The original plan was to leave early & have Michael drop us off at VA608 so we could hike the 20 miles back to the hostel, but the plan didn't exactly work out (even though we were up at 5:30). So we left the hostel about 7, headed southbound on the AT, and were instructed to call when we got to the road we wanted to be picked up at. Okay....
I thought it was raining (damp and foggy and the sounds of the roaring creek nearby), so I put on my full rain gear. Discovered as soon as we started walking that it was NOT raining, so I had a wardrobe change before we even got back on the AT!
We started hiking through an area where there was a controlled burn just a few weeks ago. The forest floor was charred but there were little ferns popping up everywhere. It reminded me of when we went to hike the approach trail last December and the area had burned just days before.
The rest of the walk was pretty boring. Rocky terrain with lots of slick roots. No worries about water, however! The creeks were all swollen with water, and some stream crossings were a little precarious. I know there have been some very dry years for thru hiking the AT - I'm glad this is not one of those years.
Knee started acting up a bit. I know I'm whining about it a little bit, but it is something I'm worried about. It doesn't hurt straight away, and it doesn't hurt when I'm walking without a pack. It doesn't feel unstable. It just "catches" sometimes without warning (can't put weight on it, bringing on a serious case of Hiker Tourette's until it pops) - and after about 6-9 miles of walking it hurts with every step, on the outside of the knee and also in the back, and my hip hurts too. I'm thinking maybe IT band? Or some other sort of tendonitis. How much ibuprofen can I take without causing permanent damage??
Got to VA 606 - it was raining, of course - and saw OWL crouched by her pack. We decided to stop here (5 miles short of where we were originally picked up), and we'll come back this weekend (when our partners are visiting) and do the 5 mile hike with them.
Walked down the road to Trent's Grocery - a cool country store with everything from tackle to hardware to camping gear to convenience store to local tomatoes. Had a snack (saltine crackers w/ pimento cheese, salt & vinegar pork rinds, & V8). Pretty delicious. Then Neville picked us up & we went to the Amish grocery store so she could pick up some supplies. Went back to the hostel, had a shower & dinner, read some more...then bedtime. I will see AWE tomorrow!! So exciting!!
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