Date: 2016-03-06
From: Motel in Pearisburg

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: broken clouds

Got up & took an extra shower, then went out for breakfast. Dairy Queen next door advertized "$3 breakfast". For that I got a dry biscuit with sausage, a hash brown patty, & a medium soft drink [since I don't drink coffee]. I couldn't find anything else for breakfast on the menu boards. As I was eating, I heard someone order two eggs & ham. I asked the girl at the counter where that was on the menu. She said she just hadn't gotten around to putting up that board. She wasn't in any hurry either, just getting around to it as I was leaving. I guess the regulars don't need such frills.I hadn't been able to find information on the Lutheran Church at the far end of town, so I went to the Episcopal church again, & joined the adult class discussing a book on doing with less. I could make some applications based on getting along with just what's in my pack. The service was not well-attended, but good worship & a good sermon. The part-time priest is also a school teacher, & I learned that they and the Lutherans are looking at combining in some way. I suggested they talk with Pastor Annie at Christ Trinity Church in Sheffield Mass., which I visited 20 September. I also met a man who can maybe take me to Blacksburg to get the bus to the airport. After checking out of the motel, I went down to the Food Lion & the Chinese buffet near it. Lots of food, but not nearly as good as I'd remembered. The down the hill along the nasty Main Street hill to the Trail so that I could go back up to Cross Avenue. I should have known from last time here that CROSS AVENUE IS THE BEST PLACE FROM WHICH TO ACCESS PEARISBURG, involving the least amount of extra ups & downs. I'd discovered that last time by accident [coming the other way] but was in too much of a hurry to think about it this time]. At the crossing someone was dropping off couple of backpackers heading North for a few days.It was probably 45 degrees then but began cooling off as I went up the hill. I met about 15 day-hikers coming down, while the snow on the ground increased as I went up [& mud where there wasn't snow]. At Angels Rest, I enjoyed the view & called Susan -- then left without taking a picture [disappointing]. It was still light for a couple of hours, then I walked in the dark to the shelter, doing about a half hour of trail work along a generally gentle path [mostly old road].One of the things I got from Susan was information on my flight home. I had put it on the calendar as 8 March, & we based various other decisions on that. Suddenly, I now discovered that it is really scheduled for the 9th. I felt bad for Susan because she had already talked about counting the nights till I returned. By the time I found out that it would cost $565 to change the flight, I had no signal to call her.Docs Knob shelter had a lot of mud around it but otherwise nice. The privy is quite new, & they left the boards from the old one for people to burn [paint & all!]. After doing my whole thru-hike in 2013 without meeting any shelter mice, this is about the 6th one I've met this trip. I thought the cold weather would have kept them down, but maybe it's the opposite. It may also be that they are bolder when there is only one person in the shelter. Any way, it didn't like my shining my light on it & finally left after I made a big noise with the broom on the floor.