Virginia

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Journal Entry 4.27.00
"Almost 9pm at Dismal Creek Falls, a beautiful spot. 20 miles today out of Bland, VA. My foot is throbbing with pain as I write but I will try to concentrate to get this down. I went to the podiatrist yesterday with Murry Ann and got a cortisone shot in the nerve in my foot. Great doctor, good treatment, well worth the $120. I enjoyed another wonderful dinner with just George and Murry Ann (no other hikers). It was really nice just talking with them. I woke up early this morning and had a great breakfast before we said our goodbyes. It was sad leaving them after they had been so nice and supportive. My foot felt ok at first but the pain slowly came back. I think I needed 10 times the doasge that I got in that shot. I had to keep stopping and taking breaks to ease the pain - it was so frustrating. Don't know if I can continue another 1600+ miles with this level of pain… I just took 3 Advil, waiting to see if that helps. At the very least I guess it;s good the the sprain in my big toe feels better. And it didn't rain today although it's supposed to tomorrow. 22 miles to Pearisburg from here. I am all alone at this campsite tonight."

Journal Entry 4.29.00
"7:15pm at Rice Field Shelter, just 7.3 miles out of Pearisburg, VA. It just doesn't get much better than this... I am sitting on a grassy hill near the shelter, watching a beautiful sunset over the green valley below, with mountains rolling all around in the distance. I am listening to Mountain Stage on NPR. There is almost no wind up here, it's so peaceful. So worth it to do low mileage today and be able to enjoy this. Yesterday I hiked 22 miles into Pearisburg - whew, a long day indeed. I was very tired and exhausted when I got into town at 8:30pm. Luckily there was a payphone near the trailhead and I called Bill at the church hostel and he came and picked me up. The hostel was an old barn on a hill next to the church, such a peaceful spot. I got there to find a full house - Pit, Perry, Snapshot, Cre, Cruise Control, Freddie, Keystone Sargent, and the Swedes - it felt so good to see familiar faces after feeling alone and so far behind everyone. I was too tired to eat or socialize though, and Pit was kind enough to give up his loft spot for me so I went right to bed and laid down while my feet throbbed. This morning I got up early and took a shower which felt great, then I walked down to Walmart and resupplied some food. I got a ride to the post office with Bill. I saw E.T. at the post office - again great to see another familiar face! I got a ride to the trail with Snapshot's friend and started hiking at 11am. It was a long, difficult haul up the hill. My feet were still swollen and my body tired from yesterday. I got to the shelter and decided to stay and enjoy this peaceful setting. I have been blessed with nice views, good music (on my radio), and warm thoughts."

Journal Entry 4.30.00
"9pm at my campsite - 21.3 miles today, whew, another long one. It was such a beautiful day weather-wise - blue skies, nice breeze, temps in the 70's. Again, nice to think of having done 1% of the trail today. I'm proud of myself for doing extra miles - it feels so good knowing that I pushed myself and did it. I am sharing my campsite here with SoulTrek, a southbound hiker. He's a pretty cool guy, American, but lives in Chile. He has lots of interesting stories to tell. I saw a turkey on the trail yesterday; today I caught a grouse flapping his wings while sitting on a log, doing his mating call - pretty cool."

Journal Entry 5.1.00
"9:30pm at Niday Shelter. 21.5 miles today. Awesome weather again - blue skies and sun. I did 9 miles this morning and then took my boots off and switched to sandals and the remaining miles were so easy compared to normally. NO foot pain!!!! And I was able to go faster and hike lighter over the terrain. My feet had become so swollen from the big miles I was doing that I was having all sorts of new pain in my toes and the front of my feet. So I figured I'd give the sandals a go, just for a few miles, and I LOVED it! Other noteworthy moments of the day - stopping at the farmhouse with Trail Mix and Limp Ear for cold sodas and snacks, seeing the black snake in the tree, and being licked by wild goats on the ridge. Also, when I got to the shelter at 8pm there was still a spot left!! Tomorrow I think I'll try the sandals again."

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