Date: 2017-06-25
From: US 501/Glasgow, VA

To: Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 51.7
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 54Sunday, June 25, 2017 US 501/Glasgow, VA (784.6) to Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost/Overlook 51.7 (795.5)Miles: 10.9 miles in 6 hours with one long break plus black raspberry picking stops2017 AT trip miles: 795.5Total AT miles to date: 2085Weather: Sunny, pleasant, drier, 70sDinner: Spaghetti with salad at the hostelHikers: Hendricks, Cindy Lou Who, Grade School, Mama Bear and her three children, half a dozen or more other hikers, plus Blue Hat, Road Warrior and Snakebite at the hostel tonightWildlife: Deer and a second tortoise sightingSince I can't go fast, I decided to again slack¢returning me for a second night to the hostel. Plus, it gave me the opportunity to really say goodbye to Cindy Lou Who and Hendricks, whom I thought would have caught up to me yesterday before I reached the hostel. So once again, I saw them as I headed south. The surprise for me, though, turned out to see Grade School. She had taken a zero or nero the day before and I basically caught up with the speed demon once again. All four of us met atop of Bluff Mountain¢me less than three miles into today's hike¢and they more than six. We talked for almost a half hour by a note on a old fire tower footing saying ¢Beware. Copperheads.¢ I took a bunch of selfies and hugged them all. Our stories will be forever interwoven within our individual trips¢for good or for bad. I looked up when I first met Cindy Lou and Hendricks and it was back on Day 12. The shuttle driver dropped off the other hostel guest, a very fit, very much older French-speaking only man back at the trail head and then took me up the Blue Ridge Parkway for my slacking day. The driver is retired and admits to be an internet troll. For fun. Says it gives him something to do and he plays both sides. I say let's get him more hikers to occupy his free time with shuttling. A lot of shuttle drivers are doing this in their retirement¢driving that is. I hope they aren't all trolls. They are at least nice in the car. Most of the older retired guys haven't hiked much, if any, of the trail and their advice is hearsay. Today I was warned about my first steep climb¢which turned out to be like all the others. Like DataGirl, (not her real trail name, but should have been) from a few weeks back, who was always announcing the elevation differences, I don't really want to hear how bad (or how easy) your interpretation might be. The mountain was there. The trail lead over it. I climbed it. I descended it. End of story. I remember the climb out of Fontana Dam into the Smokies. Five, or was it nine, miles all up. With a huge resupply. I knew I had all day to do it and eventually I was there. So¢you just do these mountains. Because they are there. Slacking works for me because I carrying less weight and there's less stress on these aging overworked joints. I'm writing daily so being in town allows me the time and electricity to upload posts. Plus, it keeps me moving ahead physically and psychologically. Because the trail is always there.And today the trail was pretty good today. Perhaps due to the lack of weight, it felt easy. And there were plenty of black raspberries for the picking. The air and temperature also was pleasant. None of this oppressive heat crap. Bugs are still out, though. I've read other people's journals reporting being eaten up, so I suppose I should be happy I only have to tolerate the whines. Coming back to town, the trail followed a picturesque creek with ledges and small waterfalls.  Arrived back at 2 p.m. as arranged and spent the rest of the afternoon working on a Trek blog post. Hours later, it's finally done. Blue Hat is here at the hostel tonight. She was with me in the loft the night we spent with the chain smoking meth head. Road Warrior reported seeing him a day later as week¢crap still spread out and circling around the picnic table. He opted to move on too. Sad.Five days and 67.1 miles left to go.