Date: 2014-04-28
From: Roanoke

To: Daleville
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Right on! My first time slackpacking. The weather does not look like it'll be great but for once - no worries - when I'm done it's back to a nice shower and warm house so if it rains, it rains. I have to say carrying about five pounds on your back as opposed to 35 is a dream! It's like nothing. I'm clearly conditioned. This is an important day on the trail - McAfee Knob an iconic view and location that is on the cover of every guidebook or Virginia tourist brochure. It did not disappoint. Easy hike - usually the case at any location that is well travelled. Passed a couple of shelters but basically an empty day. Monday, everyone's back to work and the weather looks threatening. The knob is a cliff edge where the rocks jut out over the valley below. It looks like it's thousands of feet of drop but really maybe only 50. I walked to the very edge but I couldn't do the feet dangling over bit. My fear of heights is way too strong for that. The views are remarkable. Up and down these lush pastoral valleys and farms. After McAfee you walk the ridgeline to the next peak called Tinker. Same thing there but by this point the rain hit. That overcast, chilly, breezy, cold rain. Not particularly pleasant. Right as I got up there the clouds cleared and I got views again. Incredibly atmospheric with clouds hanging on the peaks of a distant spine - just sort of laying up there and spilling down each side as if they had weight to them. Moved on down to a shelter called Lamberts Meadow to have lunch and had to sit there for about an hour waiting out the heavy rain. Nice also to slackpack - no camp food! I had a foot long Subway sandwich. Nice break from pepperoni and tortillas. The rest of the hike wasn't too bad. Gentle ups and downs, passed a massive rock called Hay Rock then down the mountains to Daleville. This is where most of the hikers have opted to take a break. When your only frame of reference is the AWOL guide you don't really see the bigger picture. Most hikers probably didn't even realize that a major city is just twenty minutes by car away. And so many more options than HoJo and Hardees! I would have stayed there had I not known I'm sure too. So almost 20 miles down in record time and I feel great. Came back to these amazing hamburgers, about ten pounds of mac and cheese and the best brownies I think I've ever had. Let me tell you these people are great! So thoughtful and generous. I feel very guilty (and I hope they're reading this so they know!). I want to do something in return but they keep turning me down. The overall generosity of people has really been humbling. Did a quick check of the weather and it does not look good. Tomorrow is a zero day for sure. This is my big chance to go through all my gear and get some packages ready to send home or further north. Have to get rid of my winter gear, get new shoes, do laundry all that jazz. Hearing about the Midwest getting slammed with severe weather and we're next so will just hunker down here. They also keep offering to have Mariposa stay if the weather isn't looking good so I've sent out some texts letting her know. Hope she gets service.