Final day of life on a bed

So, our mom is off tomorrow and its back into the green tunnel until Front Royal, where Chris' old friend from U Dallas is going to meet up with us. Should provide ample fun for all. The AT was designated a National Scenic Trail by National Trails ACt of 1964, I think. The feds, however, only staff the trail with a single ranger who runs the show from Harpers Ferry, Dub V. The real people who keep the trail going are the ATC (AT Conservancy). They delegate the trail to smaller trail clubs (around 30) who take care of small sections. Today we walked the Old Dominion Club section. We had the pleasure of meeting our second ATC ridge runner yesterday. He has been keeping track, and we are thruhikers #334 and #335. This is fairly close to our actual number, but his has taken a few days off his section that he runs back and forth on. We are about 14 miles from Rockfish Gap, VA and will enter the park tomorrow. Today we climbed our last 2000 foot climb until Mount Greylock in Mass! Let me put up some more pics.

Still moving the packs

So, Mom is here in Central VA and not a second too soon. The hills of Virginia are taking their last shots on our weary feet. 3 straight days of 2000+ feet climbs. Today we climbed to the spire of the Empire State Building, twice. Hotels and real food are an impetus to keep pushing, but what will happen when it ends and its back to shelters and Ramens? Today we crossed the James River, Bluff Mountain, and wandered the woods where Natives once prospered. In a few days we will reach Rockfish Gap, the point where we have hiked to in the past from our local trailhead. It will be 300 miles of much easier terrain accompanied by tourists who are eager to trade picnic food for stories. This will mark our mental halfway mark, although the actual one is in PA. I'll give some pictures to start to create a visual image of the hike.

June 26, 2009

Hello bloggers,

Time for an update from the hills of Buena Vista! This is the support team's opportunity to fill you in from a new perspective. The view of the mountains is absolutely breathtaking!

However, getting to one's pickup destination was literally a journey through, shall we say, Roller Coaster Mountain Reality. The directional map program I was given via the computer was excellent. I was able to meet our thru-hikers in the middle-of-nowhere, off the side of a Blue Ridge Mountain. The trip was a breeze until the last five-mile forest ranger service road. All in all, it was a serene, scenic ride. The last five miles were, for me, from another part of the world. The road had what the road sign calls "turn-outs"...meaning your car could turn over off the side of the mountain. Good luck when a dinosaur-sized maintenance tractor-trailer with gigantic propellers comes charging toward you on the road....or how about the hot-rod from you guessed it.... The tractor pulled over to make way for the second vehicle, but this driver came as close to the next life when our hot-rod came dusting through. The end was worth it as when the guys called me via cellphone, I picked up the phone and then realized I was in shouting distance of their presence. They had arrived three minutes before I did and were joyously awaiting a rest.

Found a place to stay nearby and enjoyed supper with the crew. They hiked 25 miles that day and were picked up at Petite's Gap off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We returned the next morning and we decided to have their auxiliary crew join them for the first few blazes of the trail. At the first blaze to continue their journey....Jack pointed out something they had never seen before...someone had placed a nice-sized winged praying angel figurine at the foot of the first tree. Confirmation of the help we received meeting up with the needle in the haystack.

Earlier today, stopping by St. Patrick's Church in Lexington, the pastor, Fr. James D. asked me where I was from as I was passing him onto the parking lot. Quite providentially, it turned out he was in my pastor's seminary class and he wanted me to say hello to Fr. Art from St. John's, Westminster! What a nice Coincidence!

Well have obtained reasonable refuel for dinner. Enjoying the beautiful town of Lexington... also home of Washington and Lee University. Our hikers will reach Buena Vista tonight with hopes of reaching beyond Crabtree Falls.


Jack and Chris will update later!