5.2.13

Today we left hiking behind. Perhaps for a long time. I'm sad. But I'm ready to begin a new job in Indiana. I'm even more ready to begin looking for a house to buy!  On the way home we stopped at the Tamarack. It;s a huge shopping center that boasts many West Virginia local artists. 

A quilt that captured our attention.

An artists' coffee table. This costs way more than I can imagine. Also, it's as big as my tent. Ah, culture shock.

5.1.13

From Massie Gap Service Road to VA 603

Miles: 9.0

Mom-showing me where I missed her big sign yesterday. She wrote CSW as a sign to me, but I missed it!

Today I passed 500 miles from Springer Mountain. this means I have hiked 1,200 miles!

Today's trail was incredibly rocky

And beautiful, even though it had been burned in large areas.

A trillium. I was pretty excited to see a flower today! Trilliums are one of the earliest spring flowers. Their seeds are also spread by ants. Fun fast fact of the day!

We finally left Lazy Fox and enjoyed this luxurious room!

4.30.13

From VA 600 to Massie Gap Service Road in the Grayson Highlands State Park

7.1 miles

Mom drove me from Damascus up to the trail.  Today I hiked through the Grayson Highlands State Park.  This park is famous for its wild ponies.  I saw wild ponies, but from very far away.  I also saw wild long-horn cows, much closer than I would have liked to.  They ignored me and I walked away quickly.  I also became very lost.  Mom can give you more details about that as she hiked in to meet me, then gave up on waiting for me and went back to the car.  At the end of the day we found each other and drove again back to Damascus to the Lazy Fox.

White Trail Blaze

Views from the Trail through the Grayson Highlands

See the blaze.

Long Horn cows near the trail

4.29.13

From VA 728 to Elk Garden/VA 600
10.2 miles

Mom went above and beyond today. I hiked halfway and mom picked me up drove me again and I hiked back.  This way I got to hike downhill all day.  It was brilliant.  At the end of the day she hiked in a little bit and waited for me and we hiked out together to the car.

Mom hiking up the trail steps

Mom in the car while it rains, dropping me off to hike

View from VA 601

Springtime flower in the mountains

Trail with a cool knobby tree in the background

Views from the trail

I found this under a tree along the trail

Flowers. Each of these blossoms is the size of my thumbnail

A picnic table in Damascus

Me on trail in Damascus

4.28.13

From US 58 in Damascus to VA 728
12.5 miles

Last night mom came into town! I took a zero day yesterday and just bummed around Damascus.  We are staying at The Lazy Fox, the oldest bed and breakfast in Damascus, run by Virginia.  After a delicious and huge breakfast mom dropped me off on trail.  As we pulled up to the trail we saw the man who Chip and I had camped with a few days earlier.  He was struggling under a heavy pack because it was full from food he had picked up in Damascus.  He put his pack in mom's car and we made plans to meet at the next road crossing.  We walked together throughout the morning.  It was enjoyable to have company.  We made good time since we weren't carrying our packs.  At the next road crossing mom met us and he took back his pack.  He planned to go to the next shelter area and camp, and I planned to go beyond that to the next road and meet mom again.
It rained most of the day, but mom braved the weather and came out to join me where she picked me up.  I was glad to be on trail with mom.  After hiking we went back to Damascus and by chance met Gyro and his mom at the pizza place in town.  Gyro had hoped to thru hike this summer, but has run out of funds and is going home from Damascus.

Virginia serving breakfast to a hiker named Big Red

A flower in the rain

The trail in the rain

Me in the rain next to the white blazes

An accidental close up shot of mom, but it turned out really pretty.

Mom and I on trail in the rain

Mom hiking on the trail with her trekking poles.

4.26.13-Virginia!

From Low Gap US 421 to US 58 in Damascus
15.0 miles

I got a ride back out to US 421 and hiked into Damascus, slack packing. It felt good.  Damascus is a very small town that has the largest trail gathering every year.  It was scheduled to be a few weeks after I was there.  There is a great outfitter in town, a good pizza restaurant and lots of bed and breakfasts.  The Virginia Creeper Trail also runs through town and attracts many bicycle tourists throughout the summer.

This is a tiny old shelter that has been dubbed the love shack.

Finally into Virginia!!!

4.25.13

From Double Spring Shelter to Shady Valley, TN US 421, Low Gap Shelter
3.5 miles

Chip and I decided early this morning that really we should not be together.  So we hiked to the first road and hitchiked to Damascus, VA.  We found a kind woman who could drive Chip to a bigger town where he could catch the Greyhound bus the next day to go home to Vermont.  I stayed the night in Damascus, Mom is supposed to come in a few days to meet me in Damascus.

4.24.13

From the Spring South of Turkey Pen Gap to Double Spring Shelter
10.6 miles

Today was a beautiful day, though it started cold.  Last night Chip and I camped near a man who is thru-hiking after his wife recently passed away.  Chip decided that even though it was cold last night he wanted to sleep out without a tent, so I put up my tent and he slept under the stars.  Here is a picture of him standing up in his sleeping bag this morning because he didn't want to get out of bed yet.  It was funny.
Trail Magic!  Partway through the day we stopped before a road crossing found a big box where a Jr. High church group provides snacks and treats to hikers passing through.  We enjoyed it very much.
As we walked away from the Trail Magic I saw Merry the Hobbit!  (Sept. 18 and Sept. 19) It was really great to see him again.  He was only there for one day to see a friend who was hiking through.

Chip in his sleeping bag at camp.

Trail

Chip with the Trail Magic