Day 128 (October 29)

Today was a bit gloomy on the trail. I woke up to the sound of rain on my tent fly. I walked in a cloud most of the day. Hiked Unaka Mountain -- 5,180 feet -- which was challenging with the wet. At the end of the 21 miles was Uncle Johnny's hostel, so things brightened up. Dry and warm tonight, taking a zero tomorrow at Johnny's before moving south. Take care.

Day 127 (October 28)

Another great day of hiking. I made 21 miles over some pretty good climbs. Walked over Jane Bald, another scenic, grassy plain on a mountaintop. I am stealth camping tonight. Had planned to stay at a hostel but I missed the turn-off. I hiked alone today; Zest is taking a few days off to attend his daughter's wedding on Saturday. I hope I can get out of the sack tomorrow morning. Zest is usually banging the drum at 5:30 a.m. I should make Erwin Tennessee tomorrow if it doesn't rain in the morning. Right now, the trail threads back and forth along the North Carolina/Tennessee border. Take care.

Day 126 (October 27)

Terrific hiking today -- a comfortable 16 miles. We climbed for about a half hour coming out on a mountain bald, i.e. a grassy plain on top a mountain. Beautiful 360 degree vistas. It was about 50 degrees and the sun was shining with light winds. This was perhaps my favorite scene on the AT. I lay spread eagle in the grass at the top and simply tried to appreciate it all. Heaven. Take care.

Day 125 (October 26)

We took a zero day today: no hiking. Got to church; watched a bit of football; bought some warmer hiking clothes for the Smokies coming up; and did some writing. A full day. 

Church was unique. I went to a small, one-room country church on an obscure North Carolina backroad. Only about 30 people attending. I was introduced to a 7'2" man about my age. He turned out to be Tom Burleson: North Carolina state basketball hero; '72 Olympian; and former professional NBA player with the Seattle Supersonics! Nicest guy and what a giant. Back on the trail tomorrow. Take care.

Day 124 (October 25)

It was a gorgeous day to be hiking the AT! Perfect October day: sunny, 70s, light winds. Zest's brother dropped us off at the trail head around 8:00 am. We hiked like bandits for nine hours and his brother picked us up 23 miles later where the trail came out at a waterfall. 

Tennessee has quite a unique culture. Last night, we stood in line outside at Ridgewood Barbecue, voted Tennessee's best barbecue. We waited to get in at 4:30 p.m! It was worth the wait. The waitresses call you honey, baby, darling -- really helps when you're sixty, disheveled, bearded, and smell. Anyway, that barbecue powered us up those mountains today. 

Here is some of what I saw. Salute to the AT, Tennessee, and America! Take care.

Day 123 (October 24)

We Had another excellent hike today. We left before daylight and made 20 miles, following Watawga Lake for half the day. It is a reservoir formed in the 30s under the infamous Tennessee Valley Authority boondoggle. Beautiful. Zest has a summer home in North Carolina and his brother lives in the area, so that is where we are staying for the next several days. We'll hike during the day, Zest's brother will pick us up at the end of the day, and we'll stay at Zest's home. Nice. 

Here is a photo from above Watawga Lake.

Day 122 (October 23)

Got a great send off from Crazy Larry's hostel this morning. Terrific breakfast: eggs piled hiker high, pancakes, thick bacon, and coffee. We, of course, left before light (Zest likes to do that). Climbed nine hundred feet out of Damascus in the dark. Crossed into Tennessee after four miles. Eleven states down and three to go. Hiked 23 miles today on a wonderful trail. Not too many rocks and long runs; even a few pasture miles. Good to see those cows.

Stealth camping tonight. It's supposed to be cold again. Cloudy for most of the day today, but tomorrow's forecast is sunny. Here is a little of Tennessee. Take care.

Day 121 (October 22)

Wow, did we freeze last night. I had all garments on and sleeping bag zipped to the bald spot under the stocking cap. I was still an icicle. Tough to get going on such mornings, but town food 12 miles away will motivate you. We are in a hostel in Damascus, VA tonight. Warm. Last four miles of Virginia tomorrow. It has been 500 good miles. I wonder how much property, once held by one of the eight Presidents from Virginia, we walked over. Lots of history. Take care.

Day 120 (October 21)

Hiked another 21 miles today. The weather was cloudy, so a bit dispiriting. Came across a footbridge with a beautiful, cascading waterfall. Had a snack and watched/listened for a while. We are in good shape to make Damascus, one of the ultimate hiker-friendly towns on the AT, tomorrow. Hope to stay in a hostel there. We have our tents set up in a shelter tonight. There's a 50% chance of rain. Sunny tomorrow though. Take care.

Day 119 (October 20)

Had a delightful, 18 mile hike today in 55 degree sunny weather. It froze last night, so the grass was frosty but turning wet. We hiked over Glade Mountain -- not too tough. Hiked along a stream for several miles under a canopy of rhododendron bushes again, which was nice. Mount Rogers visitor center was right on the route, so we stopped in. A lady gave me a free bag of beef jerky and later gave Zest and I an order of dough knots (garlic bread covered with butter, like crazy bread but in a knot). It is popular down here, but I had never heard of it. Delicious. 

We are stealth camping by a river tonight. Chance of rain tomorrow. Just a couple more days in Virginia. Here is a photo of the rhododendron trail tunnel. Take care.

Day 118 (October 19)

Beautiful, 23 mile hike today. Last night was the opposite. It rained and the wind blew. We were in a good shelter at the top of Chestnut Mountain huddled in sleeping bags with mice for entertainment. In fact, they seemed to have a hockey game going on with a pork and beans can all night long. We're staying in a motel tonight. When I took my pack off to empty my trash bag, out pops a mouse. I carried him from the shelter all day -- turds and all! We experienced some great trail magic today as well: two coolers of pop and cookies. So nice what people do. 

Here are a couple photos from today's walk. Take care.

Day 117 (October 18)

Wow, what a day. We started in the dark hiking with headlamps and finished in the rain at the top of a mountain in a shelter. It only got to about 50 degrees. Did 22 tough miles on what was supposed to be a sunny day... Maybe tomorrow. Take care.

Day 116 (October 17)

It was a short, 12 mile hike today. We left the shelter where we tented last night while it was still dark. I spent the afternoon rehabbing my sore leg. It seems to loosen up after I walk for a couple of miles, so I am happy to be able to keep hiking. Nice to have a son, Grahm, who can give me podiatric advice. Charlie, the vet, thought some deworming might help. Got some Tums. It was a beautiful day for hiking, and we got a great hitch into Bland, VA for a night at a motel. Back to the AT tomorrow. Take care.

Day 115 (October 16)

It was another wet hike today. We made 21 miles: in the rain for most of the morning, but dry/cloudy in the afternoon. Interesting terrain. Went through several miles of rododendrun bushes. They form a tunnel about eight feet high. Kinda like walking through a low-hanging jungle. The last several days of rain have the creeks running full, and the trail itself in many places is a creek. Fortunately, I was in my latest pair of shoes which are waterproof. This is my fourth pair. I had them overnighted to Woods Hole Hostel from REI. Thought I'd try a waterproof pair since winter is coming on. Perfect timing. Crazy how you can get a pair of shoes sent to the middle of the forest. Nice to have dry feet all day. It's supposed to be dry the next three days. I can't remember the last time that happened. We'll see. Take care.

Day 114 (October 15)

Today was a great hiking day. We got a hitch to the trail head and climbed a mile up to a ridge. Nine miles later, we were at Woods Hole Hostel. Got some nice vista shots above the clouds along the way. Thankfully, it didn't rain, but it is raining again tonight. We're dry in the hostel and had a great dinner made by the hosts. It's a picturesque spot with a menagerie of animals. It's run by "living off the land" type of people so dinner was all organic. Hope that natural food is leg healing. Take care.

Day 113 (October 14)

I started my hike this morning at sunrise -- 7:21 a.m. It was raining, and I expected rain all day, but once I was soaked, the rain stopped, the wind came up, and I dried out. It was a mild 70 degrees. I hiked 23 miles along a ridge that follows the boundary between Virginia and West Virginia and went through an apple orchard up high. Deer love 'em. I finished up my hike in eight hours. It was a good test for my leg which is giving me some pain problems. Seemed to handle the hike well; we'll see how tomorrow goes. I only have 10 miles planned. Here is a photo of a vista as seen from the apple orchard I hiked through.

Day 112 (October 13)

I zeroed at a hostel in Pearisburg, VA today. I have a pretty sore right leg and am healing up a bit. Nice chance to do some writing and planning for the coming trail mileage. We are going to be walking in rain. Take care.

Day 111 (October 12)

Just a 14 mile day today, and all in the rain! It's supposed to rain for the next three days. Fortunately, we've found a shuttle driver who will pick us up at the end of the day and take us to a hostel where we can take a warm shower and sleep in a dry place. We still have a lot of Virginia to walk through; I hope we get to see it. Take care.

Day 110 (October 11)

What a day! We started hiking a little late: 8:30 a.m. Joe Mitchell, owner of Four Pines Hostel, dropped us off at the trail head. He had about 12 hikers staying in the hostel, so there was a little too much social time a little too late in the evening. Joe is an interesting character. He has converted a three stall garage into a hostel on his menagerie farm (dogs, cats, chickens). A rooster woke us up at 4:30 a.m.

The hike went well. We were expecting rain all day, but it only ended up raining in the morning. We climbed for a couple hours and came to a ridge that turned out to be the Eastern Continental Divide: 450 miles to the Atlantic; 1,500 miles to the gulf. We hiked it for about six miles. It was tricky with lots of 30-foot downhill granite slabs. I slipped and slid down one for several feet. Glad not to be in the Atlantic. We came across trail magic at about 11 miles: cold beer, pop, and snickers bars in a cooler. Nice! We finished at 17 miles on a remote forest gravel road where we were supposed to be picked up by a shuttle driver. He never showed. We got a 20 mile hitch in the back of a pickup from a deer hunter instead. 

 We're staying at the MacArthur Lodge which has been renovated since the time when the likes of John Wayne, Michael Landon, John Lennon, Audie Murphy, and others stayed here. We went across the street for an 8:30 p.m. supper. Nice buffet. Talked to a young, local guy about our trip. He bought our dinner complete with the tip! The AT is simply magical. Here is a bit of what I saw today through cloudy skies. Take care.

Day 109 (October 10)

Today was a bit of a challenge: we did 21 miles in steady rain. Fortunately, we have a nice, dry, warm place to spend the night: Four Pines Hostel, which is where we were last night. Our hike today began with a climb up to the site where Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII, was killed in a 1971 plane crash. It was a somber setting due to the rain. Many icons were left at the memorial even some 40 years after the event. Veterans paying tribute. We also climbed up and down Dragon's Tooth, a pretty tricky climb in the rain. It has a couple of areas where you need to hang on to rebar to get down the rock faces. All good.

Day 107 (October 9)

McAfee Knob

Another full day on the AT, and a beautiful sunny day to be hiking the 21 miles made today. We left Dalesville at 7:40 a.m and hiked a ridge line for most of the day. I took a photo from Tinker Cliffs and also one from McAfee Knob, one of the most photographed points on the AT. There were a lot of day hikers today because of the weather -- the weekend is suppose to be quite rainy.

We are staying at Four Pines hostel tonight. Joe Mitchell owns the hostel. It is a converted, three-stall garage with a bathroom and shower, cots, and a couple of cats -- yeah, no mice. We will be here tomorrow night as well because we arranged with Joe to pick us up from our 21 mile hike tomorrow and bring us back in an attempt to dodge the rain. He will again shuttle us to our Saturday starting point. 

The Joe loaned us his van, so Zest and I went to a restaurant called the Home Place. Southern cooking like I never knew existed! They serve family style: three meats, mashed potatoes, green and pinto beans, biscuits, apple butter, and apples, brought to your table in separate bowls with unlimited refills. The meal finishes off with peach cobbler for dessert. We ate 'til we were sick. The place was packed (lots of Virginia Tech students). The place is on a beautifully manicured farm setting in the Virginia country side. Take care.

Day 106 (October 8)

It was another monsoon night in Virginia, but sunny today. We did 23 miles yesterday, but a meager 14 today. Then it was into a motel to catch our breath. Staying in Dalesville, VA. The AT is right out our motel door. Quite convenient. We need to do 21 miles tomorrow in order to reach the destination where a hostel shuttle driver will pick us up. Virginia is such a pretty state, but it holds a lot of ups and downs. Gets us ready for the final push up the significant mountains of Tennessee and N. Carolina. The Appalachians are certainly diverse -- a treasure!

Day 105 ( October 7)

Wow! It's been a contest with the elements the last 24 hours. It rained all night, but we were dry in a shelter. Mice were all snuggly last night, though -- they kept running across my sleeping bag. We had a good hike, but now the rain has unloaded on us again. We set up in a thunderstorm, and it's feeling like an all-nighter. Tomorrow we hit Dalesville so spirits are bright. Here are a few things I saw today: a couple of vistas and some mushrooms. The latter are often brilliant colors. Take care.

Day 104 (October 6)

Left our stealth camp before daybreak today. We wanted to get 20 miles in, and the terrain was a little tough. Made it! Went past -- or rather under -- what is known as the guillotine, a big boulder wedged between to huge slabs of rock. It gets photographed a lot, but I had never seen it. Saw some nice vistas from points along the trail as well. Even came across what was signed as a 300-year-old chestnut oak tree. It was in a section of virgin forest that also included hemlock and tamarack trees. 

Nice to be in a shelter tonight since it's raining. Take care.

Day 103 (October 5)

What an awesome day of hiking in Virginia! Crisp, sunny, still, and an easy trail. We got a ride back to the trail head from a retired trucker named Paul. Great guy. We made 22 miles. Starting at 8:30 a.m., that's pretty darn good.  We followed a stream for the first five miles (nice sound) and then some ups and downs with several great views.  We went over some neat walking bridges too. The largest was over the James River of John Smith and Pocahontas (Jamestown) fame. We're stealth camping along the James River in fact. Big climb out of this river bottom tomorrow morning.

Day 102 (October 4)

Left our campsite at Salt Log Gap this morning when it was still dark. It rained all day yesterday and all night. We did an eight mile hike over three small mountains to a highway where we got a nine mile hitch into Buena Vista, VA. The hike had some great views, but my hands were so cold, I couldn't make my phone camera work. Staying in a motel tonight. It's nice to dry out. It's supposed to be great weather the next four days. Take care.

Day 101 (October 3)

This was quite a day. It started and ended in the rain, but we did 20 miles over some pretty tough terrain. Virginia's tallest AT mountain is The Priest. We climbed up for about five miles; it took two hours. Prior to the climb, I fell into a river trying to get drinking water. The rain made all the rocks slippery and treacherous for walking. Worst thing was my feet were wet up the climb. Still raining at our stealth camp tonight. This sort of thing is not much fun.

Day 100 (October 2)

We left Waynesboro at 7:30 a.m. this morning. A trail angel gave us a ride to the trail head. Some communities have lists of trail angels who voluntarily shuttle hikers to and from the trail. Cindy is an older volunteer. She said she has shuttled approximately 300 hikers this season. She takes no money for her work.

The hike went well today, but we got a little too aggressive and went too far -- 23 miles. We got caught in the dark with no good stealth camping spot available. We are beyond the Shenandoahs now, working on central Virginia. Still beautiful and fewer people. Nice. Here is a view from today's hike.

Day 99 (October 1)

Today consisted of a quick eight miles in the morning and a hitch into Waynesboro, VA to resupply, wash clothes, and clean up. We got a hitch from two ladies in a Honda civic. They took us to an outfitter and on a tour of the town before dropping us off at a diner. They thru-hiked the AT two years ago. Took a selfie of all four of us before leaving. People below the Mason-Dixon Line seem to pick up hikers more readily. We have a trail angel picking us up to get back to the trail tomorrow morning. Everything's working. Take care.

Day 98 (September 30)

We hiked 18 miles again from our tent site at Loft Mountain Campground. The camping was great. We waited around until 8:00 a.m. when the camp store opened up just so we could have a cup of coffee. Big babies. We hit the trail at 8:30 a.m. Hiking was quiet in terms of other hikers but very beautiful. The Shenandoah Park trail is so nice on the feet. We finish hiking the park tomorrow. 

Here is what we woke up to, as well as a few views of scenery today. Take care.

Day 97 (September 29)

We completed another 18 miles in the Shenandoah National Park today. The trees are changing daily. Beautiful. I saw a bear on the trail. The youngster was within five feet of the trail and I barely noticed him as I was trudging uphill. When I did look to the side, he looked back, casually eating acorns in sort of a half seated, half lying down posture. He was unperturbed. I moved ahead on the trail because that's what they tell you to do. I wish I'd taken a picture, but I forgot all about it. He was a very black bear, and I can confirm that he was not a man killer. We are staying in a campground tonight with coin operated showers, a camp store, laundry, and folks from all over the country roughing it in their campers. Pleasant. 

Here are a couple views from today, hard to do the beauty of this place justice with a photo.