Date: 2015-04-29
From: Unnamed Campsite

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: light rain

Thankfully, the night was calm and not too cold on the mountainside. I didn't freeze in the night, and I couldn't see my own breath when I woke in the morning. I woke up only two times in the night, practically a new record for me especially since I could still hear Bearbait snoring (the previously unnamed hiker camping nearby). I woke up at 6, as Bearbait was leaving. I left camp about 7am with my tea in hand. I quickly learned that all the rocks on the trail make it quite difficult to drink from a cup. I probably splashed more tea over myself than anything else. The morning was a little chill, but very quickly heated up. I soon had to shed my coat and roll up my trousers. The trail today was the usual- some up, some down, some flat. Plenty of rocks. There were also plenty of streams and a couple of annoying river crossings. There was also a section that had an enormous amount of dead leaves to wade through, they came up to my shins in places. Another section had periodic ditches and mounds that I had to jump over. I stopped in the shelter about 10am, and I had already covered 7ish miles by then. The Paul C Wolfe shelter is a nice looking one, I would recommend staying there. I met Bearbait and another hiker. Bearbait told me that his wife was waiting for him on the way to Waynesboro and that I should ask her if I needed anything. After that, I had 5 miles to go. The sun was still hot. Towards the end, I could hear the rumble of the trucks and smell the exhaust fumes and pushed on. I reached the road into Waynesboro about 11.30, despite an uphill climb. I stood there dazed in the sunlight for a while, not sure where to go. I noticed a woman in the car park nearby and walked towards her. She said, "Can I offer you a soda?" My response, "yes, please!". She turned out to be Bearbaits wife, who gave me an ice cold coke and then drove me the 3 miles into town. She took me straight to Mings, where I suspected all the other hikers would be. I was right.By 11.37, I was in Mings and immediately overwhelmed by the range and volume of food. It was definitely one of the best buffets I have ever experienced- a wide range of meats, vegetables, salad, even shellfish and sushi. I over indulged and spent the entire day with an aching stomach as a result. Whilst I had been hiking, the others had made it into town a couple hours earlier and had gone to the Salvation Army shop. By the end of the day, Frodo and Cruize were wearing full suits (with ties) whilst the others had new shirts and hats. They made a very interesting looking group. They have all decided to stay in town a bit longer, to try to organise Aqua blazing and to meet the girlfriends of the Rhode Island Express. Meanwhile, tomorrow I will go on hiking into the Shenandoahs. I have absolutely no idea what to expect from the trail, but I'm excited to find out. Before then, I've been relaxing at the Quality Inn, which has much better rooms than the Budget Inn in Buena Vista (for almost the same price). I've taken a shower and a bath, but as a result, I have finally lost my left little toenail. The skin underneath is all a blister. My feet at the moment are an array of small, hard blisters and tough but tender callouses. I dread to think what they will look like at the end of this.