Today’s Miles: 14.5
Trip Miles: 534.7
“So I’ll just keep touching up my gray hair.
Live and hope someday she’ll understand.
It’s no matter if I live to be a hundred.
There’ll always be a place in my heart for Mary Ann” – unknown bluegrass artist
Up at 7:00. Cool, clear day with no rain in the forecast until Monday. Successfully dried all my gear with the space heater last night. Got packed up so I can get shuttled to the trail when the hostel owners are ready. The hostel provided a nice hot breakfast.
I need to contact the hostel associated with the outfitter in Marion later today and see about getting from the trail to town and back. Their website says they will help me work that out. The outfitter does not open until 10:00. When and where I can get picked up this evening will dictate my miles today, unfortunately. I hate being constrained like that.
Just before I got a ride to the trail, I called Coach at The Merry Inn and confirmed a bunk for tonight and a pickup at 5:15. That time and location are flexible. I’ll text them an hour before I get to my stopping point. I’ll probably just do about 14.5 miles today, but the next stop is possible at 18.3. That later one is later than I like due to the time the outfitter in Marion closes. Will see how fast I’m moving today.
On the trail at 9:00. Boring hike today. Nothing special to see with all the foliage filled in. Stopped for a snack at 11:15 at 5 miles in. Stopped again at 11:50 to take my pack off for a few minutes and rest my back.
Stopped at Comers Creek Falls. Very nice waterfalls. Not a good picture.
Took a break to rest my feet and back for 20 minutes at Dickey Gap.
Say hello to my little friend.
Got cell service around 3:00. Texted with Merry Inn and confirmed pickup at 5:00 at VA Route 670.
Also heard from Overkill. She zeroed at the same hostel last night and gave it a big thumbs up.
Passed through a very large cow pasture. Nice odor.:(
Topped off water and reached my destination at 4:20. Nice, quiet spot by the road. The driver should be here about 5:00 to drive into Marion.
Phil, an older gentleman, picked me up at 5:00. We had a nice chat on the drive into town.
Got checked into the Merry Inn and picked up my new sleeping pad and a pair of new insoles downstairs at the outfitter. Yey! It’s a really nice hostel. The staff is very friendly. Just me, an older couple, and one other older guy. We sat in the foyer and chatted for over an hour. We had a nice dinner just down the block at the Wooden Pickle.
The same 3 people were still chatting when I got back from dinner. We all talked until 11:00! It’s nice to have the entire place to ourselves. I got things mostly packed up so I can get moving quickly in the morning.
Had a fun late Friday night FaceTime with Dana, Christina, and Laura. But it’s midnight and I need to try to sleep.
Note to self – consider more slackpacking!
My shuttle will be ready as soon as I get back from the post office at 9:40. I need to get my old sleep pad packed up and ready to ship tonight. The weather looks great tomorrow. I have 4 miles uphill to start, then mostly downhill or flat for the rest of the day. I would like to do 19 miles tomorrow. I will see how my feet feel.
Overkill will be at the Quarter Way Inn tomorrow night. That’s a 24-mile hike for me, so it’s closer than I thought. I should catch up with her in 2-3 days max.
Technical Notes:
- Bacon: 87
- Toast: 340
- Scrambled eggs: 245
- OJ: 150
- Snickers: 250
- Trail mix: 150
- Trail mix: 270
- Snickers: 250
- Angry Orchard: 480
- Cheesy crab balls: 700
- Chicken bacon ranch pasta: 1000
- Water liters: 3
- Miles: 15
- Time: 7:20
- Elevation gain: 2500
- Calories consumed: 4200
- Calories burned: 4000
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