Another couple of busy busy days. Let's see, yesterday saw me waking up after a long day fueled by trail magic at New Hope church. That's right. It's amazing, the days are really blending together!
I started yesterday a good 35 miles outside of Pearisburg. In my mind I told myself "17, 17 and then go into town on the 30th (tomorrow)." Well, as you can see, I did not listen to what my mind was telling me! The weather was perfect, I felt great, I kept a slow and steady pace, and the terrain was not treacherous. Put it all together, and you get a feeling that anything is possible. It's like a runner's high, but with hiking. I felt this all day, and when I got to Wapiti Shelter, where I thought I might camp, I just made dinner and kept right on going. It started to get late, and the sun was sinking low, but I still felt the hiker's high, so I headlamp'd up and on I went. I stopped to watch the sunset, ate more snacks (including most of what I had set aside for the next day), and then it was decided. I figured that I would never feel as good to go tomorrow as I did today, so why stop? I kept hiking as long as I enjoyed it. In the end, I made it all the way along a ridge in Jefferson National Forest to a rocky lookout, not more than 5 miles from Pearisburg! It was 10:30 when I laid out my tarp, Thermarest and sleeping bag and fell asleep under the stars. I had walked 30 miles.
I still can't fathom the fact that I walked 30 miles yesterday, and I especially can't believe how easy it was! There have been several days where I've struggled to make 15, yet yesterday was not as physically or mentally challenging as those. I will admit, I was sore this morning, but I wasn't dead tired. It's crazy how things work out. I will also say that it feels great to know that I am capable of 30 mile days. It makes me feel like a real AT thru-hiker! But, for the time being, my thirst for high mileage is quenched and I think I will be taking it easy for a bit.
Night hiking was fun too. I didn't picture myself as much of a night hiker coming into the trail. I figured maybe on really hot days, when doing it would keep me cool, but not now when the weather is bearable. But man, it was fun! Or at least a nice reprieve from the usual day hiking. It was a little scary, and I think it would be more enjoyable in a group. There were some spots where the white blazes were augmented by a nail with reflective paint. I assume that this was specifically for night hikers. The problem for me was that from a distance, the reflective nails looked just like the reflective bear eyes from last week!
Today I made it to Pearisburg, a day ahead of schedule. Pearisburg's a nice little town, and the highlight is definitely the hostel. It's behind a Catholic church on the far edge of town. It was a good two miles to get here! But the distance means less hikers and more peace and quiet. Plus the hostel is in an old farmhouse, with a wood burning stove, big front porch, and a loft to sleep in. The fridge was stocked with food by the caretakers, so that was nice too! The other highlight, and pretty much the only other thing I did today besides come to the hostel, was the Lucky Star China Buffet. 6 plates of food and 3 cups of Hershey's ice cream, gone in a flash of silverware!
Tomorrow I think I'll take my time leaving town. It's been an eventful 48 hours, and I think some slowing down is in order.
- Scribbles (aka Ted)
8:37 p.m. 4/29/2015
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