Day 60: Twenty Miler

21.2 miles: Laurel Creek Shelter to VA 620 

Today was a good day. I finished the first ten miles so fast that I was able to take a siesta and get out of the heat for awhile. I started my new book: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. 

We camped with 2 nice people: Stash and Rapunzel. 

Trail taking us back up to the mountains. 

Close up of over 300 yr old tree.

Over 300 yr old tree. 

Day 59: Reunited

17.3 miles: The Captains to Laurel Creek Shelter

Today was wet. It didn't pour but it was very humid and the whole forest was wet. At the end of the day we found a bunch of friends (old and new) at the shelter. Including: 2 ferns, Jersey Girl, Scout, and Tumbles. 

Day 58: West Virginia (By God!)

13.8 miles: Rice Field Shelter to The Captains 

Today we crossed into WV for a brief moment and it was marked by a very nice sign. After hiking for awhile we came to The Captains. This place is a very hiker friendly guys house where he offers free camping, sodas, and wifi. You access his house via zip line. Yes zip line.

Tric on the zip line.

Day 57: Hitchhiking PR (Personal Record)

6.9 miles: Pearisburg to Rice Field Shelter

Because of last minute things in Damascus we tried to accomplish we missed all the rides out of town. This left us to resort to making a sign declaring us as AT (NOT homeless) hikers an our destination and standing on the side of the road. We got a ride to the interstate where after about an hour we got a ride to Pearisburg. In the end it was about a 104 mile hitchhike and we got in at about 4:30 pm. Due to this we were destined for a short hike- even with some night hiking.

During our hike we saw a pack of wild coyotes within a hundred feet of us. It was a bit unsettling but they are more afraid of us than we are of them so they left us alone. 

Day 56: Trail Days!

8.8 miles: Docs Knob Shelter to Pearisburg, VA

Note** to catch up my blog I will be posting some short entries. Sorry for getting behind! :)

Short day. Tough hills. We stopped in Pearisburg in preparation of trail days. A famous hiking festival for the AT that occurs every year in Damascus,VA. We got a ride with a hiker that rented a car (thanks parks!) and enjoyed a lovely few days checking out gear, dancing around a fire, and just sleeping. It was wonderful time and nice break from the monotony of hiking. It will be nice to get back though.

Thanks Arden for the care package!! It was fantastic! 

Pearisburg

Just a small portion of Tent City.

Tric learning how to use her new stove. 

The beginning of the hiker parade. 

Getting sprayed during the parade. The tradition is that all of us hikers stink so they spray us down as we parade by. The kids obviously love it. 

Day 55: Bugs!!

15.7 miles: Dismal Falls to Docs Knob Shelter

Note** to catch up my blog I will be posting some short entries. Sorry or getting behind! :)

Today's terrain was very easy for the first half of the day. We simply followed a river. The second half consisted of much harder ridge line. We met a wonderful hiker named Tick Tock who had a very scary close shave with lightning. You can read her wonderfully written blog at icoulddriveforever.com. 

Water source and cairn.

Day 54: 600 miles!

18 miles: Helveys mill shelter to Dismal Falls 

Today was a very lovely day with beautiful terrain. The first ten miles were easy rock free ridge line. I listened to some podcasts and hiked strongly. At about mile 15 we came to a suspension bridge crossing Kimberling Creek. At the road on the far side of the bridge was a cooler left by none other than the warrior hiker PR Barbie! It contained beer, soda, and little Debbie's! After enjoying some refreshments and relaxing Jersey Girl, 2 Ferns, and I hiked on to Dismal Falls. Dismal falls was so beautiful we decided to camp there. The water was so cold we couldn't swim but we did sit in the water since the day had been so hot. Later me and Jersey Girl walked down the dirt road to the local grocery store and picked up a burger and fries. When we got back it was getting dark so I went to sleep just as the fireflies wandered out above the falls.

Day 53: Bland, VA

15.3 miles: Jenkins Shelter to Helveys Mill Shelter

Today got off to a fantastic start. We finished the 13 miles to the road crossing for the town of Bland before 12 o clock. We got a ride into Bland and ate some DQ, re supplied at the Dollar General, and used the computers at the library. When we finally got a hitch back to the trail it was getting late. The next mile of trail was a road walk and then uphill to the shelter. So we knocked it out and found we had the shelter to ourselves. 

 

Day 52: Chestnut Knob

18.6 miles: Lynn Creek Campsite to Jenkins Shelter

Today began with an abosuletly beautiful but difficult 4.5 mile uphill to chestnut knob shelter. This shelter is one of my favorite so far. It is fully enclosed and has beautiful view all around. But as the day had just begun it was not time to stop so I hiked on. Eventually I came up onto a very rocky and difficult ridge line that seemed to go on forever. When I finally made it to the shelter I was absolutely beat. But we had great company at the shelter so we relaxed around the picnic table and had some laughs before going to bed. 

Day 51: 1/4 point!

12.5 miles: Davis Path campsite to Lynn Creek Campsite

The first three miles in the beginning today were very steep and tough. By the time we got to the first water source we were already breathing hard. So we fueled up on snacks and water and hiked out together. The terrain after the source was much easier. About halfway through the day we passed a sign that told us we were 1/4 of the way to Kahtadin. At a road crossing we met up with Wolfpack (or 2 ferns) and he decided to hike with us since he had been leapfrogging us for awhile. We all arrived at Lynn creek together and made camp. 

Virginia loves trail magic via coolers.

Day 50: Settlers Museum!

11.7 miles: Campsite at 534.3 to Davis path campsite. 

Today I woke with a snail crawling inches from my face on the mosquito netting of my tent. We got camp packed up and hiked on with some music going. While getting water at our first source we ran into 2 of the warrior hikers Krieger and Rorschach. For the next few hours Krieger gave us an amazing lecture on everything from the Cold War to GPS. It just so happened that most of the lecture transpired in an old schoolhouse that is part of a settlers museum in VA. Inside of the school was some really awesome trail magic donated by one of the local churches. We had sodas, fruit, snacks, even new toiletries! After the museum we hiked on to Atkins, VA where we ate a real meal in 'El Burrito Loco'. For a Mexican food restaraunt attached to a gas station it was actually really good! We then hiked on for another four miles or so through some beautiful fields and forests and made camp at a nice little campsite with a privy nearby. 

The rhododendron's are finally blooming! Eventually the trail is covered with these blooms.