Date: 2007-06-10
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter, VA
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: broken clouds

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAREN!Yippy! Back out here hiking again. I got up a bit late this morning (no birds to wake me) and it was a pretty amazing "people" day.I got my pack and poles out of the room and walked down the stairs to see Linda (the Plaza Motel owner) sitting outside in a chair, and a family running around taking pictures. Next thing I know, the mom of this family, Debbie, is asking me questions and explaining a story about this stuffed animal she had with her. It was cool talking to them, and she wanted her 3 daughters in a pic with me, so we did that, and then I got introduced to everyone else, brothers, ex-husband, current husband, everyone. They had this amazing energy and love of life about them, and they offered to take me back to the trailhead, and I gladly accepted.So it is really confusing exactly where it picks back up in Pearisburg, so they drove around a bit, and I finally decided it had to be near the Rendevous Motel, so I had them drop me off there. They were the most genuinely happy people I've met out here. Hard to explain really.Well, the trail still seemeda mystery, so I asked a man @ the motel, and he walked me all the way down to the trailhead. I headed off and at first was totally at ease, but then I was walking down a highway and I never saw white blazes. I'm getting a bit ticked now, but I but kept going. Finally, about a mile down, I'm sure I've somehow missed the trail, so I"m just standing there on the side of highway 460 with this look of "What the hell?" on my face when a vehicle pulls over and its Debbie and her husband and kids again! They saw that I looked a bit lost, so I hopped into the back of their truck, and we found someone to ask ad they helped find the trail.I actually was on the right track, but you have to roadwalk to another road, turn right and go about .3miles on that road, THEN you get back into the woods. GEEEEEZ.....I thought I'd never find it! LOL Debbie and her husband were SO excited to help me, and man did I obviously need it. THANK YOU EVANS FAMILY!So whew...now it's 10:30 a.m., I didn't like getting such a late start, but oh well. Had a climb out of Pearisburg (as usual), but I just plugged along and before I knew it, I was up to the ridge, where I stayed all day.I ran into Just Jack, who I hadn't seen since Erwin and who is so hilarious, I met for the first time Cowboy, Bill, a father\son, and 2 men from Georgia. All of these people were amazing today, not sure why, but I so enjoyed talking with them. One of the gentlemen from Georgia had a daughter who also served in the Marines. So I know I said the terrain is NEVER easy, but it kind of was today. There were places with rocks from time to time, but all in al it was another almost all flat\slightly roling hills day.There were a few places where it opened up ino these meadows, and you could see Petersburg on one side of the mountain and Pearisburg on the other. Really beautiful for sure.I stopped @ Rice Field Shelter for lunch and some water, and while I was there Boy Scout Troop 212 from Raliegh, NC showed up. Wow, what a nice group of boys. I talked to a couple of them, showed them where the water trail was, and when their leaders showed up, I told the how impressed I was with these boys' polite behavior. Apparently they's had their rights read to them the nite before for being rowdy! LOLSo I push on, and had no intention of going as far as I did today, especially with such a late start, but it was partially a water issue and partially that I "could" go that far. Not muc wildlife other than birds and chipmunks. I got to Pine Swamp Branch Shelter a little after 8:00 p.m., to find 2 other hikers (Rodent and a man) there. I chatted a bit, ate a snickers for dinner and then set up camp and am about to pass out. It is 66 degrees, and I'm hanging near a stream, so I can hear it flowing.Apparently tomorrow there's a place where a bridge is out, so you eiter take a detour and roadwalk, or you can ford the creek, which I was told is no deeper than knee deep. I'll probably ford it, which will be my first time to do that (and stop to soak my feet too!)So I don't always know how far I've hiked till I get to camp and figure it out, so I'll admit I was totally shocked to see I had done 19 miles today with such a late start. I'm gaining more confidence everyday, and am becoming more comfortable with pushing myself a bit. My foot was its normal achy self today, but again, manageable. The day of rest helped for sure. My next planned stop is Catawba, where my new camera is waiting for me. I only plan on going to the P.O. though, because I've got enough food to get to Cloverdale\Daleville area. I've got some exciting hiking coming up with Dragon's Tooth, McAfee's Knob, and Tinker Cliffs. These are all places that are sort of iconic, much like Max Patch. Well, must sleep.~Certain