Daleville, VA

I wish I had the time to give you every little detail since I last posted but unfortunately I do not. Actually, I also don't have the inclination. The truth is, sometimes I'm just walking and thinking and nothing of great import happens. Hard to believe but true. Here are my stats since leaving Damascus:

Damascus to Lost Shelter (16.0)
Lost Shelter to Wise Shelter (17.3)
Wise Shelter to Trimpi Shelter (20.0)
Trimpi Shelter to Chatfield Shelter (17.7)
Chatfield Shelter to Atkins, VA (4.3)
Atkins to Knot Maul (14.1)
Knot Maul Shelter to Jenkins Shelter (19.0)
Jenkins Shelter to Jenny Knob Shelter (23.8)
Jenny Knob Shelter to Woodshole Hostel (20.0)
Woodshole Hostel to Pearisburg, VA (10.0)
Pearisburg, VA to "The Captains" (20.4)
"The Captains" to Laurel Creek Shelter (17.3)
Laurel Creek Shelter to Pickle Branch Shelter (22.5)
Pickle Branch Shelter to Catawba, VA (12.5)
Catawba, VA to Daleville, VA (19.8)

Some of the highlights:

The first day of the Grayson Highlands was gorgeous. Though, the ponies seemed intent on staying on the horse trail rather than the AT. There were a lot of dayhikers down there.

I met Valkore, a country boy, famous for killing, skinning, seasoning, and cooking a rabbit at one of the shelters. Apparently, he shares. I wish he would have caught one on the two times I stayed with him. Yes, he is named after the puppy dragon in the Never Ending Story. Yes, he knows that his name is spelled wrong.

I had a week of trail magic fantastico. This included a guy named Freak, hiking 2 hot pizzas and a cooler full of drinks to Jenkins Shelter, ATOM (Appalachian Trail Outreach Ministry) feeding us in one of their church basements, a Budlight Lime after a slack pack, and homeade PB&J sandwiches. People are so nice to us sometimes that you'd swear we weren't just a bunch of dirty folks walking around in the woods.

Almost saw a tornado in Pearisburg, VA. Sirens, warnings, everything.

Caught up with my buddies, Nero & Shoofly, and have been having a ball with them and the giant crowd they usually roll with.

Took a zipline across a roaring stream to "The Captains" where we camped and I got to watch Swamp People on his couch.

All in all:

I have had better weather than you might imagine. Here and there, we have had some touchy situations on balds or exposed ridgelines, but I can not complain.

I'm feeling pretty good, and I'm handling problems (like snapping one of my trekking poles in half) alot better than I have in the past..

I feel very fortunate to be out here again :)