Date: 2007-04-22
From: Chantilly, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 65.0
Weather: clear sky

I'm home! At least for a few days anyway. It's great to be taking a few zero days at home with the family. I haven't seen the family since Springer, so it's a nice reunion. Mom and Dad drove down and picked me up off of the trail last night near Brown Mountain, or 50 (trail) miles South of Waynesboro, VA. They arrived at the trail crossing bearing all kinds of goodies. THey brought Burger King, brownies, even milk! THey even left a little trail magic to share with the other hikers. It was about a 2 1/2 hour drive home, but that gave us time to catch up. I will try to take care of a few things while at home and get back on the trail in a few days.   Well, my last good update was from Boone when I saw Nita about two weeks ago. After Nita dropped me off back at I-81, I hiked 2.7 miles to the first shelter and spent the night. I Matt and his puppy U dog there. I would hike with Matt and U for the next 3 days or so. The next day I hiked 20.2 miles to Chestnut Knob shelter. When I got to the shelter at the end of the day, it was foggy, windy, and raining. I was thrilled to find this shelter actually had four walls and a door. It was nice to be inside the shelter and just listen to the wind and the rain outside. The next morning I walked 23.8 miles to Helvey's Mill shelter. It was a pretty uneventful walk, but I started having the strongest food cravings that day. I think I knew I was getting close to Pearisburg and some real food.    Leaving Helvey's Mill Shelter, I was 40.6 miles from Pearisburg. Normally, this is a distance that I would cover in two days. On this day however, I just felt like challenging myself. I decided to try to cover the distance in one day. I called it the 41 mile Push for Pizza Hut. I was the only competitor. I hiked for about 13 HOURS, making it the 41 MILES into Pearisburg around 8:30 pm. I checked into the Rendezvous Hotel, and ordered in. I had way more than I could eat delivered to the room. A hotel with pizza delivery was an excellent reward for the long day. That night after getting settled, it began to rain. I was happy to be indoors in a warm bed. It rained all day long the next day, so I stayed at the hotel and took a zero day. The next morning, I waited for a break in the rain and hiked the 6.7 miles out of Pearisburg to Rice Field Shelter. This was the point where I got off of the trail in 2003. It was good to have made it back to this point again. That night it got cold! IT snowed about three inches and the wind began to howl. I had to wrap myself in my tarp to stay warm. I wore all of my clothes inside my sleeping bag and even put my feet inside of my backpack! Eventually I was able to wrap myself in enout layers to stay warm. I was happy to be joined by Hatchet Jack that night. We both spent the night watching the snow come down and hoping the shelter didn't blow away.    I ended up hiking with Hatchet Jack for the next few days. We did 25.0 miles the next morning to War Spur shelter. The wind howled all day long. At a spot appropriately named Wind Rock, I was almost blown over the cliff while posing for a photo! The next morning we hiked 18.2 miles to Niday Shelter. Along the way we walked through some of the prettiest scenery yet. There were open green pastures complete with friendly donkeys and the Keffer Oak, a HUGE 300 year old Oak tree. I can't wait to post pictures from this day, but they will have to wait until I see Nita the first week of May. The next day was 23.5 miles to John's Spring shelter. Along the way, I passed a memorial for Audie Murphy near the spot where he was killed in a plane crash, and the Dragon's Tooth, a neat rock formation.    Waking up early the next morning, Jack and I made our way to McAfee Knob, one of the most famous photo spots along the trail. We posed for our photos and then made out way to the Tinker Cliffs. The trail follws the edge of the cliffs there for almost 1/2 mile. Great views all day long. We walked 18.8 miles into Daleville, VA and checked into the Comfort Inn. After a night of pizza and TV, I said goodbye to Hatchet Jack and took off for US 60 (Buena Vista, VA) where I would meet my parents. I hiked 24.9 miles out of Daleville and stayed at the Cove Mountain Shelter. The next day I hiked 24.1 miles and camped out in my tent. The winds had finally died down and the sun had come out. There were some big climbs this day, and the sun beating down made it almost unbearable. I don't think I've ever sweat so much. The next day was a 29.5 mile hike to US 60 and the parents. I was lucky to be carrying sunscreen with me this day as the temperature reached 80 degrees and there was hardly any shade to be found as the trees at the higher elevations still hadn't recognized it was Spring yet.   Well, when I get back on the trail in a few days, I will be about two days of hiking from entering the Shenandoah National Park. After that, it will be about eight more days of hiking to get me to Harper's Ferry, WV. Harper's Ferry is the psychological Half Way point of the trail, as that is where the headquarters of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is located, and it you enter into the Northern States of the trail. The actual halfway point of the trail is about 80 miles past Harper's Ferry near Pine Grove Forest State Park. This is where hikers angage in the Half Gallon Challenge. Thru-hikers who make it to this point are rewarded with a woodedn spoon if they can put away and entire half gallon of ice cream in one sitting. This shall be no problem for me. My appetite rages ALL of the time. My body's metabolism is through the roof. I can eat five pounds of food when I'm off the trail and in a town, and burn six pounds by the time I wake up in the morning! I have lost about 18 pounds to this point. I think I have about leveled out and will only lose perhaps another pound or two. No worries however. I look forward to putting the pounds back on when I finish hiking!   Well, I hope you have enjoyed the update. I will try to update again before I leave home in a few days. Once on the trail, I will do my best to burn up the trail and try to make it to Harper's Ferry before getting off of the trail again around May 4th, to head back to Boone for Nita's graduation from graduate school! Take care, talk to you all soon!