Back on the trail after Pearisburg we had some beautiful days with some crazy river crossings--all the rain we had avoided during our stay in town really did a number on the water level. The trail in Virginia is often not much different than what we'd already seen in the South, with the exception of all the cow fields. At first the occasional field was a treat; wide open clearings had been rare so far on the trail, but now it seemed like we were walking through several a day--and some of them even had cows grazing in them (we made sure to treat our water). After a few days of hiking Mango and Johnny Appleseed split up for a bit. We parted ways at Sarver Hallow Shelter, a crazy nice and new shelter almost half a mile off trail--but worth the walk. Deer walked all around the shelter and even came right up to it while we were in it. Over the next two days or so Mango went ahead to visit Carrie just off trail, and Johnny Appleseed took it easy and rested his hip. After a little over a day apart we met back up again and also caught up with our pals Goose and Always Fine. The next morning the four of us all got up before the sun to head to McAfee Knob for the sunrise. There was some pretty intense cloud cover, but the sky was still beautiful. Since we had started so early we made it to Daleville by lunchtime and had settled into our hotel room not long after. We ended up taking a zero day the next day because Johnny Appleseed went to the clinic and was told he had hip tendinitis, and to rest it/take it easy however much he could. We ended up dodging another rain storm that day, so the zero fell in a pretty good place. We headed out the next day with big plans to make it to Buena Vista (and then to Lexington) for Mango's accepted students day at Washington and Lee. We got picked up at the trailhead by Mr. Webster and headed into the city of Lexington, where he gave us the grand tour. The next day Johnny bummed around town while Mango was at school, and by that afternoon--thanks to Mr. Webster!--we were back out on the trail. Mango met a lot of professors and future classmates at ASD, it was exciting and overwhelming to think beyond the AT and imagine living there for the next four years! However, for now the woods are our home. We only did about 3 miles that afternoon, but man it was one intense climb! We spent that night at Cow Camp Shelter--and what an insane night it was (the night of the tornadoes). It stormed all night with heavy rains and intense winds, blowing down branches. The next morning it was still raining pretty hard, so we got a bit of a late start in the interest of staying dry. From there it was two decent days of hiking to Waynesboro, our next stop just before the Shenandoahs.
Waynesboro was possibly the best trail town we've been to yet. It's about 3 or 4 miles off trail, but there is no trouble at all getting a ride in. At Rockfish Gap (a visitors center/parking area at the start of the Shennies) there was a list posted on a fence of all kinds of Trail Angels who would pick you up and give you a ride in for free--you just had to pick one and dial. We were brought to the YMCA because they offer free camp sites for thru hikers, as well as free use of all the facilities AND a goodie bag of candy and toiletries! Before heading home, the nice older man who was shuttling us brought us around town showing us where the resupply store was, and then finally dropped us at the Ming Garden, an all you can eat Chinese food restaurant. Back at the YMCA campground we cowboy camped, so when we woke up the next morning we were covered in dew. Being wet and cold, we opted to chill at the YMCA for a bit instead of heading right out to the trail. We were back on trail by noon and began our Shenandoah National Park experience. We had great weather, low 60's with some clouds and a steady breeze, combined with the soft earth and easy grades to make for some big days. The SNP was filled with wildlife! We saw rabbits and deer daily and Mango spotted a four foot black snake on trail one day! We met a lot of day hikers, sections hikers, and weekenders that all praised us for our perseverance and high spirits. One thing I did not like about SNP was how close the Skyline Drive was at ALL times, it was impossible to feel completely at home when you hear a thundering motorcycle overpower the simple chirp of a bird. However, this also meant easy access to WaySides and other eateries which were abundant throughout the Shenandoahs! However, the restaurants also slowed us down and made us feel invincible! We had "planned" to do 64 miles non-stop at a slow pace and arrive at Mango's aunt and uncle's pad a night early so we could have more time with the family. Well, 10 hours, 28 miles, and a lot of hiking in the dark and rain convinced us otherwise. We stopped at a shelter around midnight to get some necessary shut-eye. And what a lucky stop that was! Sleeping already was our good friend Spam who we hadn't seen since North Carolina! So, the next morning was all catching-up and who did this, what happened here, and a lot of smiles. We left camp a little later and decided to try our "hike long but slow" method and arrive at our destination Thursday morning. Pshh it was only 36 miles...W started late in the day and hiked until midnight where we reached a shelter just 12 miles shy, so we figured a nap would be a good idea before we continued north. At 4am we awoke, packed up, and kept our feet moving. Finally, after four long, tiresome hours we sat down on some rocks and waited for the faces of family to gather our spirits and deliver us to memory foam clouds buried deep in the mountains where we rested our tired and sore bodies and minds. And now, in a few minutes we will again be hiking north into more familiar territory.
Peace and Love, Johnny AppleSeed and Mango
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