VA Section Initial Impressions

Some quick first thoughts from my recent section hike

A few firsts for me on this hike, notably that I survived my first significant stretch of rain on the trail. It poured the first 2 days and rained steadily on the 3rd, which taught me that rain sucks but is manageable. Bringing dry camp clothes and cheap flip flops for camp shoes was a good call. But thank goodness for the opportunity to dry out at the Daleville Super 8.

I was in a thru-hiker bubble and met a lot of great people. Even for the AT it was a pretty social trip. It’s an understatement to say that weed and booze were rather abundant, but I saw nothing but good behavior from hikers. And lots of generosity. The trail brings out the best in people without a doubt.

My rain jacket finally failed- it lasted a whole hour on the first day, after which I was perpetually soaked- so I’m in the market for a new one. My Trekology pillow also developed a slow leak that required me to re-inflate it several times each night. So I’m in the market for a new pillow as well. I learned that flip flops stacked over my folded sit pad were a decent substitute in a pinch. Otherwise, my gear performed very well. My starting pack weight with 8 days of food was 27-28 lbs. Being that light contributed mightily to my finishing this stretch.

I didn’t fall, not once, not even when the trail was slick and muddy and steep. Which was often.

Thanks to my shoes and socks being so wet, I finally developed my first on-trail blister. It was dealt with.

This trip had the best birding of any of my AT section hikes. Also wildflowers, although many were post-bloom, were numerous as well, including several rare finds. Oh, and there were snakes and bears too.

Based on the people I encountered, I am the last remaining American without a tattoo.

I tried cold-soaking lunches on this trip, and discovered that for me it doesn’t work that well. I’ll be going back to snacking through the day.

Breakfast continues to frustrate me. The granola bar/Carnation Essentials plan just didn’t get it done. What I need is for someone to bring me a breakfast burrito every morning, but since that’s not happening I’ll keep searching for a breakfast that I actually WANT to eat on the trail.

Glasgow VA is a great trail town. It took me 30 seconds to hitch a ride, Scotto’s restaurant had a special dining room for smelly hikers, and Stanimal’s hostel is excellent. I didn’t check out resupply options per se, but there is a Dollar General across from the restaurant. There’s even a hiker’s shelter in town, but I didn’t visit it.

Most of all, I’m stoked that I knocked out my 80 miles, even finishing early with one of my longest days ever on the final day. This hike had plenty of climbs, and I survived them. Even kicked one or two of them in the crotch towards the end.

Per usual, the trail provided some pleasant surprises, which I will detail in my upcoming trip report.