Daleville, VA

(added some more info since last night's update)

Sorry for not updating in a while, I had no time in Pearisburg, as we did an in-and-out resupply of sorts. Stayed the night but were only there in the evening, so no library visit for me. Tonight I'm in Daleville, I think. It's kind of a big interchange of two highways and an interstate, between Daleville and Troutville. Fast food, gas stations, and motels... quite a difference from my previous week of mountaintop sunsets, trees, and lots and lots of rocks. And though I have many gripes against this civilization into which I've just jumped back into, sure is nice to get a shower, and gorge myself on food.

Been pushing some big miles lately. Enoch has family he's meeting for Shennendoah N.P. and I'm trying to meet up with a friend up near there too. Out of Pearisburg, did a 12, then a 20, two 18s and today a 24. My body hurts.

Been a good few days though. The first night out we were up on Symms Meadow, which has taken Max Patch's place as best campsite so far. Had a great view (the meadow was on a mountain ridge), with a perfect sunset and an amazing sunrise. A new friend, "Simply" had some whiskey, and Enoch and I ate quesedillas for dinner (KBomb had packed himself out a strip steak and corn on the cob!). The weather has been great too, except for today, with a lot of rain, fog, and cooler temps.

The fog and rain really kind of blew the day, really. We had camped just a bit past VA 624, after stopping at a gas station for burgers and hotdogs, next to a stream. But there was cow shit around, so we didn't get any water, had a dry night. We hiked for 6 miles before we could eat breakfast (besides candy bars), aiming for a shelter with a clean water source, a seasonal spring, which turned out to be dry. Shit. So we had another candy bar, and hiked the mile to the next shelter, where there was a year-round spring. But the skies dumped on us in the meantime; and with the temperature drop, we were freezing cold for hours. It didn't help that we didn't pur rain gear on, so we were soaked to the bone. Hiked all day in wet shoes, and here's the kicker. McAffee Knob and Tinker Cliffs are supposed to have great views, but with the fog, there was nothing to see, especially on the Knob. It was like staring into the void, just a pure whiteness. I had been looking forward to that section too, so it was a big disappointment. S0 being tired and sore, plus wet and viewless, the day was a bit crappy. Yet it seemed to improve all day, from being in a terrible mood in the morning, to happy as a pig in shit by nightfall. Not a bad way to live a day, I guess. Improvement is always good.

Anyways, I'm zeroing here tomorrow. We're all pretty tired, and I don't know if we're going to make our schedules. I myself haven't slept good in a few days, thanks to a too-warm sleeping bag, lots and lots of bug bites (I hate no-see-ums), and extremely loud snorers in the last two shelters we stayed at. Makes a man want to camp out all the time, but when you're tired, you don't always feel like setting up camp. So here's to a nice day off and lots of eating!

Oh and by the way, if I find the hiker who's spreading the lie that Virginia is flat, I am going to kill him. Kill him dead.