Location: Holiday Motor Lodge, Pearisburg, VA
Today passed quickly, despite not having much food. I only took in about 900 calories. I ate the snacks early and was able to cook the omelet for lunch. I followed Druid most of the day. He set a quick pace and we reached a shelter at 12 miles in exactly four hours. With only six miles to hike, the omelet held me over.
Following the trail was difficult today. With all of the wind yesterday, leaves stood shin deep on the trail. The worn footpath could not be seen, so special attention had to be paid to the blazes, which unfortunately were few and far between. Many times I turned to look north for blazes, just to let me know that I was on the trail.
The omelet at lunch was a disaster. It was an edible product, but the texture resembled burnt toast more than eggs. It worked though. I arrived in Pearisburg, VA around 4:00pm feeling well. Food, though, was on my mind. So was the fact that I had just completed twenty twenty-mile days and only had 620 to Springer. The end doesn’t seem to be an impossible task any longer.
The first hotel that Druid and I tried to get a room was full because of the Virginia Tech home football game. We walked further into Pearisburg and rented a room at the Holiday Motor Lodge. The hotel looked like a relic from the 1970s, still adorned with pastels and vinyl. Druid and I split the cost on a double room.
It feels great to have my own bed. I lounged all evening with a few beers, a lot of snacks, and game two of the World Series. I couldn’t imagine a better setup. I had a hot shower, a made bed, and a television. I can’t ask for anything more of town. I would like to zero tomorrow, but I’m still undecided. My itinerary has a zero planned. I’m surprised I’ve stuck to the schedule that I established while in Harper’s Ferry. Not bad at all. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, I’ll rest well tonight. I think I need rest more for mental reason than physical, though I do have some pains in my knees and ankles. I don’t want to get emotionally burned out with the AT, which often happens to people hiking in Virginia. Thru-hikers call it the Virginia Blues, and they cause over 1000 hikers to abandon thru-hikes each year.
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