Pearisburg to Daleville

Virginia isn't flat

Day 55

When feasible, I enjoy hiking in to town by lunchtime so I can get my chores done and still have time to rest. Besides proximity to town, the second benefit of the Pearis Ledges campsite was the sunrise. This was actually the first dedicated sunrise or sunset that I've watched during this trip. Normally, there's too many trees at camp blocking the view, and I'm not committed enough to wake up early and hike in the dark. Or, early on it was too cold and windy to want to camp near open summits.

Sunrise from Pearis Ledges

 I learned that Dairy Queen offers a standard fast food breakfast, but I opted for the pizza and salad buffet. The whole crew stayed at a hostel, taking over the back field with tents. I may sleep better tenting than in a shared bunkhouse, plus save a few dollars and still enjoy the amenities.

Another common feature of hostels is a shared kitchen. I miss real cooking, so a quick dinner of rice, sauteed veggies, and a pouch of pre seasoned beans feels gourmet. Plus boxed brownies!

Day 56

While trying to use a temporary splint for my tent pole, I managed to break my pocket knife. No great loss, it was a cheap one, but it is one more errand.

It takes a lot of mental energy to overcome the inertia to hike out of town. Several times worse when it's about to thunderstorm (briefly, but still). It made me question my sense of self preservation.

The sun came out the rest of the afternoon, so I got to enjoy the views from this open ridgeline.

With all the trees leafing out and the understory an explosion of green, the forest even smells more strongly now. Whether it's floral or just unspecified greenery, it was an unfortunate time to run out of allergy medicine! I got more in Pearisburg, luckily.

Day 57

This particular stretch is infamous for a herd of goats that roam freely and are prone to approaching hikers and licking the salt from their sweaty legs. Our camp was free from overnight visitors (your trekking poles and straps of backpacks may get chewed, too), though a mouse chewed a hole into my bottle of hand sanitizer. I saw 2 goats on my hike in the morning, but they didn't approach me and I was too focused to snap a photo.

Can't resist a 'lil red salamander

And now to start a series about hikers' favorite topic: food.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as they say. Oatmeal is a particular favorite, especially packets of instant. Methods include cooking as directed, overnight soak in water, and eating cold with a splash of water to soften. I prefer adding something crunchy like nuts or seeds for a variety of textures. Oats pack a decent nutritional punch and calorie count with little weight, and they are cheap and widely available. Grits are preferred by some, too. 

Pop tarts are a favorite no-cook option, though they get smashed to crumbs rather quickly. Other pastries like honey buns or bagels provide easy eating. Granola or cereal, with powdered milk if you prefer, is a nice crunchy option once the mush of oatmeal gets old. While brands sell freeze dried breakfast skillet meals, most thru hikers seem to prefer faster mornings.

Coffee drinkers have several options including instant (quality varies), sachets of pre ground, and fresh ground pour over for the dedicated few. Tea and instant hot chocolate are common. Some might have protein shakes or other powdered drinks.

Though I have yet to try it, I heard from past thru hikers about making trail yogurt. Use a packaged yogurt as your starter culture in a well-sealed container. Mix up powdered milk and keep in an outside pocket so it can be warmed by the sun during the day. Eat while keeping a little starter, and repeat.

Not everyone likes eating first thing in the day, so some people will have a protein bar or two and then snack on the move all morning.

Day 58

Good news: I got in contact with the manufacturer of my tent and it's under warranty! They will be mailing me replacement poles on trail next week.

Today's ridgeline had a few interesting features. There were at least 20 stone cairns, piles of rocks stacked up to 7 or 8 feet tall and maybe 6 feet in diameter. Were they used for navigation? Organized places to put inconvenient rocks dug while farming? Burial mounds?

I thanked the stones for safe passage just in case. Not out here to get haunted.

A geographic point of interest: Eastern Continental Divide

There was a decent stretch of open rock slabs that exercised the whole range of motion of my ankles. While today was sunny and dry, I've been pleasantly surprised in the past that the tread on my shoes can cling to very angled rocks, even when wet.

So many ridges

Day 59

Today was a tiring day. I did my longest day yet (not counting slack packing) at 23.7 miles and 5500 ft each of elevation gain and loss. Plus, this continues a stretch of warm days with 80 degree temperatures.

Milestones, in the literal sense

Fellow Dartmouth '18 Sebastian and his girlfriend Aisling reached out to me to coordinate trail magic as they live close to the trail in the Virginia Triple Crown area. It was a bright spot at the end of a long day. The snacks were delicious, as are most foods when you have worked up an appetite.

Dragon's Tooth. Hard to tell the scale, but the slab at left is maybe 20 ft tall

The Virginia Triple Crown is a set of 3 interesting geologic features: Dragon's Tooth, Macafee Knob, and Tinker Cliffs. The AT connects them all in a 27 mile stretch. These are very popular day hikes as well as weekend backpacking trips. Luckily for thru hikers, popular trail sections are extra well maintained, with gentle switchback slopes and blow downs that are cleared quickly.

I didn't expect the back side of Dragon's Tooth to have such a rock scramble! It was hand over hand in spots, and I slipped a few times. It's always more challenging to descend steep segments than to climb them. Sometimes, a managed butt slide is called for, and sometimes you turn to face the rock and climb down like a ladder. Or, even a literal set of rungs drilled into the rock face.

Day 60

Much shorter at 10 miles today, and some key photo ops. It was a welcome easier day after yesterday's sprint.

Of course, a photo at Macafee Knob.

I took the chance to hang out at Tinker Cliffs for a while, snacking, stretching, and admiring the view. These are the special snapshots that I'll remember - reaching for your toes and seeing blue skies and mountains.

Admiring the views

Tinker Cliffs had many viewpoints and no crowds

I knew the time was coming: today I got my first insect bites. It's a bit of a bummer camping in shelters while waiting on my tent poles. I think half of the bugs I swat are imaginary, but others make it past my defenses undetected.

Day 61

Headed into Daleville today. I snacked on healthy food first, followed by a pint of ice cream. On my way in, I ran into a group of day hikers, including more Dartmouth alums ('98 and '99).

Overlook on a hazy morning

There was a good outfitter and a few restaurants in the same shopping center as the grocery. I know other hikers that had been trying to replace shoes for ar least the last 100 miles, and I was able to get replacement insoles plus bug spray.

With that, I'll end this section. Happy hiking!