Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2000
Subject: AT Update

Hi Everyone,

I'm at the Waynesboro, VA public library, and since I don't have much time, this will have to be a group message.  Waynesboro is at the Southern end of Shenandoah Nat. Park.  I got here in about 15 days from my starting point, Harper's Ferry W.VA, covering about 160 miles.

I have been fortunate in that the weather has generally been good.  A couple days in, it actually got hot enough to have a thunderstorm, and I had the excitement of scampering down off of a ridge, leaning my aluminum frame pack and hiking pole against a tree, getting 30 yards away from said tree, and standing with my feet together while the rain pelted and I counted the seconds between flash and rumble.  But most days have been sunny with blue skies. The nights have sometimes dipped down towards freezing, and its awful hard to get out of the sleeping bag on those mornings.  But once you are, you hustle like crazy to get going because hiking is the only thing that is going to warm you up.

The woods are a bit stark because the leaves haven't come out on the larger trees yet.  But there are touches of green in the understory and forest floor, and some ground dwelling wildflowers are blooming, especially at lower elevations.  And the lack of leaves allows screened views down into the valleys that will be gone as summer comes on.  Butterflies alight on the trail in front of me, and then keep moving just ahead of me and I have to be careful not to squash the little blighters.  I have seen many hawks circling in the air currents around the peaks.  I've had the bejeesus startled out of me several times by grouse exploding into flight at my approach.  I have seen a crapload of Virginia deer, with their huge white tails.  In Shenandoah they are much tamer, and sometimes just stare dolely at me from alongside the trail rather than bolting off.  I saw no bear and stepped on no rattlesnakes, and that's probably just as well.

Sometimes I have hiked all day and not seen another soul.  Sometimes I have had shelters to myself.  But there are people out on the trail, especially on weekends.  And I've met a few people specifically section-hiking parts of the AT.

My 41-year-old body is holding up reasonably well.  I got blisters on my heels and am hoping that new socks and more broken-in boots will prevent a recurrance.  My left ankle and arch have been aching, but I just bought a light neoprene brace that seems to help.  Strangely enough, I did not have much of an appetite at first, but I think my "hiker hunger" is beginning to kick in.  Last night I went to a Chinese Restaurant here that has an all-you-can-eat buffet and I was hardly fazed after my third plate.  (I accidentally let some carbohydrates get on my plate, but I'll be more careful next time.)  My legs are getting a bit stronger each day, and I seem to take shorter and fewer "wheeze breaks" as I struggle uphill.  Hiking has been good in this cool weather and I don't relish the thought of 90 degree temps later on.

I'm spending an extra night here in Waynesboro, to give my feet a break.  Nice weather today.  Supposed to be stormy tomorrow when I hit the trail again, and then turn quite cold.  I'm going to be out on the trail, whatever the weather, so it doesn't really matter.

Think my time is almost up, so I'll close here.  Thank you for your kind thoughts and interest.