Days 41-52: Pearisburg, VA to Waynesboro, VA
Hello actually from more than half way through Shenandoah National Park, about 65 miles past Waynesboro at mile 930. I haven’t had a day off in a while, hiking full days into town, so I haven’t had much time to sit down and summarize. So here’s my best shot at some of the highlights of these past 300 miles.
Top sleep spots list: Rice Fields
I took it easy out of Pearisburg, hiking only about 6 miles because I wanted to stay at Rice Field shelter, which sits at a massive open meadow with beautiful westerly views down to the West Virginia towns and valleys below (the shelter is right on the Virginia border with WV). I caught perfect spring weather and clear skies, and I spent hours chilling in the field talking to friends, taking in the views, eating dinner, and culminating in the best sunset I’ve seen on trail so far. It goes to show that it can be so worth it to put the aim of making big miles aside for a day or two to soak in the special places the trail takes you.
Day 47: the end of an era
On Day 47 I achieved the significant milestone of finishing listening to all 7 Harry Potter audiobooks. I’ll be honest, I’ve been in a bit of a state of mourning ever since. The Harry Potter story with all its twists and turns and constant plot advancements was perfect to keep me engaged for hours at a time. Since finishing, I’ve turned to podcasts (I’m a little more than half way through S-Town and I’ve been listening to This American Life and The Moth), but they haven’t quite been able to fill the void. So any audiobook suggestions would be quite welcome!!
The climb of (almost) death
I crossed the James River around mile 800, and immediately climbed 2200 feet in about 3 miles up to a picturesque ridge. I generally really like uphill climbs—I like getting into a rhythm and feeling my heart pound, as opposed to battling my aching knees walking downhill. However, the day of this climb was the first day that I felt the oppressive east coast heat I know is fast approaching. Climbing up the steep switchbacks I could feel the heaviness of the heat bearing down on me. By the end of the climb, which, though I thought I may never make it, did eventually come, I was drenched and exhausted. To see the effects of the climb on my physical and emotional being, please appreciate the before and after sequence I have provided (and also please acknowledge my bravery in making the after picture public).
Devil’s Backbone: AT decadence
The day before we hiked into Waynesboro, we decided to hike 1 mile past the shelter we had planned to stop at to Reed’s Gap, where we could hitch 5 miles to Devil’s Backbone Brewery, which was supposed to be one of the best places to eat on the trail, plus they offered free camping on their premises. I didn’t know anything about the spot, so I was picturing a restaurant on the side of the road, with a patch of grass out back for me to pitch my tent. Which sounded fine to me. But no, Devil’s Backbone is in fact a luxe compound: there are 2 restaurants, a gift shop, an outdoor bar, a wash room, and dozens of camp spots. From the time we arrived at 3pm until we left at 8am the next day, I ate: a quinoa bowl and green beans (pictured above), a veggie burger, an ice cream sundae, chocolate chip cookies, and a $5 hiker breakfast that consisted of oatmeal, eggs, toast, potatoes, and veggie sausage. Plus, Welcome’s mom came to visit, and brought apples with her! It’s definitely the fanciest place I’ve been to so far on the trail—definitely worth the extra mile of hiking and the hitching back and forth (and for all my worried relatives out there don’t worry I was very safe getting rides!!)
The theme of the day is interesting spheres
The day to which I am referring is April 22nd. I feel like there’s not too much explanation needed, these were just some fun coincidental sights. The first was a uniquely shaped water tower, and the second is a rock formation aptly called the guillotine.
An overdue goodbye
I end this post with a memorial to my first pair of hiking shoes. They lasted 863 miles until my toes literally poked through the right shoe. They were good to me and only gave me a few blisters. I’m now a few days into hiking with my new pair of the same shoes. Over these first 900 miles, my feet grew a half size!
Up next…
I’m in the Shenandoahs right now! Update on that coming in a bit!