Date: 2004-05-14
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA (Holy Family Hostel)
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: scattered clouds

The day, to do 16 miles.I now understand why everyone says Virginia is a big dropping off place. The ridge runs are low and rolling. The scenery becomes monotonous. The tunnel of green. The weather has been dry and the season moving along. The flowers are becoming less and less. The green canopy oppressive and a welcome refuge from the heat. Early summer/late spring thundershowers. Started out early, saying goodbye to NTN, the New Hampshire section hiker. The temperature a little cool but at two miles an hour with a pack on, can warm me up good and fast when the first thing for the day is over 1000 foot elevation change over two miles. Steady trudging upward. Pink azaleas are blooming on the hill. Something else that I can't find smells the air. Lousewort and anemones sprinkled through the woods, between the rocks. Sat on a rock with Adam for morning break. He's an interesting fellow from North Carolina. He's never done a backpacking trek before in is life. He gets up early on the morning and has a steady pace that chugs him along. He listens and learns quickly. Quiet and observant. I like him. I left him and got to Doc's Knob shelter for a lunch break. Chris, Elle and TreeFrog were there, which surprised me. They had stayed at Woodshole Hostel only 2 miles from the shelter. A couple weekend yahoos were there also. They had come in from the other direction. Four guys out for a fifty miler. They were cute, complaining about the climb and how their feet hurt. Elle and the thruhikers left. I chatted with the section hikers, hoping Adam would show up. After half an hour, I headed north. This stretch is even flatter, even more challenging to entertain myself. Too bad the only thing that got into my head was the clock running music for Jeopardy. Slowly going crazy on the trail. Once again, thunder over the hills. Normally the sprinkles come and then go away. I stood under a rhododendron thicket for about ten minutes and realized it wasn't going to let up. Pack cover on the pack, no rain jacket on me. Walk in the rain. Ran into Elle and the boys about an hour from Pearisburg. We walked together to Angel's Rest. From our side, it is strictly a vista point. Over looks the valley into Pearisburg. The rain had let up and cleared the air. Beautiful to look at the relief. Then the reason the point is called Angel's Rest. From Pearisburg to Angel's Rest is almost 2000 feet elevation change in two miles. From the south, it's bouncing down, er, after the rain, sliding down. But going north, it would be a hoof. Trail magic at the bottom, cokes and beer. I had a coke. Then, into town. I hate hitching. I ended up walking up the hill, two miles to the Holy Family Hostel. It is located on the opposite side of town. It's a nice little place. It¢s behind the church that provides the place on donations. I claimed a bunk upstairs. One other bunk occupied. Very one else is at Trail Days in Damascus. John, a thruhiker, invited me to dinner. He felt like cooking a real meal and there is a kitchen at the hostel. He rattled off the menu, Stuffed baked chicken, stir fried veggies, roasted potatoes and corn on the cob. I said yes. I went to the Wal-Mart half mile by back field and got fresh strawberries, shortcake and ready whip. The four thru hikers at the hostel had a feast. It was a nice way to end the day. We ate out on the patio over looking the hills surrounding Pearisburg. Heat Miser's mom had sent a small bottle of scotch in his maildrop. We sat in the dusk, sipping scotch, smoking cigarettes or cigars in total bliss. Laughing about how the reason so few of us make it to Maine is because we all slowly go crazy on the trail.   A very good day. I ended up doing 18 miles, but it was worth the extra two miles.Namaste'