Sunday April 7, 26.3mi/42.3km

Partnership shelter (534.0) to Knot Maul shelter (560.3) (VA)

I woke up later than usual, since the loft of the shelter stays dark. I packed up and said goodbye to Michele while we ate breakfast burritos… of salmon!

Bob and I started up the first hill, and Turbo (of course) caught up soon after. It was a pleasant warm morning, with just one big climb all morning.

We slowly descended down to 2500ft/760m, and I could see that spring is starting to happen at these lower elevations!

We got to the “town” of Atkins at lunchtime, really it was just a diner and a couple of gas stations by the interstate.

Bob and I went into the Diner, called M&M Country Barn restaurant. Some of the other hikers went to the Mexican takeout restaurant in the gas station. Both seemed like good options! After eating a huge burger, and spending almost 2 hours there, it was time to hike again.

The trail roughly parallels the interstate 81 freeway for the next 700 miles….I’ll be seeing it a few more times. About an hour after lunch, I got a surprise. A Danger noodle! He moved quickly out of the way.

And shortly after the snake sighting, I hit the 1/4-way mark of the AT. The distance changes slightly each year, so the sign is approximate. 550 miles done!

The rest of the afternoon was hiking in mostly farmlands, which sadly had no cows. But plenty of views!

Bob and Turbo stopped at a hostel, and I kept going another 2miles to a shelter. I arrived at 6:30pm, and met Blue, Noodle, and Turkish. They were really entertaining to talk to, and we stayed up and had a small campfire. I hope I run into them again. Tomorrow’s forecast is for afternoon thunderstorms, so I will try to get an early morning start!

Saturday April 6, 22.3mi/35.9km

Route 603 (511.7) to Partnership shelter (534.0) (VA)

Sleeping indoors is fun, you can wake up after the sunrise! The Sufi lodge was a quiet relaxing hostel, and Suzanne and James are wonderful hosts – they even made us a hot breakfast! After we finished our eggs, bacon, toast, and tea, Michele patched my damaged food bag.

Good as new! Take that, mice.

I was back on trail at 9am, and for the first time on this trail, I was wearing shorts! It started at 60F/16C, and warmed up to 72F/22C in the sun. I hiked an hour, and stopped at the first shelter for a snack break. I met Little One & Walden, who had hiked the AT in 2017, and were out hiking a 4-day section. They were fun to talk to, and they were thinking about hiking the Te Araroa next year, I hope I convinced them further.

I left the shelter and had a nice gradual downhill walk for a few miles. The trail passed right under Comers Creek Falls, a refreshing sight on a warm day.

The trail was mostly the same terrain today, gradual descents and climbs, on tread cut into the hillside.

At the next road crossing, there was some unattended trail magic! Someone hid sodas inside the trail register box, where hikers sign in/out of each forest section. Sweet!

Some of these wilderness areas have ridiculous names.

There was a short one mile section where the trail traversed a cow pasture. But sadly, no cows. 🙁

It might be too early for cows, but spring is coming. Flowers are blooming!

At the next road crossing, there was more trail magic! Jerry is with the local church, and he was out today in his cool vehicle, helping out hikers! He said there were 10 other hikers before me, so I’m not alone out here. I think we are all just traveling the same pace, so we don’t see each other.I hiked on a couple more hours, and arrived to Partnership shelter at 5:30pm. Bob, Bill, and Turbo were there, along with some other thru’s I hadn’t met yet. And Michele showed up an hour later, after her day if hiking up Mt Rogers and Greyson Highlands. Cool! It was great to see her (and Lola, dog) one more time before they head west to the PCT.It was a warm evening, so we were able to hang out and socialize, which was great. We went to bed early, to start early tomorrow morning, and make it to a brunch place!

Friday April 5, 26.1mi/42.0km (25.1 AT + 1.0mi side trail to Mt Rogers)

Lost Mountain shelter (486.6) to Route 603 (511.7) (VA)

It rained steadily all night, and was still raining when I woke up in the shelter. I laid there for awhile avoiding the rain, but finally left at 9am, along with the rest of the group.

It was a rainy, foggy morning, and I used my umbrella all morning.

When the trail left the protection of the trees, it was really windy, and the umbrella went away. Bob and Turbo were just ahead.

After a big climb, there was a side trail to Mt Rogers (5728ft/1746m), the highest point in Virginia. So of course I had to climb it.

It was an easy half mile side trail, and I was back on the AT within 25 minutes. I caught up to Bob and Turbo, taking a lunch break at the next shelter. And just after lunch, we hit the 500mile mark!

The Greyson highlands are supposed to be known for amazing views and the wild ponies. There are the only views and ponies that I saw….

While I was on the ridge, I got a phone signal, and my friend Michele is passing thru Virginia, and we would try to meet up tonight! The next road crossing was still 3 hours of hiking away, and it was 3:30pm. So, onward!

I stopped and made dinner at Old Orchard shelter, then continued on another 2 miles to the road crossing. I arrived just after 8pm, just before sunset! Michele arrived a few minutes later (no photos, it was too dark), and we went to a nearby hostel, Sufi Lodge.

What a great surprise, and I was rescued from the rain. 🙂

Thursday April 4, 15.6mi/25.1km

Damascus (471.0) to Lost Mountain shelter (486.6) (VA)

I slept in until 7:30am, the beds and room was so comfortable and quiet. I take a quick trip to the post office to mail ahead my extra sleeping bag, and then Bob and I hit the Damascus Diner. I eat way too much biscuits and gravy, grits and eggs. The waitress, Megan, comes by to chat at the end of the meal, and she is from Amsterdam NY, where I have family too!

We talk for a bit, and I think I made her a little homesick, especially for Battisti’s pizzeria.Bob and I leave town at noon, and for the first time on this trail, I’m too hot. It’s 70F/21C, and we have to climb 2000ft. The trail is very well constructed in this section and easy to follow.

The AT follows the Virginia Creeper trail, a 35-mile bike trail that was converted from an old railroad line. Occasionally I could see that trail down below.

There were a couple more small PUDs (pointless ups and downs), and then we rejoined the Creeper trail.

Tunnel of rhododendrons!

The AT and VCT are the same trail for almost a mile, and it had some impressive huge bridges.

Bob and I arrived at the shelter at 5:30pm, and setup inside the shelter knowing it will rain tonight. Three other hikers, Sovereign, Turbo, and Xeilo are already there.

The shelters in Virginia have privies again! (Tennessee shelters did not). And someone has written the complete text of The Lorax on the wall. Best toilet ever, haha. Tomorrow might be a short day too, depending on when the rain stops in the morning…

Wednesday April 3, 18.9mi/30.4km

Double Spring Shelter TN (452.1) to Damascus VA (471.0)

It was a cold 35F/2C morning, but we got up and on trail by 7:45am. It’s a town day! The trail was an easy cruise all morning, and the day warmed up fast with the strong sun.

Bob and I stopped for a quick lunch at the last shelter in Tennessee, then went another couple of miles to the border. We are in Virginia!

There was some brief celebration with music (“Meet Virginia” of course), and many other cheesy photos that didn’t make the cut.

After another hour of easy downhill trail, we arrived in Damascus, the first trail town in Virginia!

As my TA (Te Araroa) trail family knows, I can’t resist a playground. So many things to climb!

And Bob (that’s his trail name) found an old train.

We walked through town, and went to the Hikers Inn. Lee and Paul are the owners and wonderful hosts! We enjoyed hot showers, laundry, and wifi, and then went to the 7-Trails Restaurant for a 2nd lunch.

We did a resupply at Dollar General (ugh), and we checked out the local outfitter shop and bought some new fuel canisters. Its been cold on this trail, so this canister (220g/8oz) only lasted 470 miles/23 days.

Tomorrow, more Virginia and the Greyson highlands!

Tuesday April 2, 23.7mi/38.1km

Boots Off Hostel TN (428.4) to Double Spring Shelter TN (452.1)

Since it was another frigid 25F/-4C morning, I slept in for a later, and hopefully warmer, start to the day.The hostel was very nice, and even served a free continental breakfast. There were two other hikers there too, Sisqo and Hodag. I finally left at 9am, and enjoyed a walk along Watauga Lake for the first hour.

The lake ends at a dam, which the AT walks over at the northern side.

Bob caught up to me along the lake, and took off ahead. We talked for awhile during the climb after the lake, and pretty soon we were on top of the ridge that we would be following all day. The day had warmed up nicely, so lunch break was long and relaxed. The rest of the afternoon was mostly along the ridge and not very noteworthy. The trail was the least maintained section I’ve seen on the AT yet.

At the end of the day, we crossed a paved road, and the trail quality improved.

There were even nice bridges for the damp sections of trail.

And the first mile after the road was designated handicap accessible!

We arrived to the shelter at 6:30pm, and Bob and I are the only ones there! We were both surprised to find an empty shelter. I usually prefer to camp outside in my tent to avoid the snoring masses, but slept inside since it’s just two of us. We even had a nice campfire!

Early to bed, it’s a town day tomorrow!

Monday April 1, 21.0mi/33.8km

Piano Bar Hostel TN (407.4) to Boots off Hostel TN (428.4)

When I woke up at 7am, it was still very cold outside, 20F/-7C. So I had a leisurely morning, eating breakfast and reading. Bob and I finally left the warmth of the hostel at 9:15am. At least it was a sunny day!

I noticed that when it’s below freezing, the rhododendron leaves curl up, almost like they’re trying to hide.

After an hour of hiking, I came across this waterfalls, and it had a cool name. I think it’s named for the local trail maintenance crew.

The trail stayed up on a ridge all morning, and I kept moving to stay warm.

Just before I stopped for lunch at at Road crossing, there was a creepy abandoned cabin. It smelled like formaldehyde…I i did not poke around further.

After lunch, the trail entered a gorge carved by the Laurel fork creek.

There were hundreds of stone steps down into the gorge and the base of Laurel Falls, I think I counted 250 steps.

The falls has a nice swimming hole. Normally I would swim, but I suspect the falls wasn’t even in liquid form last night…

Bob had stopped off for lunch at a nearby hostel, and he caught me at the end of the gorge. The trail was cut thru rock and had many bridges, as it followed the river. It reminded me of state parks back in Ithaca.

We left the gorge and climbed one more small mountain, before descending to Watauga lake.

We planned to stay at a hostel again tonight, to avoid the extreme cold. This is starting to feel like the Te Araroa, with all the hostels! We arrived at “Boots off” hostel at 5:30pm, had a quick shower, and caught the 6pm shuttle to town for milkshakes.

The showers were very interesting.

It was a nice short and easy day, hopefully it’s warmer tomorrow.

Sunday March 31, 21.4mi/34.4km

Overmountain Shelter NC (386.0) to Piano Bar Hostel TN (407.4)

It rained heavily through the night, and stopped around 4am, when the temperature dropped 20 degrees. Brr! I woke up to fog, and it was 30F/-1C.

The first 2mi/3km were happily uphill, so I warmed up quickly.

It got colder as I climbed up to Little hump mountain, and Hump mountain.

Supposedly the views are great. I saw fog. The descent from 5500ft down to 2800ft was like traveling forward into spring. Along the way, I left North Carolina for the last time!

I stopped for lunch at the station at 19E, a nice brewery/restaurant/hostel. It was nice to sit by the warm fireplace.

After lunch, another hiker, Bob (PCT ’17) and I headed out into the sunshine and hiked on. The storm was over! Bob (trail name, not real name) is super fast, and I tried to keep up with his 3.5mph pace.

There were nice views of the Bald peaks we hiked over this morning.

And then, a few miles later, we hit the 400mile marker!

We stopped by a nice waterfall, Jones Falls, for a quick break. Even though it’s sunny, it was still very cold out.

The rest of the day was on a nice easy trail, and we passed by a couple more small waterfalls. I think this one was called Mountaineers Falls.

We knew it was going to be stupidly cold tonight, like 19F/-7C, so we pushed on a couple of extra miles to a hostel. It’s fun to be outdoors, but it’s good to know when you’re outmatched and go hide indoors. It was a basic bunkroom and only $10, called Piano Bar Hostel. Which contained neither a piano nor a bar. But it had a shower, which was quite interesting.

After a nice hot shower and dinner, it’s gonna be a warm night of sleep tonight!

Saturday March 30, 24.7miles/39.8km

Cherry Gap shelter TN (361.3) to Overmountain Shelter NC (386.0)

I woke up before the other hikers, and packed up quietly. Fast Eddie woke up as I was finishing breakfast, so I said goodbye…for now. I might see him again.I hiked along rolling hills, not seeing anyone until just before lunch.

It was rather strange to see a random stool just placed beside the trail.

Some of the passes here have bizarre names…”Greasy creek Gap”. At least it’s not another Low Gap or Deep Gap.

There was one spot where the trail broke out of the trees, and I had a view to the north.

I stopped for lunch at Hughes Gap Road, and there was already a couple eating lunch there.

Yukon is hiking the AT this year, and is taking a zero day today. His girlfriend Hayley drove down from Indiana to see him, that’s dedication! And together they were doing a trail magic for hikers! Another thru, TurtleThump, joined later.After lunch was a 2200ft/670m climb up to Roan mountain. As the trail climbed above 6000ft/1830m, there were still traces of snow from the storm 10 days ago.

I got to the top at 2pm, with surprisingly good views, since the sun came out.

The trail passed by the site of an old hotel from the 1800s. All that was left is the chimney.

I decided to stop by the highest shelter on the AT, the Roan High Knob shelter, elevation 6270ft/1910m.

It’s actually enclosed with a door, and had a sleeping loft upstairs.

And on the front porch, there were beers from a local brewery, Blue Blaze Brewery!

After a very refreshing beverage, I continued down the mountain, and at the next road crossing were some folks from the brewery. With tons of food!

This wonderful trail magic was put on by Legs (MTS, PCT) and Richard. Legs did the first 1000 miles of the PCT last year, and was the first woman to Yo-yo the Mountains-to-Sea trail here in NC. Cool!After spending too much time eating, I had to get moving to make it to the next shelter by dark. And the forecast was for rain tonight, so I definitely planned to sleep inside the shelter.There were a couple more small climbs, to Round Bald and Jane Bald. It was a very touristy area, and I saw heaps of people.

Looking back at Round Bald and Roan high knob, from Jane Bald.

I hiked another 3 miles, and arrived at the shelter at 7pm. It’s a giant barn! There were 20+ hikers there, it was a small village!

I setup inside upstairs, and met a Scandinavian hiking trio, Stumbler, Not Swiss, and Finnish Line. They are from Sweden and Finland. We chatted as I made dinner, and I think everyone passed out before hiker midnight (9pm).

Friday March 29, 17.0miles/27.4km

Erwin TN (344.3) to Cherry Gap shelter TN (361.3)

I slept in at the hostel, it was a nice warm night with the woodstove nearby. There is a morning shuttle to downtown, I didn’t need anything, but I went anyway for one last meal in town.

After taking down a “Bo’s Box” (meal with many fried things and over 1000 calories), I went next door to Pals, a local chain for grill food.

Eventually, the shuttle came back and got me, after it was delayed for 45 minutes. I got packed up, and finally left the hostel at 11:45am. Uncle Johnny’s was a good place to rest for the night, and very relaxed vibe.

The hiking today was easy, but almost all of it was a gradual uphill. After the first 1000ft/300m of climbing, I came across this old house foundation. Strange.

A couple of miles later, the trail crosses a paved road, and a generous local man, Brother Tom, was hosting a trail magic! His dog Moses sat and watched/drooled as a bunch of hikers ate lots of food.

I hung out there for almost an hour with another hiker, Mowgli, and his dad. I said my goodbyes, as I still had 9 miles/ 3.5 hours to go until the shelter. The climb up to Beauty Spot was easy, and it had good views at the top.

While I was passing through, I watched a local couple get engaged. I was so surprised, I forgot to take any photos until they were walking away. The couple are the nicely dressed people in pink.

The next, and final, climb for the day was up to Unaka Mountain (5184ft/1580m). It’s not a Bald summit, so there were no expansive views. But the pine forest was so green and soft, and my favorite forest on the AT so far! It reminds me of the PCT in Northern Oregon.

A couple miles before the shelter, I caught Shine and Puff, sisters from North Carolina. We had a fun conversation and arrived at the shelter at 7pm. After my usual dinner of a knorrs pasta side, tuna, and kool-aid,… time for bed!