Day 58
Daleville, VA to Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles Hiked: 18.7
AT Milage: 748.2
This morning I got on trail close to 9am because I slept in and ate breakfast at the hotel. Flip and Cocoa had some town errands to run so they were supposed to get on trail after me. I am kind of trying to catch up to my sister, Emma, since our parents are visiting in two days. She is about 40-50 miles in front of me since I took two zeros and she didn’t. The trail was very gentle today and I really enjoyed my hike. Town was so refreshing after the past few very frustrating days on the trail. I felt like I had a new mind set as I was hiking this time. I stopped at every shelter to take a small break and eat some food. Nothing very eventful happened on my hike today except getting trail magic from a fellow hiker named Bruiser. He was giving out sodas and fresh fruit at an overlook. Bruiser and his friends are slackpacking the entire AT (hiking without a backpack). They have a system worked out where they drop a person off down south, drive north, hike opposite directions, swap keys in the middle of the trail and stay at a hotel in town every night. It’s a different way to enjoy the trail but if I was their age and had the money I don’t see why not! I do enjoy my camping and carrying everything on my back though. It’s just a totally different way to enjoy the AT.
Today I passed the 1/3 mile marker meaning I’ve hiked 1/3 of the whole trail! This section of the trail follows the blue ridge parkway very closely. I will be criss crossing the scenic road several times over the next few days and sharing the views with drivers. I’m hoping the weather stays nice for a while because I still feel very scarred from the previous week of rain. Thinking about it makes me want to flinch.
I got to Bobblet’s Gap Shelter about 5pm. I wanted to hike further but my feet were telling me they are done. I think I had plantar fasciitis really bad two weeks ago and I’m afraid the foot pain is going to come back even worse if I don’t take it easy. I am getting my new shoes when my parents come to visit so I’m super excited! The ones I am wearing now have definitely reached their limit. I’ve worn them for 800 miles if not more. I’m happy they made it as long as they did.
I shared the shelter with a great group of people tonight. It was myself, an older thru hiker couple who share a sleeping bag and pad ( incredible), two elderly section hiker ladies, Whistler ( a 40ish year old man from Switzerland) and a younger girl named Geode. I’m already in bed before 7pm! Cocoa and Flip still haven’t showed up yet. I think they got on trail too late to hike this far.
Happy Trails!
Des Hikes Thru 