Day 131 – VA 16 / Mt Rogers Headquarters / Merry Hiker Inn to Atkins, VA / Long Neck Lair

Rain seems to be the theme. It wasn’t raining when we woke up, and it wasn’t raining when we left just before 8am, but there was a lot of rain forecast. We planned a short day. We’ll hop on over to the next hostel and get dry again.

The trail was pretty easy today. Lots of beautiful rhododendron tunnels with nice pine needle trails. Not too much up or down. A few rocks to keep us on our toes.

The best part was talking to Ready. He said two rainy days on the trail were better than five sunny days on the beach. Meriwether and I agree.

I was still tired this morning. I think Meriwether was too. We’ve been doing a lot of miles. An average of over 20 a day for the last week. And today we only managed 11.

We met Ready’s wife. She is just as nice and funny as Ready. They fit well together. It was hard to say “see you later,” but I know we will.

We spent the afternoon resting, taking pictures of the alpacas and eating the food that the other hikers had left in the fridge. This hostel has very comfortable bunks, we will be sleeping soon. Meriwether already told me that the alarm is set for 4am.

165 miles to go. That’s more than we managed in 7 days. It’s totally doable in 8 days, and easy in 9. I should be home by the middle of next week. Hopefully before next weekend. It makes me sad to think about it.

Day 132 – Atkins, VA / Long Neck Lair to Chestnut Knob Shelter

The weather was perfect this morning. There was a calm breeze, the air was cool and we could see a crescent moon and some stars. The weather forecast says there won’t be any rain for the next week or so.

The first 14 miles flew by. I told Meriwether that I didn’t feel like we were going that fast. I was surprised when we reached 9 miles and 9.5.

The last 6 miles were pretty slow. Reports on FarOut said there is no water on the mountain so we fueled up and also cameled up. The packs were heavy as we climbed over 2000 feet.

I glanced at the register in the cabin where we had lunch. A guy named Puzzles had left a message the night before. We met him a few hours later and shared the cabin with him.

As we approached the shelter, storm clouds gathered and it started to rain. So much for a dry day.

The view from the bothy down into Burks Garden is breathtaking. I imagine the sunrise and sunset will be breathtaking as well. I’ll probably sleep before the sun goes down and hike before it comes up. We have a long ridge hike tomorrow so I’m hoping for a long sunrise.

Day 133 – From Chestnut Knob Shelter to Helveys Mill Shelter

Last night, mice were playing in the shelter. For some reason, one was interested in the pot we boil water in. There has never been any food in that pot, so I’m not sure why the mouse kept trying to get in. A bunch of other mice found a bag of bread and peanut butter that had been left in the shelter.

The view into Burk’s garden, God’s Thumbprint, was even more amazing this morning. A crescent moon and a cluster of stars hung over the alcove.

Today’s hike was tough. It wouldn’t be a tough hike in the spring, but most of the creeks and springs have dried up. We carried about 9 liters for the last 12 miles or so. And that wouldn’t have been enough. During part of the hike on the road, we got another 5 liters. We made it to camp with 6 liters and have less than 4, which will have to last us another 16 miles tomorrow.

Today we passed the spot where we started an anniversary hike two years ago. We have hiked every mile of the Appalachian Trail. Tomorrow we will pass the spot where we finished a 100-mile pre-hike last fall and will have completed every mile in less than 12 months. We are waiting for next week, however, when we will have completed every mile at once, probably in less than 140 days from start to finish.

We can hear the highway from our tent, and the road noise drowns out many of the sounds of nature. I think we’ll spend a few more remote nights, we have enough road noise at home.

Right now, I’m grateful for the opportunity to be out here. And I’m also grateful to the truck driver who gave us lots of water.

Day 134 – From Helveys Mill Shelter to Wapiti Shelter

Last night it didn’t rain and there were no mice. This morning everyone is happy. During my nightly bathroom break a small animal sneaked up to the tent. Much bigger than a mouse, probably a raccoon.

Today was probably our last “easy” day on the trail. No major climbs or descents, just food for one day and hopefully enough water to make it to Trent.

We managed 12.9 miles by 10 and were at Trent’s in time for lunch. Before we got to Trent’s, we crossed Kimberling Creek on a footbridge at VA 606. Last fall, we pre-hiked the last 100 miles just in case we were pressed for time. Meriwether is scheduled to be back in school in just over a week, so we’ve now hiked the entire trail in less than 12 consecutive months. Our next goal is to finish the trail in one go.

We hiked these last 100 miles not only last fall, but many times. This is our backyard. Currently, we have 5 days of hiking planned to get home. Our average mileage on these days is much lower than before, we could be home in 4 days.

Every now and then I feel a little sad that this trip is almost over. But honestly, most of the time I just want to finish. I’m tired of putting on wet clothes in the morning. I’m tired of being dirty. My body feels strong, but when we stop moving, I’m exhausted. I’m tired of being tired.

That being said, there are some new gear we want to try out and I’m looking forward to the trips this fall. A few weeks ago we met a guy who is hiking north. I’m hoping he’ll get in touch when he gets near Roanoke and I can meet him for a few days along the way. I’m looking forward to a similar but shorter adventure next summer.

The trail from 606 to Wapiti Shelter is one of my favorite trails. There are no views. It mostly runs through a green rhododendron tunnel. Part of the tunnel follows a creek and crosses it several times. I especially like this section. The air is cool. All road noises are drowned out. It is dark. It is a place of contemplation. I feel relaxed and at ease every time I hike through this section.

Throughout this journey, I have been most grateful to the people who have fought hard to protect places like the Appalachian Trail. We need more of these places and protections need to be stronger. Pierce Baxter’s vision for Baxter State Park needs to be repeated many, many times.

Day 135 – Wapiti Shelter to Pearisburg / Angel’s Rest Hiker’s Haven

It started raining pretty early in the evening, maybe 10pm. I had already had my nightly bathroom break, so I closed the vestibule on my side of the tent and woke Meriwether up to do the same on her side. The rain actually cooled things down a bit.

Usual morning routine.

Just before our 10 by 10 we passed by Doc’s Knob Shelter and noticed someone there, so we went down to meet him. Monk is on a long hiking trip across Virginia and will be at the hostel tonight.

Today’s route was typical for the next 4 days. Steep up the mountain, long ridge path, steep down the mountain. We passed many familiar places, Doc’s Knob, Woods Hole, Pearis Ledges, Angels Rest.

The sky threatened rain all day. There was only a short summer shower when we arrived at the hostel. The temperature remained quite cool, or more precisely: not too warm. My pants actually dried today.

Shortly after we began the descent from Angels Rest, we met a friend from home coming up the trail. She had offered to show us the magic of the trail in Pearisburg. She wanted to see Angels Rest, so after we greeted her, she continued up the mountain. I was surprised she caught up with us so quickly.

Stephanie had brought cold drinks, sandwiches, cookies, brownies and chips, a real feast for us. After we had eaten our fill, she took us to Food Lion and watched us buy our supplies. Then she took us to the hostel and looked at our room. I’m pretty sure she wanted to go on a hike and get a behind the scenes look. Go ahead Stephanie, you can do it, there’s no need to wait.

I feel refreshed and almost ready to tackle the last 117 kilometers. First we have to do 1.4 kilometers in the morning to get back to the trail. Before that I hope to get a good night’s sleep.