Date: 2013-06-18
From: Pearisburg, Va

To: Luray, Va
Miles today: 243.0

Virginia! What a wonderful last couple of weeks. Since my last entry I have made it to Waynesboro, Va and pushed beyond. After stopping at my sister's house for a week, figuring out some financing and some much needed R&R, Aquaman and I pushed north. While in relaxation I spent a week with my sister, a God send of a sibling, my niece and nephew, my parents, and my dog Bear! I was able to be there for both my sister and fathers birthdays. The week started off with my dad bringing beer and pizza to the Tye River just before the climb up Three Ridges, a monster of 4 miles of nearly a gain in 3,000 feet in elevation. Then throughout the rainy week, K2, Davy Crockett, Aquaman and I lounged in luxury thanks to the generosity of my sister in opening her house to our stinky hiker souls. Was able to hike 10 miles or so with Tom Holiday, Bob Wulin and Laura Bohner, Bear joined us for the day. Afterwards Bob, Laura and I grabbed some cold ones at Wild Wolf Brewery and talked skiing, great to see old friends. A few days later, after dropping Davy and K2 back on the trail, Aquaman and I went to Pollak Vineyard with two of my good friends from Harrisonburg, Jaime and Whitney. We lounged by the pond, a magnificent backdrop of mountains and split a bottle of Cabernet Franc. We ventured down to Blue Mountain Brewery in the bucolic Nelson County to join my sister for her birthday. It was a fantastic day and I look forward to the future time spent with my friends back home when I walk through Maine back to Virginia. I started visualizing Maine the other day as I approach the half way point, previously it has been so far off the thought of summitting Katahdin was simply a dream. However, I see Maine now as only a beginning not an end, as a point I will walk through to come back to my life and loved ones in Virginia and begin the next phase in my life. Two days back on the trail my buddy Tyler Ayres met Aquaman and I at the route 33 crossing with beer, pizza, snickers and cigarettes, I haven't seen Tyler in nearly two years and it was great to catch up and how amazing the support and generosity he showed to meet me on the trail. He hiked a mile up Baldface mountain with us and we parted ways as the journey continues north.The Shenandoah National Park has been spectacular. Though it is not very challenging terrain, there are enough mountains to keep you honest and the multitude of wildlife is astonishing. I've seen countless deer, new borns, bucks with felt covered antlers, mothers and their twins, and two black bears. One bear stood and looked at us, stomped his feet to tell us to move on and then stood up on his hind legs and scratched his back against a tree. The views have been stellar and the skyline drive though tedious to cross nearly thirty times provides an excellent access road for the common man to enjoy this beautiful place. The other day, we sat on a cliff, drinking beer we purchased at a park "wayside" and hiked up the mountain. A storm brewed in the Shenandoah Valley just north of Harrisonburg, it's clouds black and grey spewed rain on the valley and the width of the storm stretched nearly halfway across the horizon. Yet south of the storm, the sun peaked out in delightful rays, and I envisioned the people in the valley drying out from the storm as I watched the sun bake the puddles and the recent rain evaporate back into the clouds. I'm nearly 80 miles from leaving Virginia, hiking into Harpers Ferry, over 900 miles behind me and I can't thank everyone enough, even in the slightest capacity for helping me to walk and experience this wonderful journey. With out you, I would never have made it this far!