Date: 2019-09-03
From: Angel Rest Hostel

To: Campsite at 650.3 mile marker
Miles today: 14.4

Tuesday, Sept 3: Angel Rest Hostel at Pearisburg VA (635.9) to a campsite (650.3) for a 14.4 mile day.A big day. I was up at 6:00 AM. I made coffee in my kitchen at the house trailer. I packed my backpack as the coffee brewed.Twinkle Toes actually was not staying in the trailer with me. He was in the bunk house. He was just¢¦.. (I can¢t read)¢¦ in the trailer. Coach came over at 7:00 AM to get coffee.The shuttle was running at 7:30 to take us back to where we got off the trail yesterday (635.9 mm).I loaded my pack down with water. I took 4 liters instead of the normal 1 12 liters since we were told there was no water on the trail for 20 miles.My pack weighed 40 lbs with the extra water. That is a lot. I try to have it no more than 32-34 lbs. The plan for today was to go to Rice Field Shelter since there is a huge climb out of the valley so that would have been 7.8 miles. I got to Rice Field Shelter at 12:15. I made great time with a 3000 foot elevation gain plus I had a 40 lb pack. I called and talked to Marilee for 20 to 30 minutes since I had cell service. I always feel better after I talk to her. At the shelter, Buckle, a female in her early 20¢s was having lunch. She is another flip flopper who started on July 31. All the flip floppers I have met know each other. Buckle graduated from a small college outside of Chicago a few years ago. She has worked for a couple of non-profits. She didn¢t think she would make a difference in the world with her job so she quit and decided to hike the AT. She was small, maybe 5¢4¢ and very thin but she only has 630 miles to go. Sitting there talking to Buckle I decided to hike some more miles since it was only 12:45 PM. The plan was to find a campsite somewhere down the trail. Tomorrow I meet Mike at Pine Swamp Branch Shelter.During the next part of my hike I met Beer & Burgh, a husband & wife team in their 20¢s. I didn¢t talk with them very long since I was getting tired and they had to find a place to camp for the night. They were also flip floppers and knew all the other people I have met.I got to my campsite at 5:05 PM. I had been on the trail for 9 12 hours. I had gone 14.4 miles with close to 4000 feet elevation gain with a 40 lb pack. That is a good day. I was very tired. I got my tent up and put the rope up for my bear bag. Buckle did see a bear today. I was hungry but did not have enough water to fix a freeze dry meal so I had 2 packages of tuna, crackers, 2 energy bars and some chocolate. A south bounder (SOBO) came down the trail while I was eating. This is first SOBO I have met this trip. He left Katahdin Maine on June 18. (They opened the mountain for the summer on June 15. Normally they open it June 1 but they still had snow on the ground.) His name was Steve and this is his 2nd thru hike. He said he has backpacked 20,000 miles. Wow. He was 55. I finished dinner and got ready for bed. I am tired tonight. Thanks for following. **EDIT: As I laid down to go to sleep last night I remembered I forgot to mention that I am hiking to Pine Swamp Shelter tomorrow. It is only 4 miles but this is the place Mike Pearce will join me on the trail. Safe travels to Mike tomorrow and I am looking forward to having a hiking partner. Now, Good Night!