Wonderer

Chapter 4: Virginia Part 1

Chapter 4: Virginia Part 1

This is my attempt at completing all of Virginia in 1 summer vacation, 6 weeks.

We arrived at Boots Off Hostel on Friday, June 2, 2023. Not as long of a drive as our trip down to Georgia thankfully. Tech Bear took the day off so we could visit Ashville before going to Tennessee where Boots Off Hostel was. When we got there, we signed up for the aqua blaze trip the following day and then set up our tent. We ate dinner and went to bed early so we could get plenty of rest before our kayaking trip Saturday.

As usual, we woke up early to the sound of birds and the sun shining into our tent. It was a little chilly so I decided to put on my puffy jacket. It was zipped up and instead of taking it off to unzip, I left it on my face while I unzipped it which ended up in my eyelid getting caught in the jacket. It was a terrible feeling. Feeling stupid, I got up and joined the other hikers and aqua blazers for breakfast while we waited for the shuttle. The plan was to kayak 8 miles of the Watauga Lake which skipped about 20 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee which meant I would be closer to my goal. We lathered up on sunscreen before hitting the lake. We had a nice 4-hour trip. When we first started, we went straight into a tiny tree sticking out of the river. Feeling stupid, we quickly got out and caught up with the others before accidentally getting the furthest ahead. We arrived at our destination which was an RV campground. It was cute and I wouldn't mind vacationing there with Preston's parents. We put our kayak on the grass where we were told to put it so the hostel could pick it up and went across the street to get pizza. We ordered the house special which came with all the toppings and devoured it. When everyone arrived, 3 of us took the shuttle back to the hostel while the other 4 went to the trail to hike on. I wondered if I would see Namastay, Namago, Maybe, and Omen again. After we arrived at the hostel and cleaned up, we took 11 o'clock with us and Tech Bear drove us to Pals. We got burgers, fries, and shakes. We took the food back to the hostel and ate in the common area where we chatted with a few people who showed up. We met Bling, Forest, and Santa. Bling gave us an AT charm that was lightweight and I could easily put on my pack.

Woke up tired despite going to bed early. My eye was swollen a bit but it didn't last too long. I took some medicine to help. Tech Bear drove me to TN 91 or Mountain Crossing Road. The trail started passing through a field. Tech Bear hiked a few yards with me, hugged me goodbye, and headed back to the car. I was now on my own. I paused and noticed a bee chewing a hole in a fence post. I hiked on and came across an old, abandoned shed. On the shed was an AT logo. I was here. I was excited to be on the trail. The day was beautiful. I came across so many wildflowers and crossed fences. I didn't run into a lot of people that morning. When I got to the first shelter, a couple was packing up and there was another hiker named Phoebe. There was also a really cool circular fireplace. We chatted for a bit while I ate my snack and then hiked on. I made it to Low Gap where I had gotten off trail after a short weekend hike last year. I ate the PALS burger that I had packed out and ate a tasty orange with it as well. Chatted with Phoebe again and a few other folks before going on my way. I passed McQueens Shelter which is one of the oldest (1937) shelters on the AT that is for emergency use only. I took a 30-minute break. I didn't do any preparation physically for this trip so my body was readjusting to being back on trail. I got to the shelter before 5 and talked with a guy named Ash. I debated on whether or not to move on but after walking half a mile off the trail to get water, I decided to stay at the shelter. A group of boy scouts and parents came and set up their tents. Phoebe joined up and we stayed in the shelter. I watched Phoebe make her protein shake and cook dinner while I ate my macaroni. She gave me the idea of getting an extra water bottle just for my breakfast shakes. I made a mental note to pick up Gatorade in Damascus. I put on my PJs and relaxed on my sleeping pad after eating dinner. I watched a chipmunk that came really close to the shelter. I fell asleep happy to be in the woods.