Date: 2021-05-18
From: Stealth campsite

To: Stonybrook Farm
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: clear sky

It was cold this morning but we got up when the alarm went off at 6am. I felt really tired. More tired than I have since we started. We watch hikers go by that have now clocked 1000 miles (having started in GA) and they do these hills like they¢re nothing. After 2 weeks we are starting to notice a difference and are getting better but still struggling. Waiting for our ¢hiking legs¢ to kick in. We¢re not gasping for breath uphill as much either. My eyes looked like little balloons again. Gotta come up with a different diet plan for me. The sodium is killing me. After a cold breakfast of cereal for David and Instant Breakfast for me, we set out at 7:35am. There was more Rollercoaster to ride. About 9 miles worth. I find that listening to an audio book on the uphills makes it a little easier so I queued up my book and strapped in. So up and down we climbed. We came to an outlook called Bear¢s Rocks. It was beautiful and the breeze was really welcome. David perspires heavily on a normal warm day. Put 38 pounds on his back and make him climb 45 degree angle climbs and his shirt is soaked. I don¢t perspire nearly that much and my shirt was wet too. We took a breather and enjoyed the view for a few minutes. I called Megan (while I had phone coverage) and she was working in the organic garden on George Mason University. She was telling me that she learned that poison ivy is not symmetrical. One side of the leaf is jagged edged and the other side has a smooth edge. You would think I would know exactly what it looks like as much as I have it, but I have the hardest time identifying it. Just ¢leaves of three¢. There¢s a lot of 3-leaved plants in the woods. We got to Snickers Gap and had to cross the 4-lane highway 7. Boy, that is a busy road. Felt like we were playing a game of Frogger (¢Animal Crossing¢ for those too young to know about ¢Frogger¢).VA Rt 7 at Snickers Gap goes into a town called Bluemont. (It used to be called Snickersville but they changed the name to Bluemont to entice the Washingtonians to come there.). There were a lot of great reviews of Bluemont and the Horseshoe Curve Restaurant and Grill on Guthook but we just wanted to get out of the Rollercoaster. Only 4 more miles of Rollercoaster!So off we went and 2 miles later we hit the WV-VA state line. The AT kind of jumps back and forth across that line for the next few miles but we will be in WV soon. Two miles later we hit the end of the Rollercoaster. There wasn¢t a snazzy sign like at the southern end but it was still the end. I guess as a treat and reward for making it through, the following miles were through beautiful woods of green grasses and fairly level walking. One thing I have to say for the Rollercoaster is there were beautiful and plentiful stealth sites. That was great!We finally got to our destination of the Blackburn Trail Center. We read of an organic farm nearby that was also a hostel for AT hikers. We called them from the center and waited for their car. While we waited we wandered around at Blackburn. It has a big house with a screened in porch for PATC employees to stay at. There is also a cabin for AT hikers and a solar shower. The grounds were beautiful with lots of chairs and picnic tables and a great view. We also scored some hot chocolate packs and Starburst candy from the hiker box. A truck arrived and a gentleman named Ish and his young daughter, Gabriella, picked us up. We drove past the Stoneybrook Market and around the corner to their farm. (They also have a bakery, deli, and tree service.) We were greeted warmly by Lydia and shown our cabin (that could easily hold 4). Up the hill a short walk is the cabin with showers, toilets, and laundry. A short walk from that cabin is the main house. I showered quickly and David washed up and put on a clean shirt then we went down for dinner. Even though it was close to 8pm, they had a hot meal waiting for us. I had Spanish rice with vegetables and an amazing salad. David had greens with his rice. I ate like it was my last meal. Probably not very lady-like. They told us about the farm and answered all our questions. They told us their philosophy and said that they met for prayer every day at 7am and 6pm and we were welcome to join them or not. We went back to our cabin and by 9pm were both out!We hiked 12.7 miles today and in about 11 hours.