totally free. Met five people who started the trail with me back in
March. Rannata the German girl, Buddy, Roger, John and Pete from New York. I did laundry got groceries and sat
around till l2:30 a.m. while everyone got drunk except me. Roger is going home tomorrow. He is going to go fishing
and is giving up his hike.
It cleared up great last night. You can see for miles. It is 8:00 a.m. and I am eating breakfast over Big Walker
tunnel over interstate 77. Stayed a long while taking in the breathtaking views. Wrote mom and dad a letter while
sitting. UNBELIEVABLE flat and good view walking. Made it to High Rock shelter and I stayed in old fire warden’s
cabin close by. It had bunks and a door. One hundred feet to the north from cabin is the best view in the world. I've
been gone six weeks and it is getting better every day. I took three pictures but could. Have taken 100. If one
picture is worth a l000 words then to see it in person is worth 1,000,000 words, at least. UNBELIEVABLE No words
can say what I feel!!!! Made14 mile.
May 14, 1981 High Rock Shelter to New Wapiti Shelter-
Left shelter at 7:35 a.m. and walked down hill steadily until I came to a small store where I bought some snacks.
Left store and came to sign pointing the A.T. to the left. I went up the trail two miles before I realized that this was a
reroute going south that had not been opened yet. This was the Burkes Garden relo which was a big one. The new
trail would go through the Bland, Bastain area. I had to turn around and backtrack. Continued to hike hard and
made it to the New Wapiti Shelter. I did around 16 miles of trail not counting the mess up. The new shelter was
very nice. This shelter had been completed earlier on this day. I was the first to sign this register behind the trail
crew who finished it. The leftover end pieces of logs were beside the brand new fire pit which had not even been
used yet. I stayed here alone. I felt honored to be the first user of this shelter. I saw a doe deer soon after arriving
here. She almost came up to me but did pass within 20 feet of me. I left or lost my mouse traps today. ******** On
May 19, 1981 two Appalachian Trail hikers were murdered in this shelter. Randal Lee Smith was arrested for the
murders 10 days later.************
May 15, 1981 -New Wapiti Shelter to Doc’s Knob Shelter-
I did 9.5 miles today. It was too far to make it into Pearisburg today, which was 8 or 9 more miles. I'll get in there
tomorrow. There are three other people here. John Pearson from Hawaii, Keith Fetterman from Virginia, and a man
going the other way from, Penn. Very cold here tonight. It is 40 degrees at 6:45 P.M. Doc’s Knob Shelter.
May 16, 1981 -Doc’s Knob Shelter to Hostel in Pearisburg Catholic-
Left shelter at 6:15 a.m. Hiked as fast and as hard as possible and got into Pearisburg at around 10:00 a.m. Went
to post office first to get mail. Dad and mom wrote me letters and I wrote my brother Pat a letter and my daughter
Melodye a letter. I will write mom and dad a letter when I get back on trail and I have more time. I stayed at the
Catholic hostel. This place is very nice. It is an old barn converted into living quarters for hikers. It has a fireplace,
shower, kitchen, and reading room. Very nice and totally free. Met five people who started the trail with me back in
March. Rannata the German girl, Buddy, Roger, John and Pete from New York. I did laundry got groceries and sat
around till l2:30 a.m. while everyone got drunk except me. Roger is going home tomorrow. He is going to go fishing
and is giving up his hike.
17