Date: 2018-06-09
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Miles today: 178.3

Marion V.A. was a great town. We spent time with two of our friends with the best and most interesting event being the blue-grass show which will air on PBS in a few months. We (the audience) had to continue to clap for long periods of time which we did with great enthusiasm after each band. There were five bands that had there own unique and interesting style. There were two men who added comedy to their banjo and guitar duo style. They were quite entertaining when you could make out their words through the southern twang. We made plans for the next stop in Pearisburg (102.7 miles) which we planned to do in 7 days. We made arrangements for a hotel for two nights in which we would have a visit from Cam, Mimi and Dom. We finished in 5 days, 2 days early. We are building confidence in ourselves and hiked 25 miles the last day, of course for food and drinks. My craving continues to be soda but also fresh fruit. The hostel we chose while waiting for Cam, Dawn and Dom was right behind a grocery store. Perfect! Now we are waiting in anticipation for Mimi and Dom to drive up tomorrow to pick us up. We will have two days to spend with them. I just can¢t wait to put my arms around Cam and smother him with love! I have mixed feelings for Southern V.A. so far. I absolutely loved the Grayson Highlands. It has been my favorite section along with the Smokies. Going over large boulders with curiosity of what is on the other side to find beautiful expanses of land. The trail continued along another cluster of boulders and soon the wild ponies were in view. At first a couple of them but over the next cluster groups of them. They were wandering along the trail and seemed to have no worry or fear as they approached to lick the salt from your hands and arms. Southern V.A. has been smoother than the rest, lots of ridges and ledges. The farmland and cow pastures I enjoy. Walking through as the cows look up is always a weird feeling. I want to say, ¢sorry for interrupting go back to your business we are just passing through.¢ Like the Smokies I feel like I¢m in the presence of lots of wildlife. In one day we saw a snake, deer, and heard a bear, of course along with the common wildlife.  I noticed the sounds of crickets multiplied. Also, the smells have changed. Some areas of meadows have smelled so good that it instantly and pleasantly changed my mood in seconds. I would wander along at a slow pace to take it in. I also became aware of the hawks in flight. With such few views the one that stands out was on an overcropping of rocks with mountains in the distance and hawks gliding overhead. The best part of this section was that we hiked 5 days with sunshine and no rain, now that¢s something to be grateful for. The downside are the many rocks that seem to come and go and when present go on for miles. I have been fighting the disappointment of the elevation climb of 2,500 feet in 2 miles with no reward (a vista) with the feeling of pride and accomplishment; that through the sweat and hard climb we made it to the top of another mountain.If anything Southern V.A. has taught me that if I made it this far I can make it to Mount Katadin M.E. I have gained confidence that I can accomplish what I set my mind to do. Yes it is a physical challenge and you need to take care of your body but this is a mental challenge. The strength comes from your thoughts. If you tell yourself I can get over this mountain then you will get over that mountain and the next and next. Hikers interesting tidbits.....You can tell a thru-hiker from a section hiker because you can smell them before they even get close to you. Most hikers have one set of hiking clothes and one set of camp clothes. Hiking 6-10 hours a day (15-20+ miles) for days-weeks sweating the whole way, equals a smell that can not be described. One of my motivations for hiking 25 miles to the hostel was that after 5 days I couldn¢t stand my own smell. Seriously!!! I contemplated hiking in my bra, only thing stopping me was the chafe I would have gotten on my shoulders. Chafe another hikers strife.