Virginia so far

Trail Days

*Disclaimer: my posts are delayed by 2 weeks. This helps me to regularly post and work on these without detracting from the trip*

Arrival

We arrived Thursday afternoon, the night before Trail Days officially began.

After arriving we were invited to a free chicken dinner the church was hosting. We had a few hours until this started so we took the time to settle in. 

Tent City

Most people set up in a field referred to as Tent City. 

This worked perfectly for the tenters. As a hammocker, I needed trees. 

Woodland Rave

The party was on in the trees. This did not bode well for me as an introvert.

I found a place to set up after some searching and strung up my hammock. While setting up I listened to partiers scream obscenities for 10-minutes and felt this bode even worse. It wasn’t even night-time yet.

Woodland Seclusion

After setting up I wandered into tent city to see where my companions had set up. While looking for them I found another section of woods separate from the first. A few older gentlemen were sitting here, and they looked more like my crowd. 

I moseyed over and found that this section was secluded, and Ducktales, No-Hurry, and Weatherman were set up here. Later our shuttle-driver from Fontana would show up and set up deeper in this section.

I moved my hammock to this location and was delighted with this spot. Over the course of the weekend, probably 10 people found this area and set up. 

Dinner-Time

After setting up I went to the shower truck to wash off days of grime. I rejoined Fresh and Holiday while here, and after showering, we went to dinner. 

In my previous post, I mentioned having Noro and was recovering as I got into town. I hadn’t eaten a proper meal in about 3 days, so I was starving. While showering I was so hungry I was hunched over in hunger pangs. 

The church provided a dinner to over 600 hikers this evening. They split dinner into 3 groups so they had enough room for everyone. 

The meal was the first one I could easily get down in days. I felt much better after eating. 

Night-time

In the evening, we explored the Woodlands, which was a fun experience. Knowing I had a quiet hamlet to retreat to afterward made this far more enjoyable.

If it’s not obvious yet, I’m not a partier and I was probably one of like 3 people to stay completely sober throughout the weekend. 

We explored the woods and checked out the camps. It reminded me of driving around looking at Halloween or Christmas lights. 

Riff Raff rolled through with a boombox at one point to circle the camp and bring the partiers to them. 

Vendors

The next day, we checked out the booths the various vendors had set up. We entered a few raffles and made a few purchases. 

I checked out the Trek booth. The team seemed busy when I arrived, so I didn’t have a chance to meet them. Instead, I spoke with another thru-hiker, Father Time, who was manning the booth. I recieved a bandana and carried on as there was a lot to do.

Parade

I participated in a parade the city has for the thru-hikers. The “classes” of the various years paraded down the streets while the residents sprayed us with water. 

The Journey Continues

Leaving Town

We left Damascus on Sunday. I was surprised by how quickly Trail Days seemed to end. We went for breakfast at the diner, and it seemed everything and everyone was packed up ready to go by 9am.

I left town with Holiday Swamply, Chewy, Ranger, and Dandelion. We camped with Weatherman and Samwise. Later, Fresh arrived and camped with us too. Take-Out left later in the day and didn’t catch up to us. Sauce had to take a couple days off trail to attend to some business.

Virginia

Virginia has proven to be much easier than the previous states. People say it is ‘flat’. This is a bit of an exaggeration, but I would certainly agree it is flatter. 

Due to this, we started to hammer out extra miles in the day. We have hiked 14-19 miles every day since leaving Damascus. I am comfortable with 16 miles, but 19 proved too much. 

Due to the higher miles, my recollection of the previous days is a bit fuzzy. I’ll hit the high notes.

Grayson Highlands

The Highlands are the home of the feral ponies! 

We have been excited about this section since before starting the Trail, and it did not fail to deliver.

A herd of ponies was hanging out at the trail while I was passing through.

We also crossed the 500-mile point on this day!

Partnership Shelter

We stayed at the Shelter known for having a shower and being close enough to town for food deliveries. 

I was a bit saddened that Take-Out wasn’t with us when we were at the Shelter where you could order take-out. It felt like a missed opportunity. 

We rode into Marion, VA on the city bus. We resupplied and enthusiastically stopped in at a Chinese Buffet.

The shelter was overrun with hikers when we returned in the afternoon. Poptart was here, and it was his final stop on the trail, so a group had gathered to bid him farewell.

Bland, VA

We left Partnership and hiked a 14-mile day, followed by a 19-mile day, followed by an 11-mile day.

This took a toll on my legs. I knocked my shin into a picnic table at some point before Partnership Shelter and I haven’t had a chance to rest it. 

We all decided to take a zero-day in Bland at the nearby Weary Feet Hostel. I was going to stay alone if I needed to. My shin and ankles have started to swell, and I am increasingly in pain.

I decided I would be moving at my own pace moving forward. I’d like to keep up with my group, but I want to complete this hike more. If that means slowing down as they speed ahead, then that is what I will do. 

Crossing the 1/4 point

We crossed mile 550 in this last section, which marks a quarter of this journey complete. 

 

I’m excited to see what the rest of this trip has in store!

Experiences

Impermanence of Life

This trip has often reminded me of the impermanence of life.

People

I will often meet new people every day. Sometimes I will only see them once. Sometimes I will meet them and not see them for weeks and then meet again. Some people I haven’t seen in weeks, and I have no idea if they are still on the trail or not.

Places

I see new sights every day. There are times they are so grand I have to pull myself away from them. I am always moving forward and have no intentions of turning back. It’s interesting to sleep in a new location every night.

This Moment, Only Once

There was a night I was sitting and laughing with the group. People from different walks of life, from different locations around the world, and we happen to be on the Trail at the same time. At the same place on the Trail.

If I were to hike this 100 more times, that moment would never be repeated. The trip will never be the same.

Life in a Nutshell

Real life is like that too. We meet people who come and go. Some we see again, some we may never see again. We go places we may never go to again. 

It’s hard to see sometimes because real life seems to move much slower. We see the same people and go to the same workplace day after day. We toil away in the same old routines, and I often felt like I was stagnating.

The Trail is a more contained experience. Even though we are doing the same thing every day, it is easy to see the progress. It is easy to know that we are moving forward.

Appreciation of Each Moment

Due to the sped-up nature of the trail, it is easy to remember to appreciate each moment. Every step we take is taken once. Every moment we experience will only happen once. None of it should be taken for granted.