Here's a few photographs that arrived too late for the last post.....

Waynesboro sign welcoming some thru-hikers by name.


Shenandoah's modern trees.


Bojangles' Trail Magic.


Spidey with a huge pack.



Shenandoah View.



Me on a Shenandoah wall.


Very tame deer.


Ken and family.

Monday, June 16

I went full speed into Waynesboro, VA today, motivated by thunder, lightening and sprinkles. My plan for the night is to order pizza and go to bed early. Today's fast pace wore me out.

Sometimes people ask me if I am having fun out here. I always hesitate before answering. Today is a good example why. It wasn't fun pushing myself for speed on a humid day with storms threatening. It was fun beating the storm in. The fact that it was hard makes it worth doing, if not exactly fun.

When a fighter pilot lands his jet in heavy wind on a heaving air craft carrier he isn't having fun but that is a landing he will talk about later, not an easy one. The hard made the landing better, even if it wasn't fun. There are fun days out here when the weather is good and there are great views. There are also days when it is cold and rainy and I can't talk to other hikers because of the noise from the rain hitting the hood of my rain shell. Those days aren't fun but I have a feeling they will be the days I am most proud of when I look back on this. Tough days that I struggled through while always maintaining my desire to continue north. So please excuse my hesitation when I am asked the simple question "Are you having fun?" It is more complicated than it seems. My best answer is that I want to keep going.

All's well.

Waynesboro, VA. Today - 20.8 miles, Total - 850.5 miles.

Tuesday, June 17

Not much to report today. Took a day off for laundry and resupply. Visited the Waynesboro History Museum. Rested my legs and ate ice cream. Watched "Cash Cab" on the Discovery Channel. Had dinner with Buck and Fleur, two retirees from Nova Scotia. I forgot to mention in yesterday's post that I have been hiking for two months now, starting on April 16.

Since I have little else to write, I want to correct something I said earlier. April 16 is late to start the AT. I did it because I don't like cold weather and because I was a strong enough hiker to finish, despite the late start. At the time I wrote that 80 percent of thru-hikers starting in mid-April were men. As I have hiked along and caught up with more hikers, I have encountered more and more women. I guess the women weren't as aggressive with start dates as I was. I would say maybe 1/3 of the hikers around me now are women, maybe a little more. Interestingly, someone recently repeated a statistic to me showing that women complete thru-hikes at a higher rate then men. Not sure why that is.

The Celtics are wiping out the Lakers on TV. I'm going to bed.

All's well.

Waynesboro, VA. Today - 0.0 miles, Total - 850.5 miles.

Wednesday, June 18

After a day off it is always good to be hiking again. Conditions were good and it was unquestionably a FUN day. Animal and I got a late start because our shuttle from town to the trail head didn't leave until 8:00 AM. We moved well though with Rodeo along for extra company. We quickly got though 17 miles when Bojangles turned up at a road crossing with coolers full of beer and snacks. It was some high quality trail magic. Bo still had some money and time left to vacation so he loaded up his pick-up truck and came back out.

In Shenandoah, the AT crosses and re-crosses the Skyline Drive, the Park's main road. Sometimes hikers will walk on the road for a change of pace. Animal and I, purists, turn our noses up at such behavior but it is so common here that nobody else cares. When Bo pulled in, he had about ten thru-hikers in the back of the truck. He just picked them up as he drove along Skyline Drive. Normally, I don't think well of "thru-hikers" riding instead of walking but I have to say that it made for a good impromptu party. I talked baseball with Chaco and Wak, hiking with No-Amp, Spidey and Barfight. It was a great social gathering.

After that, we packed the last of the beer and food three miles to Blackrock Hut and set up camp. By the way, shelters are call huts in Shenandoah. We hung out for a bit and still got to bed early. We joke out here that 9:00 PM is thru-hiker midnight. It's hard staying up past thru-hiker midnight after a 20 mile day.

All's well.

Blackrock Hut. Today - 20.0 miles, Total - 870.5 miles.

Thursday, June 19

I like Shenandoah for all the wrong reasons. Sure there are spectacular views and scenic waterfalls and stuff, but I love it because it is so far from being wilderness. After two months of filtering water it is a real pleasure to find picnic areas every ten miles with water fountains and spigots. There are bathrooms there also so I can wash my hands and face regularly with hot running water and limitless amounts of soap. Nearly every day we walk past a restaurant with a camp store attached. I eat fresh fruit and meat and ice cream. I cross Skyline Drive ten times a day and chat with day hikers who react with wonder to the idea of walking all the way from Georgia to Maine.

I also love it because there is a lot of wilderness packed into a long narrow park. I have seen countless deer and a few wild turkey. Grouse play their game of charging out bravely with their feathers standing up to create the illusion of size, then retreating when I don't flee in fear. There are more songbirds here than I have seen anywhere else and Animal even caught a glimpse of a bear ambling away from us. Shenandoah is everything it is suppose to be.

We did 21 miles today on gently rolling terrain. We were wearing out near the end but a sudden cool afternoon thundershower gave some motivation to zip up the trail to camp. The rain stopped by the time we pitched our tents.

All's well.

Hightop Hut. Today - 21.4 miles, Total - 891.9 miles.

Friday, June 20

We did our third straight 20 miler today and even Animal is dragging some. No matter how gentle the terrain, that is still a lot of pounding on the feet. It was good to hit Big Meadow and indulge in some restaurant food, running water and flush toilets. Other hikers are calling Shenandoah "AT Light." If backpacking were always like this, more people would do it.

We had dinner with Lactose, Unicorn, and Pegasus. U & P's adopted dog, Ginny, is doing very well. I asked how her tick collar was working and they said "not well." Too bad. If it were working I would have one on each angle tomorrow. I'm pulling off two or three ticks each day.

Ken, who I went to high school with, came out to meet up, reminisce and show his family the mock wilderness. Its great to see him. We chatted easily although we haven't seen each other in 20 years. His kids are smart and he wears fatherhood well. Ken got to meet a few thru-hikers and get a taste of life on the trail.

With the high mileage we have been doing, Animal agreed right away to my suggestion that we take a zero day here. We both think we have been missing too much pretty stuff out here because we are pressing for miles. We are going to check out the visitor's center, explore some side trails, and grill hotdogs for dinner.

All's well.

Big Meadow Campground. Today - 20.4 miles, Total - 912.3 miles.

Saturday, June 21

My zero day was everything I had hoped for. Animal and I met Ken and his family for breakfast and got to talk to lots of other thru-hikers who came into the restaurant. Then Animal and I went off on our own and hiked to Dark Hollow Falls to explore and take pictures. Later we went to a ranger's presentation on bears and then to the visitors center. Animal is a champ and didn't complain at all when I lingered over the "History of Shenandoah" section. My plan to roast hotdogs on an open fire got washed out by a late afternoon thunderstorm but it turned out fine. We got back with Ken and family and found a camp restaurant that served a good bacon cheddar burger. For the first time in a while, I'm not hungry.

Ken brought his family back to civilization but before he leaves the blog, I want to address a point he brought up. Ken tells me that many Americans are not familiar with hostels as they are more common in Europe than here. I will try to describe an AT hiker hostel for any readers who aren't familiar with them. Thanks Ken, for mentioning that.

Hostels are different from hotels or bed & breakfasts in that they have a common sleeping area. On the AT that usually means a bunkhouse with a shared bathroom and maybe a microwave. Also, the price is usually much lower than at a hotel or a B&B. Beyond that, they vary widely. I have paid from $4 to $30. I have slept on cots, bunks, and once in an ornate Victorian style bed. I have slept in nice bedding and I have thrown my sleeping bag on a bare foam pad.

Sometimes a meal is included, sometimes it is sold separately, sometimes you are on your own. Sometimes the bunkhouse is climate controlled, sometimes not. Usually there is a "hiker box" where hikers can leave unwanted supplies for the next hiker. Some hostels are better kept than most hotels but I stayed in one where a resident cat struggled to keep the mouse population down. Elmer's Sunnybrook Inn in Hot Springs, NC remains my favorite. For $15 per day I got a bed with lines in the attic. I only shared the attic with one other hiker. For $6 extra I could have breakfast made in part with veggies grown in Elmer's garden. It was delicious.

One more feature worth mentioning about AT hostels is the work-for-stay option. Occasionally a hiker will agree to work in exchange for a free bunk. Most often, it is injured hikers who take this route. They can't afford to pay even a modest fee indefinitely so they clean and do manual labor in exchange for a place to rest and heal. Most hostel owners are very sympathetic to injured hikers. Cloud Nine hostel in Hiawassee, GA has an especially good reputation for that, as does Kinkora hostel in Dennis Cove, TN.

Tonight I am in a public campground. You might think I would hate the traffic and noise but I don't. It is all part of the Shenandoah experience.

All's well.

Big Meadow Campground. Today - 0.0 miles, Total - 912.3 miles.

Wednesday, June 11

Camping in the open near a nice spring. There is a crowd here despite the fact that it is just a clearing on the side of the trail. Animal and I are here as well as Swami, Big Ease, Duckfeet, and Gouda with his dog, Taba. I like camping with dogs. I feel very secure. Gouda and Taba can share my camp anytime. Swami, Big Ease, and Duckfeet stay up late and are louder than I would like, but Duckfeet is a cutey so she gets a pass from me.

Rhododendron Blooming


Today Animal and I talked about what we learned. It seems like we should take some life skills from hiking 765.7 miles and counting. I think I have learned to attack problems more directly, like a big climb, rather than trying to think of a way around it or try to wish it away. Animal says she has learned to be more adaptable when her initial plan fails.

Speaking of Animal, she fell down today and had trouble getting up because of her enormous pack weight. Her boyfriend is in trouble. Eleven pounds of food?

The Guillotine


Temperatures have finally dropped a little. I bet we didn't hit 90 degrees today. It should be good tenting weather tonight.

All's well.

Marble Shelter. Today - 17.2 miles, Total - 765.7 miles.

Thursday, June 12

The big news today is that Bojangles, Rodeo's hiking partner for the last month, dropped out. He said he knew it was time when little things started bothering him too much. I've been around Bo a lot over the last few weeks but haven't written about him. If I can do this without making it sound like a eulogy, I will write about Bojangles.

At 51, he was younger than the retirees out here but older than the kids. He preferred hanging out with the kids. He had more money that most of us and was generous with it. He stayed in hotels, not hostels, but always let anyone who needed a free place sleep on his floor. Every time I saw him in town he had beer cooling and he always let me drink whatever I wanted. He did get irritated with some hikers pretty easily. He admitted to having a bad temper and sometimes mentioned a stint he did in prison as a young man. He talked about it proudly, like the lyrics to a Johnny Cash song. "I killed a man in Reno just to watch him die" sort of thing. Overall though, he was good to have out here. I'm surprised and sorry to see him quit.

Found this off-trail


Animal and I talked about Bo leaving for quite a while as we hiked. We think that distance running has given us a head start on the mental challenge of thru-hiking but I don't think we are that special. For some reason we keep going while lots of others stop. Virginia lasts forever and little injuries are piling up for everyone. If anything has helped me, it is looking only at short-term goals, Waynesboro or Harpers Ferry, I ignore New England. Also, I know now that I do better with a reliable partner. I had Mike early, Jogle in North Carolina and Tennessee, Animal in the Smokeys and now in Virginia.

James River Bridge


After seeing the carnage Central Virginia has made of the thru-hiker class of 2008, I wouldn't say anyone is a sure thing to finish but I still feel good about Animal and me. We are both healthy and positive.

One more thing, we caught a ride into town with a section hiker named Luke. We ate at the only restaurant in Glasgow, VA. I had a so-so breakfast followed by a great strawberry shortcake. Just yesterday I told Animal I was craving strawberry shortcake. There it was.

All's well

Punchbowl Shelter. Today - 18.2 miles, Total - 783.9 miles


Friday, June 13

More trail magic today. Virginia and its many road crossings is spoiling me. Two 1987 thru-hikers were at the base of our big climb today with grilled cheese sandwiches, cold cokes, cookies, and apples. Thanks Renegade and Tomboy. They also gave an injured hiker a ride into town. Extra got shin splints doing back-to-back 25 mile days. I could see the bumps on his shins. He is going to a nearby hostel to ice it for a few days and hopefully will return. The steady 17-20 mile days Animal and I have been doing increasingly seem like teh right way to go.

Tree growing from rock


The 3,000+ foot climb up Bald Knob was one of the toughest in Virginia, but insects were the story today. They have been crazy since the heat wave. There is a biting blackfly that has been swarming. 100 of them circling my head and I try to ignore them. Eventually, one of them gets brave, lands and bites. I kill it and bat the rest away. They move over three feet, wait for me to stop waving my arms, and they come right back. There are tiny no-see-ums that are so tiny I never notice them until they bite me. There are a few mosquitoes, horseflies, bees, and yellow jackets but they don't bother me. The ticks bother me.

I went seven weeks with only one tick. I've had five of them this week. The last one was a deer tick I found crawling across my hand. I still have the willies from that one. I have a good campsite though. I'm in my tent hiding from the bugs. I can hear them bouncing off my rainfly.

All's well.

Hog Camp Gap. Today - 17.6 miles, Total - 801.5 miles

Saturday, June 14

I got sucked into stopping early and staying at the Dutch House Hostel today. They are tricky. They offer free lunch so I can't say no and I walk off trail to have the free food. Then I find out that I have to hike a mile downhill to get there. OK. Then it is a really good lunch and I get a free breakfast if I stay. The kicker is that they do my laundry for me. Every stitch of it. They provide a robe to wear while they do it. So I am in the Dutch House Hostel bunkhouse. It is very nice and I would recommend it to any thru-hiker. $30 is ambitious for a bunk, but I get a good mattress, clean sheets, laundry service, as well as breakfast and the lunch that brought me at first.

There are four of us in the bunkhouse. Me, Rodeo with her bad hip, Extra with his bad shins, and Barfight, who has the best name on the trail. She is very soft spoken and got the name as a sort of a joke like some big guys are nicknamed Tiny. Barfight isn't doing well and is thinking about dropping out. I gave her the best pep talk I could but usually when someone talks about dropping, they are ready to.

Extra is a very smart guy and I had a good talk with him about what brought him to the AT. He told me that he had gone through a couple personal setbacks and wanted to show that he could finish a big project. In a light tone of voice, he told me a heavy story about how his father told him he won't finish. I think he will. Even with the bad leg and the Virginia dropout rate, I think he has too much to prove to quit.

Wildlife



Quick Notes:
- Animal agreed to tale a zero day I wanted in Harpers Ferry, I agreed to take one she wanted in Pennsylvania. It looks like we will stay together at least until New England.
- I forgot to mention that Animal's has eaten her food bag down to normal size.
- My socks smell bad right out of the wash. Next week's new shoes will help.
- No health update on Donnie. I've been doing good miles and nobody has caught up with the news
- My water filter is starting to get stiff again. Rotten thing.

All's well.

Montebello, VA. Today - 10.0 miles, Total - 811.5 miles

Sunday, June 15

Sometimes I have trouble understanding how the AT planners make decisions. Today,I hiked 8.5 miles up a "U" shaped series of ridges called the Three Ridges. It was steep and long but there were a few nice views. If I had turned left instead of right I would have been on the Mau-Har Trail. The Mau-Har is only three miles and goes by swimming holes and scenic waterfalls. I stayed on the AT but it was tempting. Thinker, Brahma Bull, Sweet Potato, and Longshot were all behind me and caught up on the Mau-Har shortcut. They are all good people though and I'm glad to be camping with them.

View from Cedar Cliffs


Quick Notes:
- I thought I was out of Gypsy Moth country but I am getting hit with caterpillar poop again.
- Blackberries almost ripe!
- I love my MSR tent. I sleep better now that I can move around some.
- My boots are falling apart. Looking forward to getting new ones next week.
- Down 21 pounds according to the Dutch House scale.
- Waynesboro tomorrow.

All's well.

Maupin Field Shelter. Today - 18.2 miles, Total - 829.7 miles

Thursday, June 5

I had a decision to make today. On one hand,I could do a long day and catch Mas and Blazing Star, who are 10 miles ahead of me. On the other hand, I could dawdle and let Jogle, Becca, and Animal catch up. I thought all three were a half day behind me. I started off thinking I would be aggressive but I changed my mind. It was over 90 degrees for the first time on the trip and very humid. Also, I was suffering from a lack of motivation after Andrea left. I miss her. I needed to hike with a team again so I pulled up early today and did my camp chores at a relaxed pace. I pitched my tent in a prime spot, hung my bear-bag, filtered water, and unrolled my sleeping bag well before dark. Only problem is that nobody I know showed up. As of 7:45 it's just me and a group of section hikers here at the Niday Shelter. So do I dawdle again tomorrow? I feel like I would be happier with people around me but I don't want my legs to get used to these short days. We'll see.

Eastern Continental Divide


A female thru-hiker named Snack was so impressed with Jogle's British manners that she named us "Team Lovely". The name is growing on me. I hope to rejoin Team Lovely tomorrow.
--Dirty Girl and Truckin' were forced off trail by money shortage. They hope to work at a bluegrass festival, make some cash, and get going again. Good luck guys.
--The bugs are getting worse. I have so many bites on my legs I am considering long pants, despite the heat.

How about this bug???


All's well.

Niday Shelter. Today - 10.0 miles, Total - 674.2

Friday, June 6

In 1914, Aldo Leopold wrote about the "aristocracy of space based upon transport". Before WWII, only wealthy aristocrats could afford travel to the wilderness areas that Leopold studied. Air, rail, or automobile travel over any great distance was too expensive for most, so only the financially privileged could visit the world's beauty spots. The post-war prosperity meant that most Americans could afford a car and had enough leisure time to visit the country's wonders. National Park visitation figures show that they did. A devoted conservationist, Leopold worried about what this democratization of space and transport would mean to wild places. Would the hordes overrun and destroy America's best spaces? Leopold needn't have worried.

Audie Murphy Monument


While he was correct that spaces were no longer protected by an aristocracy of transport, he couldn't have foreseen what that meant. Americans of 2008 aren't as much blessed by their vehicles as they are bound by them. Few would dream of visiting a place, no matter how scenic, if it were more than a couple of miles from a parking lot. National Park visitation remains high, but most only see the park through their windshield. Wilderness today is protected by an aristocracy of space based upon effort. Every AT thru-hiker has worked to see the things that we encounter daily. We have endured the uncertainty inherent in leaving jobs, family and friends behind. We have toiled away at gyms or on the road to keep ourselves in shape for something like this. We exert ourselves daily to climb the next peak looking for the next view. the next experience. When I leave the trail I will have left drops of my sweat on over 250 named peaks.

A really fat lizard!


I'm proud to be a part of this aristocracy. I'm proud to have worked my way into it. I'm humbled that my effort has given me and my fellow aristocrats stewardship over these places I'm walking through. I'm camping tonight surrounded by the finest of the aristocracy of effort. They are tough endurance athletes with a love of nature and a taste for adventure. I'm lucky to be here.

All's well.

Pickle Branch Shelter. Today - 10.1 miles, Total - 684.3

Saturday June 7

It's summertime. It was just last week that I was shivering in my sleeping bag. Now I am sweating on top of it. I've gone to a bigger tent, an MSR Zoid II that shouldn't hold as much heat but it is still warm. We did 17 miles today by taking a long break in the afternoon while it was the hottest. I am hiking with Animal again, with Jogle and Becca just behind us. My attitude is very positive again.

Trees in central Virginia


Last night two Virginia Tech freshmen came into our camp. They were lost, out of water, and unsure where they had parked. Two section hikers, Jay and Papa Smurf, directed them to the nearest road and taught them to use a water filter. If they weren't 18 and in perfect shape they would have been in trouble.

This afternoon's hike was very scenic. We took a break at 2:00 and ate at a family-style dinor in Catawba. It was good - The Homeplace. Papa Smurf gave Animal and me a ride back to the trail and we hiked up to McAfee Knob just before sunset. We spent some time taking pics of each other on the Diving Board, a rock outcropping. I think they turned out well. McAfee knob is reputed to be the most photographed spot in Virginia.





The springs are still running but if this weather pattern holds up we will have trouble later. For now...

All's well.

Campbell Shelter. Today - 17.0 miles, Total - 701.3

Sunday June 8

If today were a book, the title would be "Attrition on the AT". Hikers call this phenomenon The Virginia Blues. Because we spend over 500 miles in Virginia, lots of hikers get bored and quit. The heat wave has exaggerated this well-known trail tendency.

Animal and I woke at 4:30 and were on the trail just after 5:00 a.m.--well before daylight. We had over 15 miles into town and wanted to do it before the heat got too bad. It turned out to be a hot, humid day anyway and our spirits were flagging despite stupendous views of the James River and from Tinker Cliffs. We got help from a couple who had loaded their five dogs with Gatorade and ice and then stood at the top of a hill handing out cold drinks to thru-hikers. They had four Shepherds and one Lab so they had good pack animals. With that assist we got to Daleville by noon.

James River Panorama


Animal had an invitation to stay with a family friend and I checked into the Daleville HoJo. I am sharing a room with a hiker named Donnie whom I met right before Trail Days. Mostly I hung out with Rodeo and Bojangles. Between us, we made a list of all the hikers who have dropped out in the last week and it was depressingly long. Some of them I haven't mentioned before--Dutch, Chewy, Crabby, Blue Butterfly. A third member of Team Kilt, Pilot, dropped out. Waters, whose oversized foodbag has been discussed here, is about to go. He has a short-term job lined up. He says he will start from Maine and come south when the job ends and I believe he will. Every hiker who quits says they will be back, but Waters is a strong, determined hiker and I think he will come back and finish if the job situation allows. Closest to home, Campfire, a member in good standing of Team Lovely, dropped out after Pearisburg. He said he missed his family too much. He had talked about quitting before this, but Samson kept cheering him up and getting him going. The atmosphere around the Daleville HoJo is pretty glum. I won't mind walking away from it tomorrow.

The Virginia Blues haven't got me. Temps are supposed to drop a couple degrees and I am hungry to hike. Animal and I both feel even stronger than we smell. Next stop, Shenandoah National Park! I should make it there by next week.

All's well.

Troutville, VA Today - 15.4 miles, Total - 716.7

Monday June 9

Lots to write. I'm going with bullet points because I'm tired and not up to making up that many introductory sentences and segues.

--Donnie got very sick last night. He was up all night. I was up from about 2:00. Not his fault. Donnie was trying to be quiet. By morning it was clear that he needed a doctor, so Buck, Fleur, and I wandered around the HoJo parking lot asking people as they drove out if they would drive Donnie to the doctor. Buck hit paydirt and Donnie was off to the Urgent Care.
--We crossed the 1/3 complete point.
--Jogle and Becca are a trail couple. They are sharing equipment. They have not made the final commitment, sending redundant equipment home.
--Mas, Blazing Star and Samson all took Zero days and are a half-day behind.
--Animal's boyfriend mailed her eleven pounds of food. Her pack outweighs mine now.
--I have eight days of food and I am not coming off trail until Waynesboro, the south entrance to Shenandoah.
--Animal and I think we will be in shape to run a 50 mile race after this. We are going to look for one.
--We camped with Hoods in the Woods, juvenile criminals who go to a boot camp kind of place. They were out for a two-week hike. They seemed respectful and under control.
--Spot, the heavy sleeper, is off trail with a knee injury. I keep plugging along. I feel strong.

All's well.

Wilson Creek Shelter. Today - 11.2 miles, Total - 727.9

Tuesday June 10

I'm starting my writing late tonight. Animal and I started at 6:15 this morning to beat the heat, so we camped early as well. I spent a long time by the campfire being sociable though so I didn't leave myself much writing time. I want to record an interesting campfire conversation before I turned in.

I was talking to Swami, Duckfeet, and Big Ease about "Blue Blazing", the practice of taking side trails, instead of the AT. Sometimes thru-hikers do it to see a special sight. Sometimes they do it to cut out some miles or a big climb, which makes me grind my teeth together in quiet anger. I'm not the most extreme when it comes to sticking to the trail. Animal once thought we had come off the trail on the wrong corner of a parking lot so she doubled back into the woods and walked to the "correct" corner.

Swami, Duckfeet, and Big Ease are at the other extreme. They take side trails, cut out miles and hard climbs. I must have made a face when they told me about their latest shortcut because they got a little defensive. Their justification is that the trail gets rerouted every year. This year's shortcut could be next year's AT. We are not following in the footsteps of Earl Shaffer, the first thru-hiker. Out here we are fond of saying "hike your own hike". Personally though, when the ranger in Maine asks if I have completed a thru-hike, I want to say, "Yes" without guilty knowledge of a few short cuts in my mind.

All's well.

Bryant Ridge Shelter. Today - 20.6 miles, Total - 748.5

Monday, June 2

I didn't mean to drag Andrea on a 19 mile day her first day on the AT, but that's what happened. We got about 12 miles in, stopped in a meadow where we planned to get water, and found the source was bad. It was stagnant, smelly, and full of tadpoles. There was no water for the
next seven miles so we kept going. Andrea had sore feet but otherwise was fine. I really admire her determination and heart. If her feet had cooperated I think she could have done more very easily.

Andrea outside Pearisburg


Would you drink this water?


Andrea had the foot problems because she forgot to bring her good insoles for her boots. She was pretty upset with herself, but that is par for the course for thru-hikers. There was a guy way back in Georgia who lost his tent poles. I'm not saying who it was but he went to set up his tent one night and the poles weren't in the pocket where they always were. No telling if he left them at the previous campsite or if they came out of the backpack pocket somehow. That guy was so embarrassed and angry at himself that he refused to write or talk about it for six weeks. It all turned out fine and I hear that hiker is still moving along and doing well.

Andrea "MacGyvered" a pair of insoles by splitting one of her flip-flops into two pads.

All's well.

Pine Swamp Branch Shelter, VA. Today - 19.3 miles, Total - 643.3 miles.

Tuesday, June 3

The makeshift soles worked well. Its been fun to hike with Andrea because she sees the AT with outsider's eyes. She made a good point about our sense of space and privacy. Turns out that they are gone and I didn't notice. Back in Pearisburg about six of us were sitting around a motel room drinking bear. Some were showering, changing, gathering laundry, and other off-trail activities. Andrea was the only one who was uncomfortable. The rest of us were surprised when she suggested we should leave to allow privacy.

Baby Birds


Azaleas????


We had a nasty rainstorm this afternoon but it stooped right after I cooked in the rain and pitched the tent in the rain. I tricked the rain, though, I waited to filter water until it stopped.

All's well.

War Spur Shelter, VA. Today - 12.7 miles, Total - 656.0 miles.

Wednesday, June 4

Andrea and I hiked off trail today to get her back to her rental car. We were at a B&B a half-mile off trail trying to arrange a shuttle into Pearisburg but it turned out we didn't have to. The Huffman House B&B is owned by '99 thru-hiker Leafhopper. He kindly drove us 15 miles to the main road where we got a ride into town easily. Getting rides is so simple when you have a pretty woman with you!

Andrea on an AT foot bridge


Once we had Andrea's car, we took advantage of the sudden mobility to drive to Blackburg for dinner and a movie. Red Robin's bottomless steak fries were heavenly. The new Indian Jones flick is OK. The company was excellent.

Rainbow was sitting around the pool when we pulled in. She got her cast off and is moving well.

All's well.

Pearisburg, VA (again). Today - 8.2 miles, Total - 664.2 miles.