Date: 2014-05-28
From: Ridge above Daleville

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: light rain

The camping spot I stumbled across up on the ridge last night was perfectly flat and had a bed of leaves, so I slept well and got an early start this morning. By the time I arrived in Daleville just before 8:00 am, it was 75 degrees, and an hour later on the way out of town, after resupplying and slamming down two sausage, egg, and cheese on biscuits, it was up to 80. Despite the mid-80s temperatures most of the day, there were enough streams to dunk my shirt and hat, and once my whole body, so I was reasonably comfortable all day.I got reminded of the hustle and bustle of everyday life, almost getting hit twice in the supermarket parking lot by drivers in a hurry to get somewhere. I also crossed paths in the parking lot with Thor the Red, who was sporting a new pair of trail runners and a big smile to go along with them. He'd been having foot pain for weeks and had been through four pair of insoles with his old boots. Thor informed me that Scout and Chinook, two young hikers from New Jersey whom I'd hiked with a bit in previous weeks, were both holed up at the Hojos with a stomach bug.Today was a big reptile day. On the way out of town, I stepped inches from a full-grown snapping turtle that had parked itself on the side of the trail. Fortunately, its tail and not its face was pointed at my ankle. An hour later I encountered an adult rattlesnake straddling the trail. I stomped my foot to try to get it to move away and let me pass, but that just caused it to coil up and start to rattle. So I walked off the trail to get by as it continued to rattle and train its eyes on me. No more than a minute later, another snake, this time a baby garter, saw me coming and slithered off the trail just in front of me. The combination of the recent episode with the rattler and the surprise of not seeing the garter until I was right on it caused me to nearly jump out of my skin.Five miles out of town, I stopped at the Fullhardt Knob Shelter for a quick snack and to sign the log book. Whose name should appear at the end but AZ, who'd signed in at 10:20, about an hour before I arrived. Yesterday when I'd seen his name in a log book he was two days ahead, so I knew he'd zero'ed yesterday in Daleville. It wasn't until two shelters and 13 miles later that I finally caught him, at the Bobblets Gap Shelter. He is staying there tonight, while I ate dinner and moved on another six miles to the Cove Mountain Shelter so I can get within striking distance of Friday's rendezvous point tomorrow. In catching up with AZ, I found out ABear had gotten the stomach bug a couple of nights ago at the shelter just before Daleville, limped into town, and zero'ed there today while AZ moved on.I came across another hilltop memorial today, this one anonymous and modest in comparison to the Audie Leon Murphy memorial from Monday. Today's monument was the size of a bread loaf and was engraved with the words:"If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to Heaven and bring you home again."The trail crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway for the first time today. Many times. I began to wonder whether, whenever there was a hill to be climbed on either side of the parkway, the AT would cross over to climb it. There was almost no traffic on the parkway, a car or motorcycle every few minutes. Apparently, the limited access road is not particularly useful for getting anywhere; it's there strictly to allow sightseers to enjoy the beautiful Virginia scenery. The BRP changes its trail name to Skyline Drive further north in the Shenandoahs.Speaking of enjoying the scenery, much of the the trail today was a sight to behold, the rhododendrons in full bloom with flowers that range from purple to violet to pink. Many flowers had dropped on the path, so hikers were treated to a tunnel of color.