Date: 2014-06-01
From: Mau-Har Trail

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 29.4

We did it! Waynesboro, VA by Sunday June 1st. We are dead; literally. I doubt I will be moving for a while. I'm not only tired from a crazy sleep schedule, but my ankle is huge again and it hurts all the time. Every step, in boots or crocs, hurts. I feel like I am an 90 year old man limping around. The pain along with the stench of the three of us makes for a perfect time to take a break. We were all so excited to get here. Therefore, after sleeping three hours last night, we hiked out; and crushed what was my biggest day on the trail yet. Ponds was up first and said "are you guys ready for the beach?" That was our motivator. We were up, packed, and hiking in the light of our headlamps towards Waynesboro so we could get a hitch to the beach. All three of us expected to see a bear, again, but nothing! A few lonely eyes in the woods is all we saw before sunrise. This could also be because the three of us are anything but quiet while hiking together. We left the campsite just before midnight. The seven mile climb uphill out of the little valley we were in kicked our a$$! My stomach was killing me by the top of the climb because I had not eaten anything before leaving or on the way up. I was so hungry I felt sick. I consumed more then two full breakfast meals because we are going to be there a day earlier then I expected. Eat more, carry less weight! After the top of the massive incline, it was actually a really easy and great hike. All small ups and downs the rest of the way. I was very satisfied with that. It was still exhausting. Running on only a few hours of sleep and doing such a big day might not have been a good idea, but, I'll nap on the beach. We crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway on and off. I was hoping for some energy boosting trail magic, but that did not happen since we only saw one or two cars just passing by. We arrived at I-64 in the late afternoon. We figured there was absolutely no way we were going to get a hitch at this time of day. The Rock found a side of a box and used his water colors to paint a sign. One side read "Pirates 2 ocean 4 adventure" and the other side said A.T. Hikers to I-64W VA Beach." There was also a white blaze painted on the sign along with a blue "AT" logo. Shortly after we started standing at the exit for a ride, a undercover rushed in towards us with his blue lights on." Our stomachs dropped "oh shit! Is this illegal?" He got out and before he said anything he started laughing. He though we were homeless people panning for money on the side of the road, which is illegal, and happens regularly around here. He loved our sign! He said as long as we are not on the ramp or the interstate, then we are completely legal. That was good to hear! We were just about to call it a night, get a motel room, and try again the following morning when a red full sized GMC truck with a hanicap tag locked up the break and pulled over in the grass next to us. Given it was close to 7 or 8pm at the point. He said "boys, I'm going straight to the beach in a hour or so. You wait right here, and I'll give you a ride there." He was not lying. He showed up one hour later, put our gear in trash bags if it rained, and piled us into the truck. He had his two young daughters with him. He was bringing them there to his ex wife's for the weekend. One hitch, in less then a few hours, all the way to Virginia Beach. I was shocked. It was after we dropped his kids off when the trip got even better. He pulled out a mason jar full of his finest corn liquor. He said "now boys, you have a good weekend, this one is on me!" He drove us straight to the cheapest motel we could find a block from the beach called the "Sundial Inn." We checked in to a much nicer room then I expected, and all took very long showers. We wanted to camp in our tents, but all the camp grounds wanted $30-$50 a night per tent. No thanks. So we did a cheap motel. It is going to be a great break for a few days. Lots of rest, sun, sand, and the ocean is to come. When we arrive back in Waynesboro, we will be starting the SNP. That is exciting. It is still just The Rock, Ponds, and I right now. Hopefully we will meet up with some others we know when we get back to the trail. I plan to sleep for the next 12 hours, at least.