Every Day I Eat a Bug
Not on purpose…but the damn things keep flying into my mouth! And it’s always on an incline, when I’m desperately sucking air, so by the time I realize a bug was included in that air, it’s already zoomed down my throat. And at that point, the only thing to do is curse loudly and chase it down with a few swigs of electrolytes. “Extra protein!” say my fellow hikers.
Day 70 – Left Marion. For a few miles, one side of the trail had recently burned; I figure it was a prescribed burn and they used the trail as a firebreak.
Slept at a campsite with a few other hikers, one of whom had a radio which he tuned to a music station and left playing all night. Then in the morning, he asked how I’d slept. Ha bloody ha.
Day 71 – Officially 1/4 of the way to Katahdin!
Only did 7 miles today, stayed at the Quarter Way Inn and spent the afternoon slugging Dr. Peppers and watching Jurassic Park on a quaint machine from the 1900s called, I believe, a VCR. I was kind and rewound. Stayed up till 10 at the host’s suggestion to watch the meadows fireflies put on a light show.
Day 72 – Cooled off my feet in this “river” before making a long tough climb under gathering clouds.
Saw a snake in the grass and cussed it out before realizing it was just a rat snake.
Stayed at a shelter where another hiker asked if anyone had a problem with him leaving his food inside the shelter rather than hanging it properly outside. Good grief.
Day 73 – Saw my first two black bears today! One came walking up to a tree about 50 feet away but scamper off when it saw me. The second was sloshing through piles of leaves down in a little valley. Hoping to see more!
Starting to see some blackberries along the trail, I bet the bears will love them in about a month.
Orange Man caught up with me toward the end of the day and we camped near a creek.
Day 74 – Stopped at Brushy Mountain Outpost for a small resupply and lunch. Got surprise rain last night so we dried out our tents in the sun while we ate. Walked across I-77.
Very hot and humid, and we had to carry extra water because the streams are starting to dry up. BTW, did anyone else know water is heavy?
Day 75 – We hit the 600 mile point.
Still having to do long water carries. Stopped to cool off at Dismal Falls.
Ran into a hiker from New Zealand called Kiwi, who’s very kind and gave me a small pep talk. Feeling pretty low mentally.
Day 76 – Still really struggling with my mentals, thought about quitting a lot today. We got a shuttle into Pearisburg and decided to take a zero tomorrow, maybe that’ll help me get my head back in the game. Missing family, feeling slow, the days getting hotter and the water carries getting longer – this shit is really hard.
Day 78 – Zero’d yesterday and feeling a bit better. Slack-packed the remaining 12 miles to Pearisburg, then spent another night at the hostel. Lots of power lines – an intrusive thought said “looks like a great zipline.”
(Don’t zipline down a power line, please.)
Day 79 – Did the long climb out of Pearisburg. Stood on the border of VA and WV.
There was water at 6 miles out of the town, then NONE for 13 miles. Water carries are rapidly becoming one of my least favorite things about Virginia. But on we go!
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Comments 1
Liz, Thanks for the reminder about power and zip lines! Take it one day at a time and enjoy the journey. Prayers and positive thoughts being sent to you and other hikers.