"Tell me what you've seen."

It has been a while since my last post, but thanks for coming back!  So much ground has been covered since the last entry in Marion, VA at mile  marker 530.7. 

Often, when I can get a call out to my mother, before she lets me off of the phone, with her pen in hand and handy-dandy notebook ready, she will say "So, tell me what you have seen."  In a hurry to get off the phone, get back to hiking, and conserve phone battery, I will respond
    "ummm... the ground?  And some deer."
And the fact is, that in between land marks, that is the truth. The terrain in Virginia has not been that flat land conducive to 'flying' and 'making up miles and time' that we were promised.  The ground has been rocky.  And unsurprisingly, as we are still in the mountains, elevations still  yo-yo.  There have been absolutely gorgeous sites in the past 326 miles.  And just in time for the summer and Independence Day, moments that would make any American or visitor say the words "God bless the USA."

The day that this lot of the Lollygagger gang went through Atkins, Va, only about four miles of progress were achieved.  Iris and I have taken to calling the new group that we have been hiking with 'The Back of the Bus'; only the coolest kids sit in the back, the wise, and last to stroll into class. 
The day to start the slow days, started out rainy.  When the rain finally let up in the late morning, we set out, with wet tents clumsily packed away.  Not long after taking off, we came across an old aged farm with a sign stating the "Settler's Museum" was free for hikers.  We entered through the back gate and stepped back in time onto an old farm and were right outside of the farm house.  The sun had just started to break through the clouds, and the adventuring seemed ripe for picking, so we set down our packs, set up a clothes lines for drying things out, and set to poking around about the farm.  The farm house was locked but just about every other structure, the root cellar, well house, farm, wash house, etc. was open for the brave ones that dared to venture inside.  The bell out front and the fence around the main house reminded me of visiting my Granddaddy Havana, FL, just outside of Tallahassee.  I think that the only building no one wanted to go into was the meat room. 
We played around in the old 1870's school house and even read our way through the main museum welcoming house.  Just as we started to put our packs on and get moving, fate would have it that we would hear the faint sounds of an ice-cream truck!  It was wonderful. 
That evening, we crossed through Atkins, Va.  but not before we stopped for some food, and a small party with the greatest group on the trail.  We stayed up all night, swapping stories and singing our "all time favorite 'American' songs". 
The day headed out of Atkins was miserable.  It rained all day.  The ground was covered in skid marks indicating where the hiker ahead of you couldn't keep any traction because of the mud. Then, when I was at my wits end and absolutely done with the rain, with 3.5 miles left  to go to the shelter, a large white canopy tent with several of our friend's tents around it appeared in a clearing.  The Piedmont Appalachian Trail Hikers Club sets up for one weekend a year to provide some trail magic, and that was the weekend.  And was the most magical thing I had ever seen.  We were able to set up our tent and cook under the canopy to keep everything dry.  They even had some hotdogs left over and hillbilly French toast in the morning.  Perfect timing for a weary hiker. 
The next day we found a great stream, perfect for testing out m fishing pole.  I caught a small pan fish and pointed out a rather large snapping turtle which kept the guys occupied for a while. 
Walking for about 7 hours a day becomes a little monotonous after a while.  Your neck gets sore from looking at the ground as your pack pulls on it, your feet get tired, and your stomach gets loud.  Occasionally a rustle in the bushes will force you to stop in your tracks in time to see a deer staring at you, just as surprised to see you as you are to see it.  Or a bright orange salamander in the middle of the trail will cause a swerve to avoid trampling it. 
Then, just as you start to get comfortable and pick up the pace, something catches your eye and makes just about anyone jump out of their skin.  We all know what I'm talking about folks; snakes.  I have lost count of all of the venomous and nonvenomous snakes we have seen.  Makes one wonder how many have gone unnoticed.  My favorite creepy-crawly so far though, is the 10 inch salamander I spotted (heard it first) while hiking. 
Along the way we seen several "magic boxes"; these are large boxes that church groups or trail angels will leave along the trail and stock with either snacks and sodas or various other supplies.  As we came across one, we could see that nothing but garbage was left over and the box had recently been knocked over.  Some rustling forced me to look up just in time to see a bear scurrying away.  Apparently, I had interrupted his forage through the garbage.  I tried to get Iris' attention, but he was listening to music and the big guy had already disappeared into the woods. 
Wild edibles are beginning to pop up along the trail as well.  Whether you notice blackberries growing along the trail, or cherries smashed along the trail that have fallen from above, if you keep a weather eye, there is no lack of Vitamin C out here. 
For now, we will get a change of scenery.  We are headed out of Waynesboro very shortly and will be hitting the Shenandoah River and floating North for a little bit of R&R while making up time and catching some fish.  Talk to you all soon!