I thought I was going to DIE part 3

One thing I learned from all of the Youtube videos is that there are false summits on Old Rag Mountain.  Being in the exhausted state I was in.  I honestly never stopped to think about being at the summit, my mind was honestly focused on getting back to the car, where I would have some water and I would have AC. 

Luckily the girls still seemed to be full of energy, and they would enlighten me each time we go to the summit.  Or at least each time they thought we were at the summit.  Mind you they would usually make it there a few minutes before I would as I had to stop and take breaks.  By this time along the Journey my legs would shake if I stopped for any amount of time.  And I would literally have to stop, catch my breath, and think about what I was going to do, especially if the climb involved me lifting my legs higher than a normal walk. 

The second time we reached the "summit"  I could not have been more excited.  I saw a guy sitting up on top of  this giant round rock.  I also found a small tree that was providing some shade to a section of rock that was anything but flat, but looked ohh so comfortable for me to lay down and close my eyes.  I unloaded the backpack off of my back laid down on this rock.  Well I laid down as well as one could on a 45degree angle.  I took my boots and socks off and put my pack towel over my head to block the sun, and just let my body relax. 

I have no idea how long we spent here, but as tired as I was I could have just spent the night right there and I would have been content.  But none the less the time came for us to pack up from the "summit"  and start heading back down. 

Well heading back down would have been nice.  In my excitement about finally starting to head back towards the car, I looked at my GPS and came to a startling realization.  We had not yet reached the summit.  We were still about 200 ft short of the summit, which meant, that although we were going downhill at the moment, we were about to be going uphill.  Sure enough, about 200 yards up trail it was time to climb rocks again.

Luckily it was about 6:00 at this time and the temps were starting to cool down.  I had also had the chance to rest all of my muscles.  In addition, Rebekah was kind enough to give me some water from her nalgene.  I mentally prepared myself for the last climb.

By the time we got to the summit I was so drained and knew that if I stopped I may never be able to get my body moving again.  While normally one that has hiked the arduous journey to get to the summit would stop to take it all in, I was afraid to stop walking.  I briefly stopped for a moment to read that sign that informed me that I would be back at the parking lot if I will only walk the 5.2 miles to get back there. 

I have no idea which "summit" this was, but this is my summit photo.  Although I look happy, it was about all the strength I had to get my arms in the air.

I had moments of strengh and weakness on my way up, but the journey down was almost as tough.  The trip down was not as steep, but it had lots of stair steps down.  By this time my legs are like jello and the thought of all of my weight on one leg in order to lower the next foot down a step, sounded like a recipe for disaster.  I could feel my legs shaking on every step. 

Somewhere down the trail, we came to the old rag shelter, which offerd a port a privy.  For the first time during the day I felt like going to the bathroom.  As I stood there, I could not control the shaking in my legs.  I also have never seen urine so dark in all my life.  It was the deepest amber color I have ever seen.  I tell you this to say this is when I finally put it all together. 

I started this 8.8 (by their record, my GPS said it was closer to 10) mile hike with only two cups of coffee and a poptart.  The night before I had a coke zero at the airport, and two glasses of olive garden peach tea at dinner.  Along the trail I had about three liters of water, but it was over 100 degrees outside so every drop I drank was basically lost back out to sweat.  So pretty much I think I was dehydrated, on top of some mild heat exhaustion. 

Outside ye ole port a privvy Rebekah gave me the last thid of a bottle of gatorade.  I guzzled that, and set forth for the remaining 3 plus miles to the car.  Luckily the temps had gone way down as now it was a little after 7:00.  Did I mention we were supposed to meet my buddy David back at the campsite around 6:30. It was after 7:00 and we still had at least an hour of hiking and an hour drive back to the campsite.  The remaining mileage was pretty much a fire road so it was fairly level, wide, and shaded. 

After this most epic hike, we had decided we would explain to David how miserable hiking in 100+ degree weather was and we would then pack up the tents and go back to my house.  The only problem with shis theory was that we needed gas in the Versa.  With my luck the Gas station outside the campground was closed.  This meant we got the pleasure of camping out. 

We made it back to the campsite around 9:30.  Honestly I remember having about three bites of beef jerkey, grabbing my sleeping bag, air mat and clothes bag and heading for my tent.  I normally do 130 pumps into the air mat this time I stopped at around 70 tossed my sleeping bag on and laid down.  I never got back off of that air mat until the morning.