Starting the last 5 days of our adventure with a lot of momentum. Averaging on some days 20 miles and feeling great! Weather is still hit and miss on the rain and storms but that has not gotten our spirits down...only a "little" wet :).
Tennessee GOODBYE.......and HELLO to Virginia!!
Hard to believe that this is all you need to hike for 3 weeks...that and a lot of energy....and cliff bars!
Does this remind you of the Old Couple TV series....one is "Cluttered"....and the other..."Neat" :).
Made it to Damascus, VA at mile 470. The trail ran literally thru the town just like Hot Springs, NC. The following is a series of photos and a video:
There were dozens of great places we saw and experienced but near Mt. Rogers in Virgina was defintely in the top 5. Below are some great shots we took.
We camped in a wide variety of place but this spot was unique as we shoe-horned our tents in and around the heavily wooded trees. Almost seemed like the trees were going to come to life at time!...like in the "Wizard of Oz".....yes i am old enough to know the film and to have watched it dozens of time :)
Does Survivor look like he has been sampling some of those "Magic Mushrooms" in the woods?? Better check his pupils!...Well he WAS a teenager during the 60's :)
2 other big highlights durning the last few days of our hike were; hitting the 500 mile marker! AND hiking thru Grayson Highland State Park with the great views and the feral ponies and horses.
Even had a few cattle roaming in Grayson State Park.
The last night on the AT we decided to stay in a shelter rather than in our tents because the weather forecast called for bad storms. And they were right! Ironically the name of this shelter was "Hurricane Mtn. Shelter".
And these smiles are because we are safe and dry in the shelter!
After 3 weeks on the trail MacGyver and I felt emboldened to join a Bad Ass Hiker Gang, which brother Fred labeled, “Sons Of Arthritis”. And the initiation was to eat one of those orange lizards we saw a lot of!
.......And THEN, we came across a rival gang the "Matriarch Marauders"......what an intense standoff!! We were outnumbered!!!
After 3 weeks our last day was a short 5 mile hike from Hurricane Mtn. Shelter to our end point at Dickey Gap. Hard to believe our section hike this year was at an end. More on this in my Epiloge.
Happy Hikers!..and ready for celebatory drink!...and shower and a shave...and deoderant:)
And don't we clean up well!!
Latest comments
27.09 | 17:20
Hi Possum! MacGyver and I finished up on Sept.7th with 351 miles in this year. False alarm on MacGyver taking ill. He was dehydrated but recovered in about 2 days. Was great to meet you this year!
27.09 | 17:16
Hey Pinnacle! Great to meet and hike with you also! And great advice on the next section we did. Thanks!
06.09 | 16:10
Great meeting you and your Brother at Eagles nest.
06.09 | 16:07
It was great meeting you and brother at Eagles nest
Pinnacle
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