AT - 730 - Daleville, VA

The weather has been warmer lately. A few days ago the temperature was in the 80s for two days. The trees haven’t fully formed the canopy, referred to as the “green tunnel”, so the warm weather was exhausting. It’s been nice lately.

A lot has happened since Irwin but I’ll try to summarize some highlights. I’d been waiting for a computer with a keyboard to use, but every hotel’s guest computer has been broken and I haven’t been able to get to a library. So this is all done via texting.

Near the road 19E I had a strange time. There was a tent next to a busy road. I thought that’s weird, it’s so loud. I kept walking. Later someone told me the guy staying there was firing off rounds in the night and someone called the cops. So I went through the area as quick as possible. After that I stayed at a donation based hostel called Kincora. I showed up an no one was there. Later a couple more hikers showed up and the owner. I think the hostel started in 1997. It is one of the older hostels. A bit run down but an awesome place to stay. The owner, Bob Peoples, is kind of a legend.

Fifty miles after Kincora I stayed in Damascus. The trail goes right through town. I stayed at a cool hostel called Broken Fiddle. In a couple weeks Damascus will host Trail Days, which is a huge hiker party. The entire town will fill up with tents in every park. Damascus also had a nice diner that was filled with hikers in the morning. The town is about 1/4 way from the start of the trail as I entered Virginia.

I went through Grayson Highlands during a snowstorm. I had already sent my rain pants home so I did it in shorts. It was cold the entire day and I went through quick. There were wild ponies all over the mountains. It was really cool. Unfortunately my hands were so cold I didn’t take many pictures. I passed the 500 mile marker that day.

After Grayson Highlands I spent a night at Partnership Shelter. We ordered pizza delivery because it was close enough to town. I heard that was the only shelter you could get delivery on the trail, which made it a good stop.

I had to get to Wytheville from the trail to get to a Walmart a few days ago. It was off the trail about 15 miles. I walked passed the road I needed so I hitched back. Some guys picked me up in a truck and offered me a beer. They couldn’t drive me all the way because they’d been drinking but they dropped me in a better location. I got a shuttle and made it to town and back. I also got to meet up with a couple trail friends in Wytheville and had enough points for a free Holiday Inn stay.

Yesterday was one of the nicest hikes I’ve had yet. I did around 26 miles through amazing cliffs overlooking rolling hills and pastures. I split a room last night at the Howard Johnson last night with another hiker.

I took the name Steady, so that’s what people call me out here. I’ve been doing around 20 miles a day more or less lately. There are more and more people doing similar mileage so I’ve seen a lot of familiar faces. 

At this point I’m used to hiking everyday. It’s become my normal day to day life. Every three to five days I stay in town or at hostels for a shower and laundry. I sleep either in my tent or a shelter depending on how crowded places are. People are more spread out lately and the ones still thru hiking are more serious than they were a few hundred miles ago. I’m nearly 1/3 done now. I’ve found a good comfortable pace, which is quick but as they say out here “hike your own hike.” My shoes are falling apart. They are still my first pair but I ordered new ones and had they shipped to a hostel 80 miles away. 

Today I’m taking it easy. I told my buddy I’d wait here and eat lunch with him. After that I’ll probably try to get some miles in. It’s supposed to rain for a few days coming up. Hopefully it’s not too bad and I don’t think it’ll be cold.