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It was a super easy day today into Marion. It was a cold morning but I warmed up super quick when I ran into fresh grounds for breakfast 2 miles into the day. He made blueberry pancakes, eggs, bacon, and potatoes. It was so good. He also had coffee and orange juice. After I ate as much as possible it was super easy hiking all the way to Mt Rogers visitor center. I got picked up from there and taken into the Merry Inn hostel. The hostel was amazing. It was right in downtown Marion so everything I needed was within walking distance. It was a very relaxing day and I’ll be ready for a big day tomorrow.
Day 38 Merry Inn Hostel to Knot Maul Branch Shelter (26.1)
I started off the day by making pancakes at the hostel and they were great. I then got a shuttle to the trail and started off. The first half of the day was easy hiking but the trail was rocky. Later in the morning I came across an old school house that had trail magic in it. It had all the snacks you could think of. It was incredible. After the school house the trail passed by a couple gas stations and restaurants. I was so full from the trail magic that I didn’t need to spend any money on food. It started to rain as I began to enter some rolling hills. In late afternoon the sun finally came out and it was magical. The birds were singing and all the colors were very vibrant. I walked through a couple meadows with amazing views of streams and surrounding mountains. Today was an incredible day and the miles are coming easier in Virginia. Virginia is my favorite state so far.
Day 39 Knot Maul Branch Shelter to Chestnut Knob Shelter (9.4)
It was a short day with a lot of elevation. I started off at 7am and it was cold and damp. It started to rain within a few miles but nothing too heavy. I got to the shelter around mid day. It was super foggy and cold for the rest of the day. The fog cleared up once during the day and I had a good view of the valley below. I ate a lot of food, stretched, and rested for the rest of the day until I went to bed. This shelter was very cool as it is one of two fully enclosed shelters on the trail.
Day 40 Chestnut Knob Shelter to Jenny Knob Shelter (33.9)
Today was my longest day on trail yet. I woke up at 5am in the shelter and it was freezing. I got ready as fast as I could and opened the door of the shelter to see nothing but fog. The first couple miles of the day were very intense. It was foggy, windy, cold, and dark. I continued hiking through the morning and could not stop for too long or I would get cold. There were no good views all day so I pressed on until early afternoon. Henry and I were starving so we got a shuttle into Bland 22 miles into the day. I ate half of a pizza, a whole plate of spaghetti, and an assortment of snakes from the gas station. When we got back to the trail the sun finally came out. We continued hiking on and saw an amazing sunset. When the sun went down the moon came out and it was so bright. I finally got to the shelter around 9:30 and went to bed right away.
Day 41 Jenny Knob Shelter to Woods Hole Hostel (22.3)
I decided to sleep in a little bit after the big day yesterday. I didn’t start hiking till around 8. The weather was finally good today after so much cold and rain. Early on in the day I passed through some meadows which were gorgeous. Then I stopped at Dismal Falls and soaked my feet and had a snack. After the falls the trail was easy until we hit a big climb at the end of the day. I think it was the hardest climb in Virginia yet. I had one good view on the ridge line at the top. From there it was just a few more miles to Woods Hole. I’m feeling tired and my ankle is bothering me. I definitely need some rest.
Day 42 Woods Hole Hostel to Rice Field Shelter (19.3)
The stay at Woods Hole was amazing. They have fresh bread and cheese you can buy and it is incredible. The bunk house is very cool and the beds are very comfortable. I woke up this morning to a great breakfast and sunrise. This might be my favorite hostel so far. I wish I could have stayed longer. I understand why people say don’t quit on a bad day. I never thought of quitting but yesterday sucked and today was amazing. It’s crazy what some good rest and food can do for you. The hiking today was relatively easy and there were a lot of good views. About halfway through the day I descended down into Perisburg and went into town to get Dairy Queen. The ice cream was amazing because it was so hot all day. After leaving Perisburg it was uphill the rest of the day to the shelter. The view from the shelter was incredible. It is one of the best views I have seen on trail yet.
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