Date: 2012-05-17
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

****The below is an excerpt from an email a friend wrote to Reinhard and me. He hiked with us for about 6 weeks before he sped up to meet some other obligations he has later this summer. Thought you might find it interesting as it pretty accurately describes some aspects of the trail. Again this in not Reinhard or me writing.****Good evening,Time for another update and this is a long one but just the tip of the iceberg. Currently, I am 801 miles out on the Appalachian Trail and was able to get a ride into Lexington, VA for supplies and a day off. I am pretty beat up right now...most of us out here are I suppose. My left pinky toe has a blister that just won't quit and I have a few cuts on my right foot. In fact I kicked a rock really hard about a week ago right before I was into a shelter. It hurt alright but I shook it off. When I took off my shoes my right sock was soaked in blood by my toes. I took my socks off and looked @ my feet. They looked like an old car engine with duct tape all over them. I thought about taking a picture of them but then I thought "who wants to see this...I don't even want to see this." My shoulders are a bit bruised up as well but again this is all part of the deal...no complaints. The last few days have been nice and rainy in these parts...I'm talking flood rains. It POURED all day yesterday...I hiked about 19 miles in it. The rain isn't all bad though. I'd prefer getting poured on, slopping through mud, falling down than 90 degree heat and 100% humidity...not to mention relentless mosquitoes. When you're hiking they do not bite you on your arms or chest. They fly behind your back and your pack...that little area they can squeeze in and get a taste of blood. I'll take one of my hiking sticks and shove it between my back and my pack and they fly right out in front of you as to say..."you didn't get me!" I mentioned in my last email that I would go over different types of "blazes." There are White blazes...this is the Appalachian Trail. A single white blaze is simply a mark telling you that you're on the trail. A double white blaze...usually one on top of the other means you are going to make a turn (although it's usually fairly obvious considering that's the only place the trail goes unless you are @ a junction of sorts.) Blue blazes...this has can have different meanings depending on the state you are in. You would think everything would be uniform on the AT but it is not. Blue blazes can mean the following...1) Another trail...typically a trail that day hikers may take and these trails usually meet back up with the AT 2) A shelter...3) A water source. Red Blazes...this is basically locals who own property adjacent to the AT. This is telling hikers...DO NOT WALK ON MY PROPERTY! There is much sensitivity around this issue because eminent domain forced many families off of their property when certain national parks (such as Shenandoah) or other parts of the trail were built. In fact just 20 years ago (maybe still) certain locals would hang fish hooks on fishing line from branches so hikers would snag out an eye or some part of their face...pretty sick. After learning of this I began hiking with the brim of my hat pushed very far down on my head. Finally, we have our Yellow blazers. There really are no such things as yellow blazes (perhaps a local side trail but nothing to note of) but it is more of a term. Certain people out here simply have no honor...not the majority but they are among us. Essentially, a yellow blazer is someone who doesn't want to hike a rough patch of the AT. A really nasty climb is ahead or perhaps they want to catch up with a certain group they can't keep up with...so yellow blazers will basically take a shuttle or hitch a ride and skip 20, 50 or 100 miles of the trail.      So...let me end with a funny story. One day I hiked about 25 miles...was on top of Mount Rogers and heading to Partnership shelter. I had lost the fellas I began my trip with (due to my shin splints) and was about caught up. I got to Partnership shelter around 7 PM and there was a "trail angel" there with his 2 boys. This guy follows blogs of hikers (many do) on trail journals. Anyways, this guy was heading back to Marion, VA and I needed supplies. So, he offered me a ride to town which I gladly accepted. They insisted I sit up front. His youngest son was a rowdy one for sure. So, the father began telling me all about the history of Marion and the Civil War. About how the Yankees were in this house over here and hid their horses inside the house so not to be discovered. You could still see the horseshoes in the wood floors of this house. He went on to tell me more about how the Yankees blew up am ammunition depot the South had there in Marion. At this point I had said about 3 or 4 times "crazy how the civil war was 150 years ago"...they were talking like it was last week. So, one of the boys began telling me how he was fishing and found a confederate belt buckle by the river. This kid was really into the whole civil war stuff (I wonder how that happened?) So, this kid starts saying how he's a confederate and DAMN those YANKEES! So, the father yells back..."NOW SON...THERE IS A YANKEE HERE RIDING IN THE FRONT SEAT...YOU BEHAVE!!!" Classic! I said again..."amazing how that war was like 150 years ago." Finally, we drove to some slummy motel where I planned on staying. Low and behold my 2 hiking buddies I started the trip with were walking out of the motel...Spice Man & Rhino! Finally, I saw a BLACK BEAR! It's true...about 50 miles ago. It was early in the morning and I was hauling around a corner when I saw him and he saw me. He ran off into the woods. I walked up slowly...looking all around and he was GONE! Again, Black Bears are for the most part afraid of humans. You should be cautious but not stricken with fear. -Wall St****The above is an excerpt from an email a friend wrote to Reinhard and me. He hiked with us for about 6 weeks before he sped up to meet some other obligations he has later this summer. Thought you might find it interesting as it pretty accurately describes some aspects of the trail. Again this in not Reinhard or me writing.****Hallo, ihr lieben Wanderer und alle die mich kennen. Morgen ist der grosse Tag, wo es sich entscheidet ob ich weiter wandern darf. Mein Gefuehl ist gut, die Hand fuehlt sich gut an, aberich bin ein wenig nervoes, was wohl normal ist. und so kann ich den heutigen Vatertag nicht so richtig geniessen. Ich gruesse meine Frau in Deutschland ganz herzlich! reinhard-Rhino the German