Date: 2018-04-25
From: Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area HQs 

To: VA 683 - Atkins
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: light rain

The Marion Transit Bus was filled up with hikers when it departed the Walmart parking lot at 8:30. Hopping on the shuttle at the last second was Tangerine, a hiker we had not seen since Georgia. She was one of several hikers we would reunite with today. When the bus arrived at the Mount Rogers Recreation Area HQs, a dozen or so other hikers who had spent the night in the Partnership Shelter were waiting to board the bus for their own Marion excursion. By 9:00 we were back on the trail and hiking our way to the top of Glade Mountain in the mist and fog. The soft trail steadily ascended for a couple of miles before entering a series of downs and ups, eventually reaching the high point of today¢s hike. A rock outcropping at the top apparently offered a view of Walker Mountain to the east. Not today. The terrain and surroundings were much different during the hike down Glade Mountain. This side of the mountain had large rock formations on the surface. There were also several stream crossings on the way down. We stopped to water up and eat lunch at the Chatfield Shelter. While I was getting water, Which Way was fending off a few hikers who were drooling over the sub sandwiches she pulled from the food bag. Since we were only carrying one day¢s worth of food, we decided to pick up the large sandwiches from Ingle¢s the night before. Good move! As we were wrapping up lunch, up walked another blast from the past¢Twinkle, Helix (and his dog Odin), Future and Tang. This is another group of hikers we have not seen since Georgia. Like us, Future started from Springer Mtn. on 24 Feb. He had the unfortunate experience of helping to carry down the body of the man who died that day.From the shelter we walked through a tunnel of Rhododendrons as we continued to make several more water crossings. The streams were swollen from the rain over the past few days, making it very difficult to cross without getting our feet wet. This would eventually cause problems for WW, as some old blisters re-emerged and some new ones formed.The final stretch of the hike took us through some low (and wet) farmland. Heartburn was correct in commenting that this was as much a part of Appalachia as the mountains. The highlight of today¢s hike was a short excursion to an Old Settlers Farm House and one-room school. The farmhouse, with its nine out buildings, sought to capture how the early settlers to SW Virginia lived. The preserved buildings, dating back to the late 1800s, sat on a beautiful 67 acre plot of land. A little further down the trail we came to the Lindamood School, which operated from 1894-1937. The small building used for teaching grades 1-7 offered a prime example of how a self-sufficient culture created its own school, years before the state claimed responsibility. A neat twist, there was Trail Magic located inside the school. It came in the form of cold drinks, snacks, and various resupply items. We all sat at the old-time desks in the schoolhouse enjoying our snacks.After a quick tour of the museum, we finished our hike, walking through muddy, swampy lowland. The trail brought us to the edge of Atkins and the Relax Inn, where a resupply box awaited. A quick shout out to WW¢s parents, Tom and Billie, for sending us our resupply boxes. They are always on time, on target, and sent with lots of love in the box!It was a neat day on the AT. However, we are a little concerned about WW¢s toes, as we have some bigger mile days planned in front of us. Please pray that we can keep her feet dry and healing.Peace & Blessings - Next StepElevation Data:               Weather:Ascent ~ 2,070                  Day ¢ 61 degrees / Light RainDescent ~ 2,890                Night ¢ 44 degrees / Rain ShowersGrade ~ 8.3Over the Horizon: McAfee¢s Knob