Hardcore, Spy Rock, Bear Scream

You read that right. Those seemingly random quips would be the three most influential things that happened to me in the past few weeks. But this is the trail after all, so there are many more things that have happened in between which I feel obligated to share with you as well. So here we go.

I was originally going to take three zero-days with my family, since I was feeling the shock of being out of my trail element pretty strongly. But thanks to my begging sisters, I was forced to spend four and a half days off trail. I survived somehow, occupying my time with normal people activities such as cooking in a kitchen and walking without an intent. I also was able to import and organize some pictures, which I will be sharing very soon. After being dropped back onto the trail, I had a day's worth of elevation gain close to 5000 feet to conquer, which proved to be very tough for me, especially after several days off. However, what seemed like hell to me barely phased other hikers who were passing me on the upward-facing mass, which felt somewhat discouraging. At the beginning of the trip, almost everyone has to develop their "trail legs", which allow them to ease into big miles and will stay with them until the end of the trip. The couple of days I spent back on trail required me to build back some of the trail legs that I lost.

I eventually got to the road crossing near Buena Vista, VA, where I made my way down to Trail Days in Damascus, VA. Disclaimer to my Mom: if you don't like the idea of me hitchhiking, consider skipping this paragraph. Now that I got that out of the way, my journey down to Trail Days proved to be very tough. It took me four hitches to get to Interstate 81, down to basically the bottom of Virginia, and over to Damascus, a journey which usually takes 3 1/2 hours but took me 7. After getting to an Exxon station close to the I-81 entrance ramp in the back of a pick-up, I spent almost an hour and a half asking around seeing first off if anyone was heading south. Most people were heading north, which they may have said because they actually didn't want to pick up a grungy hiker, but I like to think more positive. Eventually, a Christian father of four from the North Carolina backwoods offered to bring me south on I-81 under one condition: that I drive so he could enjoy a couple of Bud Lights. That's right, he handed me the keys, I nervously remembered how to drive until I could put his rickedy 90's model Saturn on cruise control, and we got to talking about life, faith, and everything else under the sun and over the asphalt. It was great getting to know him, but he eventually needed to head eastward to get home, so he dropped me off and I took two more hitches which were less eventful before I headed into Damascus.

The town of Damascus, VA is occupied by about 600 full-time residents, but it swells to about 3000 during Trail Days. Among these are current and past thru-hikers, locals who consider it their version of a county fair (complete with smelly creatures, though the ones here wear packs apparently), and numerous trail angels such as Miss Janet (all hail the Oracle). Most of them set up their tents on the outskirts of town, which becomes aptly named "tent city". I can tell you first-hand that it is closer to a tent metropolis, as you can walk almost a half an hour through fields and woodlands and are constantly surrounded by tents of all shapes and sizes, makes and models. The buzz of energy and merriment and the smell of sizzling meats and bonfires is all consuming and constant, as you pass by "camps" manned by big-name trail angels and their assistants, each one surrounded by thru-hiker tents. A short walk outside tent city brings you to an extensive string of gear vendor and food booths, all meticulously engineered to satisfy the thru-hiker in everyone. The ATC, Gregory packs (the one I have, offering free repairs and exchanges), and even David "Awol" Miller (author of the AT Guide) all had booths set up. In all the public areas of town, historians, botanists, and notable hikers were giving seminars and workshops. I got to listen to the second person to ever thru-hike talk about his journey back in 1951 with an 80 lb pack including a canvas tent and a lead canteen (a stark contrast to the modern thru-hiker's gear). The second day had a hiker parade, with past thru-hikers grouping up and sporting banners and current thru-hikers peppered among. Marching down the main avenue, we were sprayed with water guns by townsfolk, a tradition started in order to clean off dirty hikers. Evenings were spent around a bonfire, jamming on whatever instruments one had or could fashion (my ukelele was a big hit). 

While most people headed back on trail after the festivities, I decided to participate in a trail maintenance opportunity called Hardcore, hosted by a Chuck Norris-esque trail legend named Bob Peoples (jokes abound on the walls of a shelter outside of his hometown in Hampton, TN). A major perk in participating is that everyone gets dropped back onto the trail from wherever they came from through a ridesharing system, a lifesaver for me considering how far north I got off. Our group was one-hundred-strong and shared in communal dinners  For two days, we combated erosion on one mile of the trail in the Roan Highlands, sweating and toiling our way toward an even better trail. It was a wonderful experience, and I got to opportunity to meet some wonderful people :). And plus, I even got the views that I missed the first time through the Roan Highlands. 

After finally getting back onto the trail, I felt the onslaught of bugs for the first time on this trip. The fact that my buff covers my ears was a godsend (actually, the thanks goes to my Aunt Patty for giving it to me for Christmas, I've also gotten many a complement over the AT map design), considering how many flies attempted to kamikaze into them, but got stopped. However, I had to wear my sunglasses just to keep the bugs out of my eyes, despite the weather being fairly cloudy and them almost fogging up due to the extreme humidity. As I got to my campsite at Spy Rock, before me stood a stone mass rewarding me with a 360 degree view from to top to melt away the troubles of my day. The sunset from there was indescribable and probably the best view I have gotten so far on my trip.

The next day, I made my way over The Priest, notorious for it's long and rocky descent. But first, I stopped by The Priest Shelter and read from the blog that has traditionally become a catholic-style confessional, due to the mountain's namesake. The confessionals ranged from comically innocent to downright shocking, but were all accepted on part of the log being a confessional. It's just one of those gems of the trail. The day ended with a visit to Devil's Backbone Brewpub, which was offering half-gallon jugs of award-winning beer for half-price that day, as well as an assortment of great pub-style dinner options. These were all enjoyed by the ravaged thru-hikers, who were also allowed to camp along the field next to the brewery. The next morning was very special though, as we got to enjoy an incredible breakfast made specially for us thru-hikers, complete with eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and homemade sausage that was out-of-this-world (or at least out-of-this-country, as the founder is of Polish descent).

The day that awaited us was cold and rain, but filled with high spirits from the incredible breakfast. We headed into Waynesboro and zeroed the next day, filling up on the acclaimed chinese buffet in town. The next day, I entered Shenandoah National Park, which is renowned by hikers for it's wayside snackshops and abundant wildlife. The second day in, I saw my first bear, which I became aware of when I heard a scream from a fellow hiker a couple of yards ahead of me. The scream scared me way more than the bear to be honest, but I apparently learned that the scream was meant to get the bear off the trail, not as an initial response. The bear was cool, but the scream became the talk of camp, as it reminded us all of a trademark horror movie scream.

In the middle of the Shenandoahs, I got to visit with my cousin for the evening, which was very rewarding, and I made my way uneventfully through to the end of the park yesterday. Today, I will be spending my day in Front Royal, VA and will be staying at a historic hostel called Mountain Home Cabbin (spelt with two b's to honor the original owner who built it in the mid-1800's). I will be crossing the 1000 mile mark very soon and will finally be heading into my next state--West Virginia! I can't wait to tell you all about the next states to come!

Virginia is for lovers.........of the trail

So where I last left you all, I had just crossed into Virginia. So far, it has been my most enjoyable state. Maybe I say this because I'm now well accustomed to the trail and the challenges that come with it, but I think that Virginia presents a little bit of everything. I've seen rocky landscapes with views every couple of hundred feet, lush forests with gradually sloping hills, and ascents with layers upon layers of blue tinted ridges. I've felt chilly nights, warm, breezy evenings, and blazing hot mid-days. Alone, these circumstances would leave a hiker exhausted and thoroughly frustrated with the state, but it is because Virginia has a little bit of everything that makes it so spontaneous and unforgettable.

Out of Damascus (where I got sucked into an extra zero day because of some friends), I headed up the flank of Mt Rodgers and into Grayson Highlands State park. This region is known for open grasslands and wild ponies, which came right up to us! I was very tempted to pet one, but park rules state that it is best not to, so I erred on the side of respect for my pony friends. However, I wished that I brought some carrots with me to feed to them. Me and my group were blessed with wonderful weather, but it caught me off guard how rocky the trail was. Miles of jagged and awkwardly-shaped rocks made the bottoms of my feet really hurt for the first time.

Another thing to mention about Damascus is that I had decided to send my winter gear home, anticipating that the weather would stay as warm as it had been. Even though I kept my winter sleeping bag for a while longer, I quickly realized that it was a mistake to send some layers home, especially as it got near freezing in the evenings and mornings at camp. Alas, I trucked on, and eventually made it to Partnership Shelter, which is right by the Mt Rodgers Visitors Center. A special thing about that shelter is that hikers are able to order a pizza and pick it up right next to the shelter. It was a novel, well-deserved treat to eat pizza at a shelter. Because I couldn't even finish my crusts, I zip-locked them and took them the next day to warm back up over a fire. Truly, pizza for days.

From there, I headed through several farm fields, which offered different but nonetheless beautiful vistas down the trail. I even passed by a settlers museum with a school house building where a local church left trail magic of soda, chips, fruit, and other hiker needs (including Ibuprophen, which I promptly took for my aching feet). The Next day, I went to a fully enclosed shelter at the top of Chestnut Knob, which offered incredible views to the north of a formation known as "God's thumbprint", called so because the mountains seem to form a thumb-like indentation. The shelter was beautiful, but that the water source was essentially a frog pond located 0.2 miles down (I definitely needed to backwash my water filter the next day). This particular mountain was significant because it is the highest elevation the trail hits (~4400 ft) until the White Mountains all the way up in New Hampshire. I guess it will now be lower hills for a while (not a bad thing, but just as a matter of perspective).

A couple of days later, we heard that the same church that left trail magic at the school building was hosting a free, all-you-can-eat breakfast for thru-hikers every Monday, so we timed our pace to end up there at the right moment. The breakfast was crowded with hikers in the small church building, but that didn't seem to phase the elders and members from being hospitable and just incredible to us. I was very grateful to be able to experience that. Later that day, I headed to a shelter that seemed to have an inconveniently far water source, and it wasn't until I got back up that another hiker told me that there was an alternate source only 100 yards in the other direction. Oops. I know that in the context of walking in society, a lot of people tell thru-hikers that a mile should be nothing for them and that it makes no difference, but I can assure them that at the end of a full day of hiking, every dang foot of extra walking counts.

A couple of days later, me and my group stayed at Woods Hole Hostel, which is in a renovated cottage from the late 1800's. What makes this place special is that it has its own farm and prepares community meals from locally harvested and grown products (we had mountain gumbo that night, which was incredible). The owners have a strong focus on sustainable and healthy living, and they offered messages and yoga sessions (which I gladly participated in, my body really needed it). Later that night, one of their goats gave birth to a kid, so we were all able to welcome him to the world. It was definitely an amazing moment. The next day, we headed to the town of Pearisburg, where we ate at a Chinese buffet, picked up supplies, and nursed our food babies in a motel watching survivalist shows on History Channel, all the while laughing at how dramatically their tribulations are presented. I guess that when we are in the middle of hard days and circumstances, it doesn't seem as entertaining without a camera crew waiting on us.

The next day, we hiked many miles to a house right near the trail across the river, where a man named The Captain lets thru-hikers camp out in his backyard. The only way to get there is to zipline across the river, and some people almost got their feet and the bottoms of their packs wet. We jammed by the fire, and I fried slices of summer sausage to make trail bacon, which momentarily whetted the hiker appetite in me. The next couple of days, the weather started to get very warm, and we were greeted with open views from rocky ledges. The most famous of those were Dragon's Tooth (a stone monolith which requires a scramble to the top) and Mcafee Knob (the most photographed section of the trail). Though the weather was wonderful, many of us started getting rashes below our shoulders due to the extra sweat and friction from our straps. Gross, I know, but it is a reality of hiker life (at least at the beginning of the warm season).

For Cinco de Mayo, I decided to host my own trail magic at a shelter right after a town. I got the idea a while ago of carrying up a baking sheet as a griddle and quesadilla fixings for hikers to make their own. It went really well, and it was great to be giving back to the trail, especially after how much it has given to me thus far. The next day, I hiked 16 miles in 4 1/2 hours to meet up with my sisters for one of their graduations, and it has been a great time sharing my experiences first hand and  recuperating for the next leg of my trip. From here, I'll hike for a bit more, and head back down to Damascus for a hiker festival called Trail Days. I'm excited for the rest of Virginia, and I'll be sure to tell you how it all goes!