This is a very long day, with very hot weather. We climb Bluff Mountain where there is a plaque to a four year old child who went missing and was found at the Bluff Summit. On the descent from the mountain we are startled by a bear in a tree by the side of the track, eating the berries. We hear a commotion, see the bear falling out of the tree while trying to hang on to a thin branch, then an almighty k-thump, as he hits the ground, and a black blur as he runs.
We cross the Blue Ridge Parkway and find some trail magic - a kind tourist has left a pile of cinnamon buns (6) so we eat 2 and leave 4 for those coming after us.
The trail follows the edge of a reservoir - for drinking water for a nearby town. It is a really hot afternoon and we are looking down into a beautiful lake which we can't swim in. We arrive at Brown Creek and then head upstream for 2 miles. By this time it is quite late and the swimming holes look inviting but it is too late for us to stop - we need to reach camp before dark. We arrive at the campsite at 6.30. It is an historic valley which was a settlement for freed slaves in the 1900s who grew tobacco and corn. There are remnants of the settlement everywhere - stone walls, house sites and stone chimneys.
We find Shakin already camped here - he spent last night here with Doc. Shakin is suffering from severe diarrhoea - we give him most of our toilet paper and our spare instant oats.
It is a great camp by the river, shared with a section hiker - Gene, who is out for 2 weeks and is in great pain with blisters, as his feet are not used to the hiking. He is sleeping on a blow up sleeping mat - and as he turns it squeaks - he does this frequently and it keeps us awake.
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