Enter Virginia

Greeting from Damascus, VA once again!

Kris and I arrived to the trail town again Monday.  This time hiking in on the trail that runs right through someone's backyard and through the middle of town, making our first stop for ice cream extremely convenient.  The small town with a population of about 1,100 has just enough for a hiker to reload on food and fuel and get cleaned up for another stint out in the woods.  And surprisingly, one of the best coffee houses I have seen in a while... even before hitting the trail.  Mojoe's coffee house knows their espresso drinks and makes a mean blueberry pancake.

While we were sitting in the shop, taking full advantage of some wifi and an overload of caffeine, some fellow lady hikers came in to get a smoothie and I happened to over hear their conversation.  The ladies, Dr. Cheryl Hanly and Shenna Shotwell are hiking for a cause.  Their cause is titled "Tell Bullying to Take a Hike; Forge the trail of equality, love and acceptance" and their goal is to spread awareness about the impacts and dangers of bullying, especially among children and teenagers.  They want to help reduce the rate of suicide and are hiking over 2,000 miles to make it happen in their own way.  Their cause hit very close to home for both Kris and I due to recent happenings.  If you are interested in checking out their website follow the link: Learning to Live OUT Loud

As we crossed the state line into Virginia, Kris warned me of the "Virginia Blues".  What I did not fully realize before now was that we will be in Virginia for 500  miles of the hike.  Many people get discouraged and feel as though they are not making any progress because they spend so much time in the state.  However, this state, being almost 1/4 of the trail, will offer many different experiences and excitements   First up will be the Grayson Highlands State Park.  This is the portion of the trail famous for the wild ponies.  We should be passing through the park in about three days.  So, one step at a time, we will make it through Virginia.

The last week of hiking gave a wonderful view of Laurel Fork Falls and relatively mild terrain.  The falls were  large and powerful enough to push off mist  up the rocky trail.  The terrain was nice enough to allow us to make a 14 mile day, our highest yet.  Not much compared to other hikers, but progress none the less.  We also found several Pink Lady Slipper flowers along the trail, which are uncommon to find.

I have finally purchased my first non-resident fishing license of the trail.  As we will be in this state for a considerable amount of time, the logical choice was to buy a license and collapsible fishing pole.  I should be receiving my 4'5", five piece, 1.5 pound Daiwa spin reel and rod (and case) in about a week and I could not be more excited to get a line in the water and some fresh trout in my belly.

Kris and I have replaced the MSR whisperlite cooking system we have been using with a Jetboil.  This will allow us to boil water in less than three minutes, making fuel last longer and food ready sooner.  We are excited because this means that it would be feasible to cook hot food for lunch and we were able to find the French Press piece to fit the pot!  Yay!

So, those super fancy and crazy expensive Salewa boots that have been destroying my feet and morale for much of the trip are now on their way home.  My dad boxed up and mailed my old Columbia boots that I used for work before coming out here.  When I opened the box there was still sand in the material and soles :).  I have replaced the insoles with "Super feet" insoles for a high arch and am excited to see how these work.  They are already more comfortable and lighter, but we will see how they function with a full pack and climbing mountains.

Kris has replaced his winter sleeping bag for a lighter 50 degree bag, I have a fresh supply of music including the new Daft Punk album, and we have a full supply of Vitamin I (ibuprofin).  One more stop at the post office and we are Northbound again.  We should be passing through Marion, VA in about 6 or 7 days.  Until then, thanks for reading and talk to you all soon!