Virginia: the State that Never Ends

Virginia contains 555 miles of the AT and it feels like the state will never end. I’ve been in Virginia for 24 days now and I still have over 200 miles left. The honeymoon phase of the trail has throughly worn off and the “Virginia blues” have started to set in.

Highlights

New Friends

A huge pro of Virginia has been making new friends. I met Big Spoon and Sharky in Damascus and really enjoyed hiking with them through southern Virginia. They are even the reason I got vortexted for the first time at Woods Hole Hostel.

Photo credit to Chappy

Great Loiters

As part of my time in Virginia, I’ve had some great loiters when I’ve been trying to kill time. The first loiter was at the Long Neck Lair Alpaca Farm. I got to avoid an afternoon rain, clean my clothes, and meet back up with Reaper and Stumbles.

The second loiter was at Quarter Way Inn. The owner makes necklaces that represent the AT and can be used to track your progress. Each state has a different color and each bead is about 25 miles. There’s something incredible satisfying about being about to move the tracker ring another bead forward.

The third good loiter was a Dismal Falls. We went there on a shorter day so I was able to spend 3 hours there. I had a nice swim and then lounged around while my friends caught up.

Reaper’s Birthday

To celebrate Reaper’s birthday, 6 of us slack packed with a hostel that makes you a cake if you complete 26 miles. We wanted to get her a birthday cake. We spend most of the day hiking together in a line which was such a fun change in pace compared to the solitude of most days.

Dad’s Visit

My dad came and hiked with me for 3 days. We got to hike the Virginia Triple Crown together (Dragons Tooth, McAfee’s Knob, and Tinker Cliffs). It was great to see him and learn more about his hike now that I’ve gotten to experience the trail myself.

Lowlights

Rain

Of the 24 days I’ve been in Virginia, it has rained on 16 of them. It normally only rains for a couple of hours, but the frequency of the rain is starting to wear on me.

Solitude

Pretty much all of my friends went to Trail Days, a hiker festival in Damascus, and are now a few days behind me. It’s been a good challenge to hike without them, but I’ve missed their company and hope they will catch up soon.

Allergies

Everywhere I look I can see luscious green foliage and spring flowers. The downside is that I’m allergic to just about everything that grows in the spring. I’m taking 24 hr allergy medicine twice a day to try and combat all of the pollen.