Virginia
The Priest, 4063 feet

"It isn't pollution that is hurting the environment, it's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."

Journal Entry 5.8.00
"7pm at my campsite at Hog Camp Gap. I'm just waiting for the rice and beans to cool off before I chow. 23.7 miles today! A new record for me. I woke up at 5:45am, hit the trail by 6:30am, ate breakfast on the trail at 8am, and then just kept going. It was a clear day, hot, but not as hot as the past 2 days. OK, now I'm trying to get over this bad mood. There is NO water here, even though the data book says there is. I have just spent the last hour looking for it - NOT what I feel like doing at the end of a long day. I finally found some nasty stuff which I am now boiling. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. Luckily I did run into some trail magic today at Brown Shelter. An older couple, Flash and Hot Flash ('87), was there having lunch and they gave me an ice-cold Pepsi and some vegan bran muffins! Oh, water's ready - time to clean my feet..."

Journal Entry 5.9.00
"At the Priest Shelter with Dad! 15 miles for me today, 5 for Dad. He drove down from Pennsylvania to hike with me for a few days! (He got a speeding ticket coming down - I feel pretty bad about that.) I met him at the trailhead at noon and he gave me my resupplies then we started hiking in the hot, hot sun towards the shelter. Apparently he saw the M.O.B. squad (Mushroom, Orion, and Bombadil) in town and gave them and some other hikers a ride. Very nice of him to let smelly hikers in his brand new BMW!"

Journal Entry 5.10.00
"At Maupin Field Shelter with Dad and White Eagle. I did 13 miles over Three Ridges today. Dad decided to blue-blaze around the mountain so he did 9 miles and I think it was a good idea. The climb up the ridge was long and steep but I enjoyed it. I saw a deer peeing in the woods earlier today! Apparently Good Vibe, Pit and Koonacky are down at Rusty's. We were offered a ride down there by a couple from Harper's Ferry but we decided to stay here. I sent a note for Good Vibe back with the couple to let him know that I'm not far behind."

Journal Entry 5.11.00
"7pm at the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter. I'm here with Dad (Gimpy Sr.), Red Forest, 'Mo Miles, D-Low, and section hike Mid-Life Crisis. 15 miles today - an easy day for me but tough and long for Dad. He was a trooper though. The shelter here is really nice and right next to a creek. Looking forward to town tomorrow - food, shower, laundry, etc. Only 5 miles from here. I think Dad is glad the hiking is over."

Journal Entry 5.12.00
"In the Laundromat in Waynesboro with Dad, waiting for my sleeping bag to dry. We hiked the 5 miles out early this morning, dropped our stuff off at the hotel, had breakfast at Weasies, hit the post office, and then went back to the hotel for showers. I got a care package from Geo - the guy whose register I carried out from a shelter - he sent me Chex Mix, M & M's, Advil, and a bottle of Jack Daniels. Pretty funny combination, but most appropriate for a thru-hiker. I've switched to my Arc Tery'x Khamsin 50 pack. It's much lighter than the Boro 80. I know I'll be happier with less weight but I did like the way my stuff fit into the bigger pack. The temperature tomorrow is supposed to be 93ºF!"

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