I wanted to try to catch him near the Mohican Outdoor Center. It is a place that I have wanted to check out for some time. We didn't actually go to the center though, as the AT crosses near it. Angie drove us there.We arrived at the AT crossing and saw his van parked there, so as we figured, he had not come through yet. The van was open and Scott's wife Jenny was preparing for his arrival. She is amazing, as she is driving around everywhere and crewing for him. There is a camera crew with him, but they are just filming. Jenny is doing all the work. It is truly a mom and pop type operation. There were a few others hanging around, but it looked like we were the only ones there to meet him to run.
I wore my Trail WhippAss singlet. Even though it was hot, I had to represent the group. Without moving fast, I was still soaked by the end of the brief run. There was sparse tree cover, so that didn't help.
Angie had some time, but we had an hour drive back. Therefore, we couldn't waste time waiting for Scott to arrive. We decided to run out until we met up with him. His wife figured he was within half an hour of us.
Angie and I sort of ran/hiked out to Scott. The trail was what I would call semi technical. Doing a short run like we were, I could've run most of the time. Running all day on this rocky part would be a bit of a chore. It's still not as bad as Pennsylvania is though.
We spotted a view at one point. That was cool, so we took a few pictures. Then we were on our way again. We saw a hiker shortly after the view.
Then, almost out of nowhere, Scott appeared on the trail. I was a little surprised to see him alone. We asked if we could join him and he said "sure." He's such a nice and humble guy. I guess with the crowd we had in a remote section in the dark yesterday, I was expecting a few people with him today.
Yesterday, I couldn't really talk to him, because I was farther back in the line. Today, I was able to chat a bit and so was Angie. I didn't want to say too much though either.
I asked him about rattlesnakes and he said surprisingly he had not seen one yet. That amazed me, after traveling all of that distance. Angie later asked him about other wildlife and he said he saw quite a few bears and cubs and plenty of deer. He's encountered some dreaded ticks too.
We were about a mile out when we headed back. He was sort of running, but as his usual, a slow and steady pace. He seems to be really consistent and does mostly hiking. He covers a lot of distance by putting in long hours and hiking at a decent pace. For example, today he was looking to put in maybe 19 hours.
I couldn't believe that he was shooting for a 58 mile day today. He started with maybe the worst section of rocks in the whole trail. Those clearly didn't slow him much. I figured if he could get 58 miles, he'd be at High Point State Park. That's a super impressive day, from Wind Gap to High Point. I know because I've run both areas and driven to and from each and that takes awhile.
Scott was excited as we approached the road crossing and his vehicle. He was happy to be close, but more happy when he heard the water. When we stopped, he dipped into the stream to cool off. His camera crew got video of that.
Scott spent a few minutes at the vehicle. Jenny checked on his needs. He was doing pretty good though, just making progress as usual. I think he ate some type of popcorn and some other snacks. I'm not sure what he was drinking, but he had a hydration pack. The van is loaded with all kinds of gear. It's an impressive, compact setup.
He was also nice enough to sign a copy of Eat &;Run for me. I left it in the car at the start last night, so I couldn't get an autograph. I was glad to get that and we got a photo of the three of us before heading back out.
Angie and I had about 45 minutes to an hour to run yet. We figured we could go out about another mile and then turn and come back. This wasn't a steep climb to start, but it was still a climb. I was surprised to hear him breathing heavy as we hiked this ascent. Then, I realized that is because he was trying to eat while doing so. I tried not to chat too much.
I did ask him about his favorite section and he said he really enjoyed Roan Mountain (NC) and the Smokies were nice too. He also saw the wild ponies at Grayson Highlands. I want to camp in that section some time. He told me that David Horton met up with him in Southern Virginia too.
I have maps of this section of the AT and I knew there were several viewpoints. I was hoping we would at least get to one. I could start to see a lot of light, about a mile out and I could tell we were getting close to one.
After a little over a mile out, we finally did. It was this rock overlook with a steep drop off and an amazing panoramic view. I knew Angie and I would stop for photos here.
We decided to just turn around here. We thanked Scott and wished him luck and he was on his way. It is interesting that he just blew past a view. He has probably seen so many amazing ones that it was no big deal at that point.
Angie and I stayed and took a bunch of photos. Then, we were on our way. Now, we were descending gradually on this semi technical terrain. It was a fun, little short run. Angie handled it well. It seemed like we were back to the car quickly and done. Jenny had packed up and was already on to the next road crossing.
This was a short run, but an excellent little adventure. I was very impressed with the trail in this section. It's not too far from home, so I'll have to come up and run it more often. I want to see even more of the views too.
Tomorrow, I really need to get back to running some more mileage and at a little faster pace. I'm not sure where I'll go yet. If I have the energy, perhaps back to Mt. Tammany. If not, maybe at South Mountain (Lehigh). I'd like to do about 7 or 8 miles.
Part 1 1.99 miles - 38:35 (19:26 pace) 323 feet of elevation gain
Part 2 2.5 miles - 49:11 (19:40 pace) 459 feet of elevation gain
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