Date: 2016-04-21
From: Lambert Meadow Shelter

To: Wilson Creek Shelter 
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept well last night and happily got out of my bag at about 7. I happily chatted with BW while we ate breakfast. He's doing his "flip flop" in a bunch of chunks, and it sounds like it'll be pretty beautiful, he's headed to Damascus now, but won't be back there til about September and then hike south. Lightning stayed in his hammock for quite some time and I was just about ready to go as he got up. I told him I'd see him at the BBQ place later on. The hiking was pretty easy all morning. The temperatures were cool and it was overcast and breezy. Perfect weather for me. The trail headed up and down along a ridge heading southeast towards the town of Daleville. There were a lot of good outcroppings with views to a lake nearby and down into the suburbs. I listened to a lot of Joni Mitchell and Bon Iver on the way, passed a couple groups of day hikers, and was soon on the major descent. I passed into a flat valley a mile or so out which was very pretty hiking. The leaves are just now coming out at the lower elevation, and they are still that wonderful bright lime green color before they darken. I passed a huge group of teenage kids before popping out into the heat and noise of US 220 and heading towards the plaza where an outfitter, a grocery store and Three Lil Pigs BBQ are all conveniently placed. I met up with Quixote, Audubon, Palindrome and Rabbit outside the outfitter, and went in and bought a freeze dried meal. I also looked at their sleeping pad situation: mine has been deflating very slowly over the course of the night, and I wake up with my ass or hips on the ground every morning. It's not a huge issue, but if they had had a pad I liked I might've bought it. But they didn't. We all headed over and got a table out on the deck at Three Lil Pigs and bought a pitcher of beer and ordered. I got a pulled pork sandwich, chicken tenders, curly fries, and hush puppies, which came with honey butter and were incredible. Lightning showed up right before our food came and fortunately he was able to order and get his basically at the same time as ours. Rabbit declared that the beer tasted pretty good despite being made by Americans. The restaurant also gives hikers free banana pudding, which we were excited to see came with nilla wafers and whipped cream and slices of real banana! It was a good place. Highly recommended. I headed to the grocery store and got just a few things. With my brother and dad coming tomorrow, I knew I didn't need a ton, but also don't want to force them to bring me to a grocery every day. So I've got enough for a few breakfasts and lunches. I then headed out on my own back to the trailhead. The section between the Daleville and Troutville road crossings was over a grassy meadow and was hot and exposed. The section after was though pretty pastures, then passed over a road and back into the woods. At a series of stiles, i stopped to make a sign marking the completion of a third of he trail!!! Woohoo! I was very excited for it and it's he best sign I've made so far. I pushed up the gradual climb up to Fulhardt Knob slowly, nursing my giant food baby from lunch. I stopped in at the shelter at about 4:30 before deciding to push on. I'd only done 14 miles and the shelter had no water at it. Not ideal. The hiking to Wilson Creek shelter was absolutely lovely. We are heading back to the land of individual mountains instead of long long ridges, which is a type of hiking I prefer. I can keep a pace better when I'm not having to change going up and down quickly. I listened to Court and Spark all the way through a few times and was there. Palindrome and Rabbit were already here, and we made dinner and talked. I set up my things in the shelter and was expecting to be the only one in it tonight until Audubon and Quixote rolled up at about 8. They usually tent, but rain is in he forecast starting at about 5am, so I'm happy to be inside. Lightning didn't show up. Apparently he wasn't able to replace his pack, but I hope he was able to repair it a little, because he now has to get to Waynesboro on that broken pack. Tomorrow looks very wet all day. But I will push on the miles through it and hopefully make it 17 miles to Jennings Creek (or maybe further?) and get picked up by my brother and dad! I'm really looking forward to seeing them! What with my break in Atkins, the lovely group I've been in the past week, and this visit, the Virginia Blues just haven't had any time to set in!