Date: 2012-06-04
From: Waynesboro, VA

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

My conception of this hike is expanding. Initially I thought of the trip as a walk through nature. Then I started to notice the old fence lines in the woods and former farm fields now being reclaimed by berry brambles and brush. So I began to sense the history of people who lived on the land. And then in Atkins, VA I saw a big wood products producer and a big cabinet factory. Off the Tinker Cliffs I saw what looked like a big cement plant. Pearisburg has a big factory that evidently turns out billions and billions of cigarette filter tips. Here in Waynesboro I heard that Dupont is still running a factory turning out some kind of high-tech fabric. As I pass through these smaller towns I'm getting an appreciation for the people who are still living on the land today. So now, I'm thinking of this walk as a trip through nature and the history of people who lived here in the past and the story of people who are living here today. When you go on a six month camping trip a few serendipitous things are bound to happen. A few days ago I was gliding down the trail when I heard a couple of footsteps off to my right in the woods. It sounded like a deer. I turned my head to look, but did not see one. As I brought my gaze back to the trail, instantly there was a baby fawn in the trail about four feet in front of me. It was struggling to stand, all four knees bent sharply. As soon as it saw me, it collapsed on the trail immobile, head on the ground, trying to look invisible. The coat appeared dry, the mother already had licked it clean. But since it was not able to run away I judged that it must have been born that morning. I clicked a quick pic and then moved on down the trail. Hopefully the mother was able to return quickly to reclaim the baby. Since Pearisburg I have been on the trail for two "weeks". In the first week I walked 93 miles in 6 days and 5 nights (13, 19, 19, 16, 17 and 9 miles) tenting 2 nights and staying in a shelter 3 nights (tent, shelter, shelter, tent, shelter). This first week the weather was dominated by rain. The sun went away Monday afternoon and we had much thunder and a brief evening sprinkle. Tuesday we started in the fog and in early afternoon had a big downpour with thunder. That evening I was in a shelter and it poured again. Wednesday was also overcast and foggy, but I was again in a shelter for the evening before it poured again. Thursday was mostly overcast, but appeared to be clearing. Friday it was as if a switch had been thrown, transforming spring into high summer, and we had a very sunny, hot and humid day. Coming into Daleville the following day it was also sunny, hot and humid. That same day the cicada's came out in multitudes and the sound of their buzzing filled the air. In places it was so loud it sounded like the Amazon rain forest, cicada buzzing topmost, with crickets underneath and birds filling in. In Daleville I spent a night at the Howard Johnson Express. The next morning I started my second week of the run walking 134 miles in 8 days and 7 nights (18, 20, 21, 17, 23, 8, 16, 11 miles) tenting 6 nights and staying in a shelter only one night (tent, tent, tent, tent, tent, shelter, tent). This second week the weather was dominated by heat. The hot spell that had started at the end of the first week continued with temps in the 83 to 87 degree F range. It's not just heat and humidity that makes the weather challenging. There is also wind. Even a slight breeze can take the edge off the heat and humidity. A couple afternoons during this period we had big climbs with the heat and humidity. And, the breeze was on the other side of the mountain. I don't think I have ever seen such stagnant air as we had on a couple of those afternoons. Even the birds quit chirping. I have not really been miserable because I try to keep my exertion below the level where I will sweat copiously. Even walking slowly I still was getting pretty sweaty a couple of these afternoons. This hot and humid period which bridged the two weeks went on for 6 straight days. Then we had a beautiful day, sunny and warm, but not as hot as previously. I walked 23 miles that day. When the weather is great I want to just keep walking and walking, even into the evening hours. However, that evening after getting into the tent, it rained hard for awhile, a front pushing through. The next day bad thunder storms were predicted. It was quite dark and threatening. Since I was also feeling tired (probably due to 3 - 20 mile days in the last 4) I decided to only go 8 miles and hide from the rain in the next shelter. Just before getting to that shelter it did start to drizzle, but I kept it off with my umbrella. It was the right strategy. While I was napping in my sleeping bag from noon to 2 PM many others were getting absolutely drenched out on the trail. This severe weather passed through during the night. The next two days were delicious: warm sun with a cool breeze. So, out of my last 14 days on the trail, the weather was challenging on 11 and fabulous on 3. The day I hid out from the rain at the Harper Creek Shelter I met a southbound section hiker named Big Cranky. As we chatted I mentioned that the previous day I had seen the most fabulous red bird. He asked if it had black wings. I said "yes". He said it was a male scarlet tanager, "an uncommon sighting, because like most of our woodland song birds that nest in South American, they are declining in number, probably due mostly to habitat loss". So I asked if he was a birder and he said "yes". I also learned from him that the red face buzzards I was seeing are actually Turkey Vultures. He also told me that "Big Cranky" (his trail name) is a nickname for the Great Blue Heron. I will stay a second night here in Waynesboro at the Quality Inn. This is only my 4th zero day since starting on the trail April 11th. This is day 54 of my adventure and I have walked 856 miles of the trail. In these last two trail weeks I crossed the 700 mile mark, the one-third mark (728 miles) and the 800 mile mark. Tomorrow we enter Shenandoah National Park where the trail parallels the Sky Line Drive. This morning at the hotel provided "deluxe breakfast" I met a hiker named Socks. She is from Germany. Also at breakfast I talked with Y's Guy. After breakfast I read my email on the hotel computer and talked with Boots who just happened to come thru the room where the computer is located. Walked over to the Post Office to pick up an envelope and my long traveling food box. This is the box that was supposed to go to Atkins VA, but bounced many times between mail hubs in Tennessee and Virginia before Cindy was able to get it re-routed here, to Waynesboro, VA. It is a nice warm sunny morning. Walk all around town taking pictures. Cannot find any post cards at Visitors Center or the local Museum, which was closed, or Ace Hardware or the Pharmacy or at several Gas Stations. What a waste of time! Send email update to friends and family. While typing email Juggles comes by to use lobby restroom. Go back to Post Office to mail old maps home. Clean tent fly, tent body and plastic ground sheet. Packing up food and gear. Call local Steve for ride back to trail tomorrow. He is going the other way. Call local Karl for ride tomorrow and he is available. Call Cindy. Call Carolyn. Get pretty bad case of diarrhea, possible from lettuce on packaged grocery store sandwich.