Date: 2016-06-01
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 46.0
Weather: mist

Saturday ¢ May 28th through Wednesday June 1st ¢ Bland VA to Pearisburg VA ¢ 45 milesDeparted Bland Saturday Helveys Gap, a three mile hike. We resupplied in Bland, ate lunch then headed out midafternoon. Arrived at the campsite along with about two dozen other hikers. This was the first night in weeks with great weather, and a warm evening. We built a huge campfire and enjoyed well into to the evening the warm without any cold air or rain.Riley got excited when he saw Blue, another dog he has known most of the trip and they ran and wrested for hours amongst the campers. What sounded like light rain overnight was actually heavy fog forming on the trees and falling like rain. Sunday up early to hike 16 miles to the Trent Grocery store and campground just short of Dismal Falls. For the first time I actually enjoyed the trail as it followed creeks and rivers, with only a few ups and downs. I actually was whistling songs as I hiked. Riley ran after a squirrel and startled three huge owls from a tree that flew over our heads. Their wing span was about 5 feet yet you could not hear any sound as they flew over us. Came down a mountain and crossed Dismal River on a foot suspension bridge high above the canyon floor. Riley did not seem to mind the swinging bridge as we walked. Just as I reached the grocery store a light rain began so I decided to camp at their campground instead of heading a few more miles to a shelter area. Within a few minutes both Commissioner and Cool Hand showed up alongside me. The campground offered both hot showers and laundry as part of the camping fee on only $6 so I washed clothes and got cleaned up. The rain ceased and other hikers arrived to set up camp as well. As this ws the holiday weekend many hikers continues the few extra miles to Dismal Falls as they heard there would be a big party there, something I wanted to avoid. Another hiker in his mid-fifties arrived in a big truck and introduced himself as Screech. He broke his ankle the first week of hiking and decided rather than go home he would stay and act as a trail angel for his daughter who was also hiking the trail. She had grouped up with about 30 people and the back of his truck was full of gear. He said he loved continuing the trip with his daughter and had no regrets he could not finish. She arrived as well and was very vocal how she was proud of him for staying with and thankful for him helping out. We again had good weather for another huge campfire as the sky began to clear. As night came on the forest filled up with fireflies that lit up the forest on the mountainsides. It was an awesome site. The clouds move out and we could see all of the stars. Off to the far low south we could see a bright white object streaking across the sky. It clearly was not an airplane and too bright for a regular satellite so we assumed it had to be the space station. This was a perfect end to another great day.Commissioner indicated that his parents would not be able to meet us in Pearisburg the next weekend so we decided to hike 16 miles on Monday from Trent to the Woods Hole Hostel. I left early morning as it was going to be a hot day. Again the trail followed a route that followed the Dismal River. As I approached the Dismal Falls I was glad I did not decide to camp there. It was full with little space to camp and everyone there in a party mood, jumping into the river from the falls. There was only one hard climb then followed the ridgeline all the way to Woods Hole Hostel. Along the way I came across a huge three foot long black snake that I did not know what it was. It was just laying across the trail like a branch and I literally jumped into the air when I realized it was a snake. It looked at Riley and ignored us s we ran quickly away from it. The hostel was one of the best I have seen. I was met with a quart of homemade cookie dough ice cream and a hot loaf of homemade bread. Riley crawled into the bunk and fell asleep right away. They provided a dinner that was all gown on the farm and organic. By now I was both stuffed and in need of a shower. By nightfall we built another campfire and just sat and chatted until 11pm before going to bed. Breakfast the next day was eggs, French toast, great coffee and toast with homemade apple butter. The place also offered massages so I scheduled one for mid-morning. Sixty minutes later after the massage I crawled over to a hammock hanging on the porch and took a nap. Wow my body was so happy and I forgot all of the torture I had endured over the last few weeks. The hostel was also a working farm that included chickens, goats, cows, ducks and two other dogs so Riley and the dogs ran around the farm all day. At one time I saw them inside the goat fenced area eating with the goats who did not seem to mind. I think Riley enjoyed the day off as well as I did.Again dinner was prepared for the hikers, today was fajitas. Along came Dr Longspoon and Silly, the two that stopped to help me with Riley way back at Neels Gap Georgia when he was freezing. I had been nearly six weeks since I saw them last and I was happy to see them again. We sat on the porch well into the evening just catching up on our trips.Wednesday morning I got up around 6am and was ready to leave by 7:30. Goal today was 11 miles into Pearisburg to get a package Marilee mailed me and to resupply. Today was both an easy and beautiful hike high along the ridge line overlooking the valley below with no climbs, just one desend at the end into town. The trees along the trail began to bloom purple flowers. As I hiked IU came across three women hiking together as they sang the bridal march from weddings. I stopped and talked with them and laughed as they pretended the forest was the isle for the bride to walk down surrounded by flowers and pedals covering the trail floor. AS I neared Pearisburg, I reached the Angels Rest, a rock outcropping that was about two thousand feet above the town with a view of the entire valley floor below.I sent Marilee some pics to post for me and we will talk tonight as both Riley and I miss her. Too bad she could not be part of this, at least the view parts. She is a good person and I love her.