Day 57 Wilson Creek Shelter to Jennings Creek

Today's miles 17.  AT miles 752.2

Another warm sunny day, probably in the 50's, with a gentle breeze, perfect walking weather.  We left camp at 9:15 and it was a gentle uphill on good paths for about two and a half miles until we reached the Blue Ridge Parkway. A scenic tourist road that starts in North Carolina and goes through the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.  The AT follows/runs parallel to this road for the next 100 miles.  The trail ran right alongside the Parkway for a while, often crossing over it from one side to the other at viewpoints.  The trail aside the Parkway initially was a bit annoying, rougher paths pointlessly going up and down the hills at the side of the road.  Eventually the trail headed away from the side of the Parkway and the paths became good again.

The trail remained around 2500ft for quite a few miles with small variations in height and ups and downs.  Later we had a small climb up Cove Mountain where the forest opened out.  It looked like there'd been a forest fire there as there was lots of new growth and burnt trees. Then downhill to Cove Mountain shelter where we stopped for a break.  We met 'Nubbins' there.  A lovely retired lady who is thru hiking, she started hiking on her 69th birthday from Pearisburg.  Amazing lady, I hope we are still hiking trails at her age. She is 'flip flopping'.  A term used when someone still walks the whole trail in one season but starts in the middle, walks north then goes back to walk the southern section.  Often done that way to avoid the colder winter weather. 

We continued another three and a bit miles further downhill to Jennings Creek at 951ft arriving at 4:45.  Nubbins carried on a but further, we'll probably catch up with her again, she's going steady taking her time. Jennings Creek is probably one of the lowest elevations we've camped at so far.  Not an official camp spot but there were lots of campfire rings just behind a parking area off the road so we pitched our tent there next to the Creek.  We've learnt that if there is a water source and flat ground next to it there will be previous campfire rings where people have camped before, even if not marked in our guide book as a camp spot.

My knees have improved a lot the last couple of days thanks to the knee supports I'm wearing, regular doses of ibuprofen and less rocky paths.  They're no way near 100% yet, and probably won't be until after we finish the trail, but feel much better, every step was not so much painful but uncomfortable before.  I'm no longer walking stiffly or hobbling along like an old women which I had been doing this last week, Nigel said I'd got my normal gait back again today.   We have also picked up speed again, walking back at our steady two and a half mile an hour pace instead of two mile an hour which we had slowed down to. 
I'm not the only one, quite a few of our hiker friends also have knee, ankle or some other niggling pain, ibuprofen or 'vitamin I' as it's known on the trail is taken regularly probably by at least half of us to keep us going.