So I'm in Waynesboro, Va. staying at Grace Lutheran Church.
The church has us in the basement on cots. They have two computers and a big screen tv for us in the lounge, hot showers and other amenities.
I hear there are like three snorers in the common room tonight. So I'm either going to couch it in here or use the earplugs that Cheeseburger gave me.
I got in today at noon, headed straight for Ming Garden and then straight to Tailgate, a bar and grill, to watch USA take on Turkey in soccer. I bought a used Jack London book - "John Barleycorn" - and resupplied at Kroger. It's a great town; I wish I had time to zero here.
But I must hike on. I'm at mile 853 from Springer. Which means I'm roughly 150 miles from Harper's Ferry. Which is so, so hard to believe, that I've hiked from there to Katahdin and then from Georgia to there, and it's all coming to an end so soon - in the next week and a half. Ten days!!! Tomorrow, I begin the 100-mile Shenandoah National Park portion of the AT, renowned for its forgiving terrain and wayside lunch counters. After the Shenandoahs I'm practically there.
I'm having a lot of mixed feelings being this close to the end of my 2,179 miles of hiking the Appalachian Trail. As I wrote in the register of the Priest Mountain Shelter, this trip took on more importance than I ever thought it would when I was planning it. Now I can hardly imagine my life without the Trail.
It's late. I'm off to bed, dreaming of AYCE blueberry pancakes.
12 years ago
Hi Ink - Mom and I did Bike Virginia a few years ago and the entire ride was in and around The Shenandoah Valley. We crossed the AT a couple of times but it had no significance then. Also a lot of Amish Farms (families). Very pretty country. Can't believe U R so close to finish. Get ready to be re-immersed into the "real world"! You are among a rare few who have completed the entire Thru Hike. Huge accomplishment - Congrats. RAG
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ReplyDeleteThanks! and ditto what you said. The Shennies were good to me, too.
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