Date: 2021-06-10
From: AngelÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Rest Hiker Hostel 

To: AngelÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Rest Hiker Haven
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: overcast clouds

June 10 - Angel¢s Rest Hiker Haven - 20.0 miles (548.9 trip miles) - 47073 steps Slacker! I have now slack packed. I understand why so many thru hikers go out of their way to slack pack. I had a book bag size pack with just essential items. Maybe it weighed 4 pounds. It was like floating on marshmallows. I feel like I cheated.I was up before 6 because I wanted to make sure I was on the 7am shuttle to the Peter¢s Mountain trailhead. Everything worked out and I was hiking SOBO at 730. There were 2 girls doing the same thing and I would see them a few times in the afternoon when I took breaks. The trail started up from the trailhead for about 3.5 miles. There were a few steep spots to start but it didn¢t matter. I powered up that hill in no time. No huffing and puffing and no sweating. I was feeling good. Then there was 9 miles of rolling trail. There were a few miles of slippery rocks. It had rained the previous night. I went through a grassy field for about a mile. The grass had gone to seed and it was soaking wet. I thought the grass held an incredible amount of water considering it had had time to evaporate. A short time into this grass and my shoes and clothes were soaked. It wouldn¢t matter. I stopped at an open spot in the grass that had a view to the west into WV. While on the 9 mile ridge walk the trail crossed many times between WV and VA. At about 1230 I crossed paths with Goob and Boston Bill. They had made great time coming up the big climb out of Pearisburg that I would go down. We traded intel and went on our ways. I should catch them somewhere tomorrow. I noticed a lot of trees down and snapped and the trail wound around the spots. I wasn¢t sure what had happened. Goob pointed out that back in February there was a huge ice storm that took out trees and big power lines I crossed under later. This area must have been quite a mess.  Thank you to all the trail maintainers and other volunteers who made this area passable.At 1 the skies opened up and it rained hard for at least an hour. Once wet, there¢s nothing to do but keep walking. So that¢s what I did. It stopped raining as I crossed a meadow with views again into WV. But once in the woods it started to rain again. The pack I had was so small it fit under my rain jacket. BTW, rain jackets become useless when hiking because you sweat inside them and the moisture collects inside. Luckily the rains were warm. My intel told me my down into town would be gradual with good tread. It was right. I could go full speed most of the time without concern of tripping or sliding. Popping out of the woods brought me to some big factory, then up some stairs and onto a sidewalk on a busy bridge over the New River. A somewhat hidden turn after the bridge and a short distance later I was at the pickup spot. I couldn¢t reach the hostel for a ride so I chatted with one of the girls that also slack packed, Mighty Mouse. I kept calling the hostel and texted with no reply. I finally got a text stating they were all out shuttling people and it would be 45 minutes. We decided to walk to the hostel once the other girl arrived. Not 1 minute up the road, the girls stuck out their thumbs and a car stopped. It was their waitress from the Mexican restaurant the previous night. She gave us a ride to the restaurant and it was a short walk to the hostel. I ate at the Mexican place again and got my resupply. On the way back I slipped on the muddy trail to the hostel. No damage other than pride. Crocs and steep muddy trails don¢t mix. My vitamin I regimen seems to be working. No pain at all today. I did think it might flare up a few times but it didn¢t. I have committed to going on to at least Daleville, VA, 73 more miles. There are some very scenic spots in this stretch, weather permitting, that I really want to see. Tomorrow I¢ll start with a big steep climb with a heavy pack. That should tell me how the back is doing. It¢s hiker midnight; 9pm. Until tomorrow.