Date: 2019-05-22
From: Erwin, TN

To: Marion, VA
Miles today: 190.0

I¢m sure most of you have heard about the tragic events on the trail since my last post. The trail is a well connected community and I learned there had been an attack the morning it happened but heard conflicting reports about how many people were involved and how serious it was. Sadly, the day after it was confirmed a thru hiker names Ron Sanchez (¢Stronghold¢) passed away. Ron was about 200 miles north of me and I didn¢t know him or anyone near the attack but it certainly was shocking and very sad. There are a number of great articles about Ron, a veteran who served 3 tours in Iraq and found solace in the woods, and I especially liked this one - https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.providencejournal.com/news/20190520/traumatized-ex-soldier-died-trying-to-find-peace-on-appalachian-trail%3ftemplate=ampart - . It is terrible what happened but I still firmly believe the most dangerous part of the AT is your drive to the trailhead. This was the actions of one crazed individual and incidents along the trail are extremely rare. I¢ve personally never felt unsafe on the trail and have not let what happened affect how I hike or approach strangers. I¢ve noticed the AT community really coming together in the wake of this incident and many pictures and tributes to Ron along the trail. If I hear of a fundraiser or way to help honor him I will post on here.On a lighter note, I have made it to VA and am just about a quarter of the way through the trail. It¢s crazy to think it has already been over 5 weeks. Slowly but surely, my body is getting used to the pack and walking all day and I feel like a well tuned hiker now. I¢ve hiked 135 miles in the past 7 days including a marathon day (26.2 miles) and should be able to increase my pace a lot in VA.Tennessee featured some difficult terrain in the northern part of the state including the Roan Highlands - a series of 5000+ foot mountains and balds that can be very cold and windy. I suffered through some freezing cold mornings where temps dropped into the 30¢s with biting wind chills but survived with all my fingers and toes intact. It took some long days, but I made it to Damascus, VA on Saturday (5/18) for Trail Days. It is a big hiker festival that draws a lot of alumni and current hikers together. Think of a cross between the Sandwich Fair and a Grateful Dead concert. There were tons of booths set up to repair and showcase gear from all the major hiking brands as well as free food, showers, live music, games, and gear giveaways. One night was plenty for me but I got to see tons of people I¢ve met during my hike including friends I hadn¢t seen for weeks and overall had a great time.The trail has been pretty crowded after Damascus but I¢m enjoying it. I¢ve had a nice bubble of 8-10 hikers that have been at every shelter with me the past few days. The highlight so far if VA has been the Grayson Highlands which featured amazing views and wild ponies all along the trail. We had a great campfire and stayed up late talking and telling stories last night and I¢m now in Marion, VA resting and resupplying with a few other hikers.Weather has been great so far in VA, looking to do 100 miles in the next 5 days and my next stop will be Pearisburg. I appreciate all the support and thanks for reading.-Kevin ¢Crypter¢-Kevin