Date: 2018-06-05
From: Grayson Highlands

To: Pearisburg, Va
Miles today: 140.0

I have hit a fantastic groove.  I have been averaging 23 miles a day, been getting adequate calories, been fortunate to have been maintaining physical, mental, and spiritual health, and am starting to observe the transcendent power of the trail.  I left Grayson Highlands Wednesday, May 30th, to enter a foggy, wet environment with dreaded anticipation of more miserable weather.  However, the miserable weather never came, the clouds and fog lifted, and I have entered a beautiful state of thru hiking.  I have been greeted with trail magic ranging from much needed food to a much appreciated beer. The forest is also becoming much more lively as the weather lifts.  I have seen more and more wildlife, yet no more bears.  I have come across SEVERAL deer, many of which were unbothered by my passing.  Some of which maintained a position only 15 yards away.  Even closer were the wild ponies of the Grayson Highlands/Mount Rogers area (see pics).  I have been seeing around 2 to 3 snakes a day.  I have even seen a fox squirrel!  Probably the most exciting critter to have witnessed in this stretch.  The fox squirrel was so large that when I first stumbled upon it my initial thought was someone's pet lemur has escaped.  Virginia has been full of vast valley views, making the scenes from atop the ridges much more expansive and impressive.  I had an experience the other day which has revealed, as I mentioned before, the transcendent power of the trail.  I made the mistake of not refilling my water for a 9 mile stretch of no available water sources, thinking I could make half a liter work.  A few miles in I knew I had made a mistake, as the terrain was steep and the temperatures were high.  I reached a view about 4.5 miles in where a few guys were hanging around talking about a new hiker outpost at the bottom of the mountain with a deli and such.  I was so relieved and excited I nearly sprinted off the mountain in anticipation of a burger and some fluids of any kind.  When I hobbled up to the outpost, I found it to be closed.  The disappointment absolutely crushed me (also teaching me to plan for the worst and only hope for the best).  I was a little worried about how I was going to make it to the next water source.  In that moment, two hikers approached asking if I was ok.  I explained the situation.  They then explained to me that they had just resupplied yet had to come off the trail for a few days and were lookin to get rid of their food and fluids.  They showered me in gifts.  I was ecstatic.  The next day I came across someone else who had a very similar experience, leading us to the phrase 'the trail provides'.  However, I feel comfortable enough expanding that to 'the universe provides'.  When you are on the trail, you are down to the very basics (water, food, warmth, dryness, etc) with very few outside distractions.  I believe that taking it to the basics makes such serendipitous moments much more evident as we now have the eyes to see them, yet they happen everywhere, all the time, everyday.  The other character with a similar experience explained that such experiences on the trail have revealed 'in spades' to him the life lessons his parents, teachers, or any other adult of influence had tried to teach him, while also restoring his faith in humanity.  He's excited to take these revelations with him back into the 'real world'.  I can agree.  I have made my way into Pearisburg, Va for some food and R and R.  I will be returning to the trail soon and will be heading to Troutville!  Love you all.