Date: 2009-05-09
From: Daleville, VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Greetings all from Roanoke, Virginia.We are currently luxuriating in a real house! Yes, not since March 10th have we been in a home. Hostels, tents, shelters: yes. But a home.... It's such a wonderful sensation to eat, sleep, bath and relax each in a different room. We left Damascus knowing mountainous terrain was still in our future. In fact, we were set to hit the three highest peaks in Virginia over the next two weeks. However, all negative feelings vanished quickly in the light of Grayson Highlands State Park. Close your eyes and imagine the Scottish Highlands ... that is exactly what it looks like. And to top it off, the area is littered with wild ponies. You walk along and suddenly come across a heard of small, hairy ponies who are just going about their daily business. Without a doubt, Daniel's favorite hiking to date. We were also treated to a lunch of pizza, delivered to Partnership Shelter. That's right: a local pizza place delivered to the road just past the shelter. So we filled up the calorie bank and headed on. When we got to the next shelter, though, we still felt great and, thus, decided to put in a few more miles before bedding down for the night. We knocked out maybe two or three more miles before ducking under a grove of rhododendrons, setting up the tent under their arching, cathedral-like canopy. A small stream flowed no more than ten feet away and the night came on in silence. Our friends Chef wandered down the trail and ended up popping in to join us. When you imagine how camping will be while hiking, this is what you think of. The next day it seemed that Spring had come overnight ... literally. The world was a total mass of green. We stopped in Adkins, VA for a resupply. Have you ever had to buy groceries at a Shell gas station on the side of the highway? We did. It's a true exercise in creative thinking.The weather had been great, with the exception of one thunderstorm that caught us up on a ridge. We were two drowned rats running down the trail as rain feels in torrents and thunder crashed around us. But all in all, very nice weather from Damascus to Pearisburg.Ah, yes. Pearisburg. We spent the day there eating Chinese buffet and pizza, cleaning clothes and reloading the food. Daniel whipped out the sport kilt I'd bought way back in Hot Springs. It gets some looks, but it's really comfortable ... and, of course, Daniel makes it look good. In fact, with the red hair and massive red beard he's grown, the kilt seems like a natural addition.Well, if the weather was nice from Damascus to Pearisburg, from Pearisburg to Daleville it was horrible. Constant rain the whole way. Wet, miserable, wet, non-stop, wet, all day and night, wet rain. And, trust me on this one, you smell much worse when it rains. Though we always smell, the only time we smell ourselves is when it rains. To add injury to wetness (if I may play off an old phrase), Daniel took a spill our second day out of town and banged up his knee really good (damn trekking pole ... they're named Thelma and Louise and they're grand girls, but Thelma played a role in the tripping incident). Once again, we miss some great views due to the fog. You at home can easily recreate the view we saw from the top of Mcafee's Knob. Simply get into bed and pull the sheets over you head. But the next day we dropped into Daleville and things began to improve. It was sunny and we sat outside and ate barbeque. Already a good day. Then, my roommate Elizabeth's mom lives in Roanoke, which is just south of Daleville. And magic of magics, she came and picked up up and has put us up for two days now. We've been able to watch movies and eat 'til our eyes bulge and take seven showers a day and be almost like real people. It's been our first double zero and a truly wonderful experience to stay with Katie (and the cat, Izzy). We also swapped out winter gear back in Pearisburg. We sent hone the Bibler tent and North Face bags and picked up some lighter bags (LaFume bags ... never been a real fan of the brand, but we'll see how they hold up ... and a new Henry Shires tent, which we've heard nothing but wonderful things about and can't wait to give it a run in dry weather).Also, some people have asked and the answer is yes, you can mail us things. Just look up our places-to-be under Mail Drops. If you want to send some brownies or cookies or anything at all, here's how to do it. Just label it: Amanda Mitchell (or Daniel Holloway) C/O General DeliveryWaynesboro, VA 22980Please hold for AT HikerETA May 17, 2009Of course, letters are always fun too and we'd love to hear from folks.Well, back on the trail tomorrow. The weather is supposed to have cleared up, so hopefully the weather dude will be right.Also, there are pictures on our trail journal. Just go to trailjournals.com and search for Plunger. You can see my manly, mountain beard!We're over one third of the way done!Plunger and Mr. Right