Week 8, 1/3 of the trail!

6/1 Camped under Keffer Oak 679 2nd largest tree on the AT, around 300 years old!

6/2 Trail Magic from safety patrol, camped at trout creek 697.

6/3 Catawba Mtn Shelter just prior to McAffe Knob 712, stopped at a gas station for lunch, and brought half a pizza with me for dinner.

6/4 Daleville motel 730, a suburb of Roanoke. Right at the crossing of I-81. Sunrise hike into town.

6/5 Bobblet's shelter 748, felt sick and stayed at the shelter all morning. 1/3 mark just after the city.

Shorter section this week, as I wanted to get back to posting on weekends. This week I did the Virginia triple crown, of Dragon's tooth, McAffe Knob and Tinker Cliffs. This was apperantly a big deal in virginia, as I passed a lot of day and section hikers. The climb down from Dragon's tooth was fun, and a little technical, but otherwise they seemed like just another ridge peak overlook to me. 

Daleville was a larger city than I had seen in a while, and I stayed in a motel. I was able to upgrade my sleeping bag for a summer quilt, one pound lighter,  which has been amazing so far. I had been sweating through the nights, and now I'm actually feeling somewhat normal temperature. The Virginia heat is here, and I'm trying my best to beat it. I take every chance I get now to dip into creeks and water.

I had a small case of what was probably food poisoning yesterday, and spent the night vomiting. This morning I took it easy, and stayed put to take a slow-starting half day. I feel better now. 

I said goodbye to Hippie Rocks, who was only hiking the first third of the trail. More people are leaving, or talking about it, although there's still plenty of hikers going all the way. As I passed the ⅓ mark, I remember thinking both "I might actually do this!", and "now the beginning's over and the middle third begins". The first third felt like everything was new, and the milestones were fresh. As I approach spending 2 months on this trail the comparison mentally is no longer trail vs frontcountry, but trail vs more trail. 

Here's hoping for another wonderful 731 miles in the green tunnel!