Appalachian Trail Hike: Southern Virginia - Mile 467 - 730
Appalachian Trail Hike: Southern Virginia - Mile 467 - 730
Hello from the trail! In this section, I entered Virginia - which is the longest state on the entire Appalachian Trail, therefore this post is for the first half.
I have also stopped reporting “total miles hiked” because my Garmin watch is reporting incorrect numbers. Over the course of the day, I could be as much as a mile or more off as compared to the mapping application I use. Sorry if this frustrating - I love stats and it has been disappointing that these aren’t aligning.
Appalachian Trail Hike: Southern Virginia Summary
Statistics:
Days: 12
Full hiking days: 8
Zeroes: 0
Neros: 4
Total Trail Miles Hiked: 258.5
Total Elevation Gain: 54,499 ft
Total Elevation Loss: 55,067 ft
Highlights:
McAfee Knob was as beautiful as I hoped for both sunset and sunrise.
Wonderful hostels created a community feel; both Merry Hiker Hostel in Marion and Woods Hole Hostel near Pearisburg.
Continuing to hike with friends; George catching up!
Not allowing the post office delay completely derail my plans.
Lowlights:
The postal delay with my shoes.
Virginia is not “flat” as I was previously told.
Fears around norovirus lead to a bit of disconnection in towns, hostels, and shelters.
My foot pain was excruciating at points and lead to a lot of unknown variables in the future.
Appalachian Trail Hike: Southern Virginia Detailed Version
Day 27: Mile 488.1 - 471.4
Trail Daily Miles: 16.7
Total Trail Mileage: 488.1
Elevation Gain: 2910 ft
Elevation Loss: 4140 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: Thankful for some miles… but sleep?
Due to my shoes and postal box being several days late, I was unable to hike out of Damascus as I originally planned. This landed on Sunday and so the trail angels from the weekend had suggested that I hike southbound back into Damascus as a way to get trail miles and not force zero day. This would allow me to then pick my box up early Monday morning as well.
Uber drove me up the trail and dropped me off which meant I was able to hike southbound. I’m very thankful for the creativity and logistics planning and addition to the ride up the trail!
It was an easy hike into Damascus and I was able to do what is normally a northbound sincere climb up going south, which means that it was a good descent into town.
I stayed at a hostel in Damascus for the night and though I had stayed at hostels previously, this one was not my scene. Everything was clean and organized, but so much of the hostel experience is based off of who else is there - and this group liked to party late into the night. I will sum up my experience by saying that I did not get much sleep.
Day 28: Mile 488.1 - 510.4
Trail Daily Miles: 22.3
Total Trail Mileage: 510.4
Elevation Gain: 4832 ft
Elevation Loss: 3811 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: Ponies!
After a night of what felt like no sleep, I still got up early because my internal alarm clock had been set. Petroglyph was on the same page and we headed to the diner for an early breakfast. Breakfast was an obvious choice as we were both waiting for the post office to open at 8:30am. While there Stretch arrived and we both had not seen him for a while so he joined us which was a treat! He also had to go to the post office - a whole crew.
Once the post office opened, I crossed my fingers and every extremity that my box was there as the tracking had been sporadically updated over the weekend. It had in fact arrived and I could’ve cried tears of joy. The postmaster looked very confused as to why a grown woman was so emotional about a box. I also sent back my base layers and some other cold weather gear that I would not be needing until I get further north. I may as well save weight in my pack in the meantime.
I quickly headed back to the hostel, re-packed my pack, moved my shoe charms over to my new pair of shoes, and waited for my shuttle. I’m thankful that the hostel provided shuttle services to where I had previously gotten dropped off.
I set out heading north again, which felt like a good recalibration after heading south the day prior and in my new shoes. This was a big day as I crossed the 500 mile mark (what!) and going into the Grayson Highlands, which is home to wild ponies.
The climbs were reasonable, the views were spectacular, and the ponies were kind of magical. I saw several groups of ponies and heard several more ponies in the foliage munching away. I even got to see a very young foal taking a nap near the trail and then getting up in nursing on its mother as I walked by.
It was an easy rest of day and I set up near a shelter. Walkabout was there - who had stayed the first night with the trail angels’ and I in Damascus. Cinnamon also had dinner with us. And it overall it was a quiet, peaceful evening in direct contrast to the night prior. I slept soundly.
Day 29: Mile 510.4 - 534.6
Trail Daily Miles: 24.2
Total Trail Mileage: 534.6
Elevation Gain: 4334 ft
Elevation Loss: 5171 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: Merry Hiker Hostel is a haven!
I left camp early as I wanted to get as close to Marion, Virginia as possible. I had plans to do a quick resupply in and out of town the following day and I wanted to position myself accordingly.
The morning miles came quickly as the trail was graded appropriately. I went by beautiful waterfalls and parts of the AT trail that sincerely reminded me of the PCT.
As I hit about 12 miles for the day, I thought I may as well check the hostel in Marion, who had gotten glowing reviews, to see if they have any availability for the night. Marion Outdoors, which is the local outfitter, runs the hostel that is located above the store. They did have availability so I booked it and scheduled a shuttle time with them to pick me up at the trailhead. This gave me a goal for the day and motivated me to get miles done.
I arrived at the road crossing where the shuttle would pick me up and waited for a bit. Another hiker, Princess Peach, was also waiting, and shuttled into town together. Once at the outfitter, I quickly realized that this was a thru-hikers’ dream. They had all of the niche items that you could ever want as a hiker and I cannot recommend the store enough. I bought a new mid layer that was lighter than the one I started the trail with for the warmer weather incoming.
Princess Peach and I went out to dinner and had vegetables which is always a true gift. I did a quick resupply up the road to the grocery store before settling into the hostel for the evening. I’m always thankful for a shower and laundry, even if it’s only been a few days since the last.
The night was a lovely one where Princess Peach, Crooner, Smurf, Komerican, Late Start, and I relaxed and enjoyed each other’s company. Everyone went to bed at a reasonable time and there was no one snoring in my bunk room. This was in complete opposition to my last hostel experience and it restored my desire to stay in them.
Day 30: Mile 534.6 - 552.7
Trail Daily Miles: 18.1
Total Trail Mileage: 552.7
Elevation Gain: 3756 ft
Elevation Loss: 4067 ft
Weather: Sun, Humid, Thunderstorm
Overall Day Sentiment: One room schoolhouse saves the day!
As previously mentioned, my internal clock wakes me up now no matter the bedtime. Princess peach and I went and grabbed a breakfast at a local diner that was full of regular patrons and perhaps the sweetest waitress I’ve ever met. Breakfast is my favorite meal and I love going out to breakfast before a good day of hiking. I also went to the post office to mail back my thicker cold-weather mid layer, as I will need that later on in the trail.
I’ve begrudgingly left Marion, the Merry Hiker Hostel, and Marion Outdoors in a shuttle back to the trailhead with Coach, the owner of Marion Outdoors, along with the Smurf and Komerican. I could’ve easily gotten vortexed in Marion, Virginia, and would recommend it as a stop along the AT if you could fit it into your schedule.
Once I hit the trail, I had about 18 miles I wanted to do and ideally I would meet up with Stevie. The day was going by smoothly, but in the afternoon a large thunderstorm hit. I had just gotten to a historical school house that was one singular room and full of trail magic. As I was enjoying a bit of trail magic, the skies opened up. I ended up staying there for nearly 90 minutes because of the intense weather.
Once the weather finally subsided, I continued on hiking. I ran back into Smurf and Komerican at a Mexican restaurant that is quite literally on trail at a Highway Junction and have a few tortilla chips. Even though it was late in the day, I continued to try and meet my goal destination.
In the last few miles of the day, I crossed the quarter mark to of the entire trail. This was impactful as I was wrapping up my first month and although it was slightly behind my 100 day schedule, it was still pretty impressive that I was able to get over 550 miles in the first month with all of the elevation. I’m rarely proud of myself, but it was a moment that I felt some pride in.
I ended up arriving at my destination just as Stevie was getting into his tent. I was thankful for a friend at camp after a relatively long day that ended in a celebration.
Day 31: Mile 552.7 - 576.4
Trail Daily Miles: 23.7
Total Trail Mileage: 576.4
Elevation Gain: 6377 ft
Elevation Loss: 6261 ft
Weather: Sun, Hot, Thunderstorm
Overall Day Sentiment: Don’t do 6 after 6 this early in the year.
Though it was not a particularly long mileage day, it sure had a lot of elevation gain. This meant myself and Stevie were out of camp early.
There were gradual climbs in both the forest and through many pastures. Farmland might seem fun to walk through, but the early morning dew makes it feel as though I dumped cups of water on to my socks and shoes.
There was a river crossing that I actually switched out to my camp shoes for. The cool water was a welcomed gift as the day was heating up. Only going up to my knees was the perfect water level.
There was a significant climb up to Chestnut Knob and, of course, I hit it at the hottest part of the day. I comically was stopping about every 0.25 miles for water and a sit down rest. Eventually I got up to the pasture area leading up to the top and was greeted with dark clouds and ominous thunder. I hurried my way to the Chestnut Knob shelter and it could not have been more perfectly placed.
This large shelter was actually an enclosed building. Upon entering, Stevie was already there along with Uncle Bill and Pacesetter. The rain started in earnest just as Skyball arrived at the shelter as well. A huge thunderstorm moved through and dropped the temperature precipitously.
Stevie and I had plans to go another 6 miles, but start on these miles at 6:00pm. 6 after 6? Sounds good, right? The water source I was reliant on ended up being so slow that it took 25 minutes to get my water which meant I was arriving much later than I had wanted to.
For the last mile of the day I had to put on my headlamp and do some twilight hiking - it was not full night but still. I had fallen a few times on this rocky section while hurrying to camp. Stevie was waiting for me at a tent site next to a road that left much to be desired. We both tucked and fell asleep to the sound of a generator of a nearby van.
Day 32: Mile 576.4 - 604.0
Trail Daily Miles: 27.6
Total Trail Mileage: 604.0
Elevation Gain: 6062 ft
Elevation Loss: 4807 ft
Weather: Sun, Warm
Overall Day Sentiment: Keep your hours up to date 🥲
Stevie and I were up and out early because we had a pretty long mileage day planned. There was a small convenience store almost directly on the trail 16 miles from where our previous camp had been and the thought of an afternoon Diet Coke really motivated me.
The miles came easily as they were graded well and there was nothing out of the ordinary. The last bit of the 16 miles before the store was on a road heading into a highway junction.
A southbound hiker (going in the opposite direction) said “Are you planning to get to the store?“
Me: “Yes, I’ve been pushing big miles all morning to get there before they close at 2:00pm.”
Southbound hiker: “I need to tell you in advance that they closed at 12:30pm today for a family situation.”
It was a tiny devastation, but a devastation nevertheless.
I got to where the store was and was greeted by at least a dozen other hikers, including Stevie. There have been a small bits of trail magic in the forms of mini Coke cans in which Stevie has saved me one so that was my consolation prize. Other hikers had ordered pizza to this highway junction as they are consolation prize from the store also being closed.
The rest of the day felt much longer. There were some dry stretches with little water and it was the heat of the afternoon.
I finally made it to the shelter which we had agreed upon and it was down a relatively steep side trail – my least favorite. I arrived there and Stevie was there along with Waldo section hiker.
I quickly set up my tent and headed down to the one of the two water sources listed for that shelter. I should’ve asked which water source was better because I went down a horribly steep trail that led me into a Rhododendron forest and got disoriented. It was still light out, but down in a canyon and a rhododendron forest it was dark and I had trouble finding my way back up - all in all getting water took 45 minutes.
Once I arrived back to the shelter, I had dinner and another hiker, Rhino, had joined in the shelter as well. The shelter location had set me up to have a shorter day the following day to get to Woods Hole Hostel at a decent time.
Day 33: Mile 604.0 - 625.7
Trail Daily Miles: 21.7
Total Trail Mileage: 625.7
Elevation Gain: 3915 ft
Elevation Loss: 3159 ft
Weather: Sun, Hot, Rain
Overall Day Sentiment: Thankful for great hostels and George’s return!
Nothing motivates me like a town or hostel stay, so I got up early and headed out. In the background of the past few days, George has been trying to catch back up with our group. He was making considerable mileage strides, and there was a chance that he was going to get to the hostel that evening.
The day of hiking went pretty smooth. There was nothing too much of note except for there was a blue blazed trail, the Ribble Trail, that hikers recommended and it cut off about four trail miles. I ended up taking the side trail to allow me a bit more time at the hostel once I arrived. People complained about the steepness of this trail as a deterrent, but it was no steeper than anything the AT presented in Georgia and North Carolina.
I arrived at Woods Hole hostel and immediately fell in love. This special place is located on a beautiful piece of land that is perfectly set up for the hiking community. There is a beautiful bunkhouse, Safari tents, and interior rooms inside the main house as well. They offer yoga every late afternoon along with group dinners and breakfast. As word of cases of norovirus on the trail increased, I worried a bit about staying at a hostel but after chatting with the owner, I felt comfortable.
After chatting with my mom for a while and yoga, George arrived. He was a great hiking partner that I was sad to leave two weeks prior so it was exciting at the prospect that we could hike more miles together. When I am doing relatively big mileage days, it is hard to find someone else that can/wants to do them as well.
The group dinner was delicious and we all ate in the main house together. Much of the food prepared was grown on location, which made it all the more special. A note for any sincere introverts, this is a group experience, and everyone is encouraged to share bits of themselves before each meal. This might be uncomfortable for some, but it led to an overall warm experience.
There is a separate shower and laundry building that I was doing my laundry in when Crooner and Waldo also showed up. Crooner, Rhino, Waldo, and I were in stitches from laughing so hard while doing mundane tasks such as laundry. I am unsure what makes every interaction with these guys so funny but my abs were sore and my cheeks hurt from laughing so much. I’m thankful for short and sweet meetings with truly delightful people.
Day 34: Mile 625.7 - 637.4
Trail Daily Miles: 11.7
Total Trail Mileage: 637.4
Elevation Gain: 1566 ft
Elevation Loss: 3376 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: Thankful for a quick nero
It torrentially rained all night long and I was l thankful to be in proper accommodation that kept me dry. This continues to happen and I’m unsure why I’m gifted the perfect timing thus far to find shelter in town or literally at shelters just in time before weather hits.
Similar to dinner, breakfast was also communal and delicious. I had probably too much coffee but hey, it was a special place and I was enjoying everyone’s company.
George and I set out for a short hiking day into Pearisburg, Virginia while Stevie stayed back for zero day. I can understand how ones would want to stay at Woods Hole forever.
George and I hiked with Crooner and Rhino for a good majority of the day into Pearisburg and don’t worry I laughed the entire time again.
Pearisburg had most things really convenient right off the trail. I was able to get lunch, resupply, eat dinner, all within quick walking distance of the motel. The motel left much to be desired as it smelled like an ashtray, but as it stormed again this night, I was again thankful to have some sort of shelter. And it was norovirus free.
Day 35: Mile 637.7 - 660.5
Trail Daily Miles: 22.8
Total Trail Mileage: 660.5
Elevation Gain: 5585 ft
Elevation Loss: 3733 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: No norovirus for me!
George and I left relatively early and hit the trail. There were some climbs out of town and the day began to get hot and humid. For the mileage length of the day, the elevation profile also matched so despite starting a bit later than normal I had some climbs to get through.
I quickly and gingerly scurried past the definitely, confirmed norovirus shelter area. No one was there, thankfully. Stay away until it dies down!
There was a short road walk along the river as an option so I opted that. I really enjoyed seeing different parts of the country, not only by the trail, but also through neighborhoods and seeing how rural spots are in each location.
Of course, there was one last steep climb at the end of the day with no real water source at the shelter. That meant I had to do a full water carry up the steep climb, which added about 6 pounds of extra weight to my bag, which is never fun.
After a quick dinner with George and another hiker, I tucked into my tent as I had a long day planned for the following days as well.
Day 36: Mile 660.5 - 687.8
Trail Daily Miles: 27.3
Total Trail Mileage: 687.8
Elevation Gain: 5338 ft
Elevation Loss: 6632 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: Rocks…
An early morning out of Bailey Gap shelter lead to getting miles in quickly for the day. Around the 10 mile mark, I got to a road and saw the telltale signs of trail magic! A car with camping chairs, lots of hikers, and a table set up. This trail angel was making pizzas and though I cannot have pizza - he had some sodas and oranges. George, Downhill, Easy Does It, and myself all enjoyed some late morning treats before the remainder of the day.
There were several steep climbs which made me extra thankful for the trail magic. I eventually had lunch at an empty shelter area. Who can say no to a picnic table?
The climbs continued and just when I thought that the flat top of the ridges were going to be easy going miles, they were rocky. Like rocky enough that I wondered if I was in the infamous Pennsylvania. I hit the Eastern Continental Divide and while that was neat, I could not enjoy it very much as my ankles had seemingly become jello at some point on this ridge.
By the time I got to camp for the night, George was nearly tucked in and the sun was setting. I’m unsure what took me so long, but rocks - whether it be ankle turners, large boulder fields, or slanted slabs - may be my hiking kryptonite.
What is every hikers’ Kryptonite is Norovirus. And by this time, you may have gotten tired of reading about my concern regarding it but trust when I say my fear in the flesh was worse. That being said, I did a large water carry to this shelter as to not use the shelter water source as reported cases were identified here. This also meant no use of the facilities; shelter, picnic table, etc. Tenting away from everything and everyone while getting my own water was the only way I felt safe!
Day 37: Mile 687.8 - 715.1
Trail Daily Miles: 27.3
Total Trail Mileage: 715.1
Elevation Gain: 6759 ft
Elevation Loss: 6066 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: McAfee Knob was so special!
This day also started early as the end goal of the day was to have sunset at McAfee Knob.
Morning miles came quickly, as they typically do. There was an ATC suggested high water route (as it had been raining recently) short road walk that George and I opted for. This walked through some beautiful farmland and allowed me to see cute animals - always a welcomed treat. Soon after, we hit the 700 mile mark on trail!
I entered the Virginia Triple Crown area which encapsulates Dragon Tooth, McAfee Knob, and Tinker Cliffs. This was a very rocky section (as seen the day prior) but had beautiful components to it. I hit the Dragon Tooth area and had to do my first rock scramble of the trail - first of many to come.
In the background, my foot really began to hurt in this section. The pain moved around from my arch to the top of my foot, so it was hard to pinpoint what made it hurt worse or feel bette in the long term. This being said, it felt best when I walked on flat surfaces.
We decided to do a longer road walk to give my foot a break before McAfee Knob. On this road walk we walked past Huckleberry’s Hostel - to which Huckleberry himself offered cold beverages, a place to sit, and a ride the rest of the way up to road. It was beyond kind and my foot was very thankful.
I had reached out to a local runner and photographer, Tim Lewis, about quick connecting at McAfee Knob for sunrise the following day. He had suggested that we meet for sunset instead as the conditions were looking better for a vivid sunset. As he is consistently in the area, I made it work!
After running into some kind people that offered trail magic (hi, The American!), we quick looked but walked past McAfee Knob to set up camp. Then we hiked back up for sunset and to meet Tim and his friend there! As he predicted, it was stunning (seen below). It was great to connect with those who love the trail and know the area well.
George and I eventually hiked back down in the dark to our set up campsite and tucked in for the evening.
Day 38: Mile 715.1 - 730.6
Trail Daily Miles: 15.5
Total Trail Mileage: 730.6
Elevation Gain: 3165 ft
Elevation Loss: 3844 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: Thankful to be inside!
Because sunset the night before had been so beautiful, I was hesitant to add mileage and climbing into my face as it was meant to be a short day heading into Daleville. But when I woke up without an alarm at 4:45am, I took that as a sign that I was supposed to go to sunrise.
So I had it off with my headlamp back up the climb that I had done three times already and got up to McAfee knob just before sunrise. It was quite windy and chilly now I was ill prepared with what I was wearing, but I did have the view to myself. The colors were not as spectacular, but as I sat up there for an hour alone, it was peaceful.
After I got back to camp, I quick warmed up in my sleeping bag before packing up and heading out. It was a relatively short day into Daleville, but we still had a bit of elevation to do in the form of tinker cliffs. Tinker cliffs were beautiful and the best part was I could see McAfee now, but I just been a few hours before.
My foot still really hurt and the pain was moving from below my foot to my top of my foot and I couldn’t really figure out what was causing it or what was triggering it. So I was very ready to get into town, shower, and do some holistic things to help with it.
Once in Daleville I quickly realized that it was not conveniently placed like Pearisburg, but everything that I needed it was pretty spread out. Also, the city is not particularly pedestrian friendly in that it has no crosswalks lights and no sidewalks on the main road.
I had a package waiting for me at the post office, which on the map looks pretty close but via a busy road and as a pedestrian with no sidewalks or crosswalks, it was somewhat treacherous. You wouldn’t think that the most treacherous part of my week on the Appalachian Trail would be being a pedestrian in town trying to get a package from the post office.
George and I resupplied at both the grocery store and the outfitter. The outfitter was located right next to the grocery store which was convenient and it was well stocked with everything that a hiker would need.
There was a Mexican restaurant directly in front of the hotel so after walking too much in town already, we went there for dinner. While there, the skies once again opened up and delivered a pretty epic thunderstorm. Back in my hotel room, I watched as a large amount of hail also continue to come down. Somehow, I avoided being in my tent again during an absolute storm.
