Date: 2012-05-21
From: Buena Vista VA

To: The Priest Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: light rain

Last night I went to Hardees for supper and while I was there an older couple from Maryland who were driving south on the Blue Ridge Parkway asked me if I was a thru hiker. I told them that I was and they started asking me all kinds of questions, they then asked me what I was going to do tomorow and I told them that I might slack pack back into town so I dont have to hike up the huge mountain but rather back down into town. I told them that I did not know how I was going to get up there and they offered to take me up to the trail first thing in the morning. So this morning I got up at 5:00am and gathered what I needed and they took me up to the trail...thanks Ron and Sue. I was dropped off 7 miles north of town and headed south back to town. The trail was mostly downhill so I got to US 60 in about two hours and 15 minutes. I then had to hitch back into town to get the rest of my gear and was able to flag down a truck in no time. I got back to the motel at around 8:15 and took a nap because yesterday I had alrady aranged a shuttle back to the trail at noon. Big Sky, Wana-be, Strolin' and Alpo got into town at about 11:00am or so and I meet up with them at Burger King. They stayed at the last shelter and hiked to two miles to US 60 and got a shuttle into town and are staying the night tonight. I asked Big Sky again if she was sure she did not want to stay with me and do the bigger miles but she said she was not ready for the bigger mile days. So we will try to meet up in PA somewhere because she will be able to catch up to me while I am taking some days off the trail at home. My shuttle arived at noon and I headed back to the trail after saying my goodbyes for now.I was dropped off back where I started earlier this morning at 12:30 and headed north. The trail was easy with only a few ups and downs so I was making good time. I soon ran into Roadside and two other hikers going southbound. They were also doing a slack pack today back to town but they were doing alot more miles. We took a break and chatted for awhile and went our separate ways. Soon I got to the next shelter at around 3:15pm and there was nobody there. I could not make up my mind if I wanted to stay or go to the next shelter and at about 4:00pm I decided to go another 6.6 miles to The Priest Shelter. The trail continued with its little ups and downs and after going about 5 miles I could hear a thunderstorm coming up behind me so picked up my pace. I soon got to the base of The Priest Mountain and started the one mile climb up to the shelter. As I neared the shelter, the clouds dropped down and I was walking through the clouds for the last little bit of the trail. The shelter was not at the very top of the mountain and for that I was thankful! I arrived at the shelter at around 5:50pm. There were six section hikers there but only four were using the shelter so I claimed a spot for me. It turned out that I was going to be the only thru hiker spending the night here but the other hikers were really cool and we chatted until dark. Now it is storming out but I am dry in the shelter...glad I am not in my tent! Its time for bed now, tomorrow I am doing a shorter day after doing two 20 mile days in a row plus I have to go down 2000 or so feet then back up 2900 feet tomorrow so I will be quite tired...night all.