Date: 2016-05-16
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I was glad to be indoors last night and not freezing outside. It was another cold night outside. I did not sleep very well as Papa snored most of the night, but that is the chance you take if you stay in a shared room or bunkhouse. I was awake for good around 5:30am. I just relaxed in bed until 7:00am. I then was up and waited for the coffee to be made. We all had breakfast together at 8:00am and it was awesome. Great food and great company. It was probably the best French Toast I have ever had. The fresh cooked bread was great too. It was one of the better hostels I have stayed at. I left just after 9:00am and had to hike up the steep road a half a mile before I got back on the trail. It was a cool brisk morning hike. The terrain was on the easy side but only had a short hike to get to town so I really took it easy. As in hiked I thought of a few things I forgot to mention in yesterday's journal entry, like the endless beautiful rhododendron tunnels and the dozen or so small bridges I had to cross. The trail followed so many steams and small rivers that were all really nice. So back to today. I stopped at some ledges with a great view and ran into Papa and several other very nice hikers. One of them named Rucker. I ended up hiking with her for quite a while and we struck up some nice conversation as we went. We eventually caught up to Papa and hiked down to the road leading into Pearisburg. I walked the mile into town and checked in at the Plazza Motel. When I first checked into my room I was feeling a bit uncomfortable. The room has concrete blocks as its walls. They are painted white and it is a very basic room. I met another hiker who is in the next room and asked her what she through. Her name is Shades and she seemed quite nice. She said it was not the best but the bathrooms were good and clean. I checked her room out and it was similar to mine. I then just put my pack down in my room and headed to the post office to pick up my package. I was hungry so I got a late lunch at the Dairy Queen next door and then headed back to my room. It turned out Shades was right. The room is ok. It is clean and the bathroom is very clean. It is not very sound proof, but for $44.00 bucks it is fine. After I showered and shaved I went into the small downtown to the barber but he had closed for the day. I stopped at the Rite Aid and picked up a few things before heading back to my room. I spent the rest of my evening going through my pack and organizing for my next five days of hiking. I have 92 miles before my next stop. That will be my longest stretch without stopping so far. That is if I make it all the way. I gave a few of my extra food item to Shades and she gave me a few things. We talked for a few minutes and then I was back in my room. I spent a lot of time looking at my maps trying to figure out my next Three or four stops and mail drops. I am up late tonight and although I do not really like this motel I think I am going to zero here tomorrow. It is suppose to rain all day and my body could use a day off. There is rain in the forecast everyday for the next two weeks so it should be interestingI walk for Pete.