The Virginia blues was just a ruse

 Note: this post is rather old but your writer is as lazy in hiking as he is in blogging, this was written about a month and a half ago.


Hello all, here for another post about this crazy, trashy highway in the woods i've been lucky enough to be a part of. I realized that my last post was a gigantic wall of text and probably an outright bore, how could i do that to you loyal readers after a month of no posts? Well heres a picture of darwin and her sweet lil beaver to make up for it

It's all come full circle, i find myself back in Pennsylvania Waynesboro to be exact which is the city that marks the mason dixon line. Yee-haw the difference was immediatley discernable the old wooden buildings of the south and the small town 1 stoplight communities are no more and are replaced with a large main street full of ancient brick buildings. The people are just as friendly and just as amazed with the fact that i'm hiking across America, but far less have mouths full of dip and wear confederate flag t-shirts.

The Virginia blues were something that many contended with. It was talked about often and many who experienced it up and left. I spent a month and a half of my trip in Virginia and i count it now as one of my favirote states i have hiked through.

Up to this point i really have not had any thought of quitting or getting off trail, the physical challenge has been rough but its nothing that a day or R&R can't fix right up. But then things started to change at somepoint late into Virginia, shit got hot. With heat of 95-100 degrees every single day of the week hiking has become not just difficult but down right dangerous. My chafing level went from a modest discomfort to full on firey hell. Water consumption means at least 5 or 6 liters a day and with the summer heat many springs are dry in the area. At this point its difficult to do the big mile days, although i am used to doing 16-20 miles daily by mile 10 I am an exhuasted sweat soaked mess.

But thats ok, because its time for a whole new adventure the great north! But theres a lot i will miss about my good friend the dirty south. 

like this apple pie moonshine, apples cinnamon and a whole lot of tasty.

Great big open meadows with views for miles

and all of the farms with strange animals like this (albino?) peacock

Anyway nows not the time to hike, its the time to sit and enjoy a cold drink on a porch. I have a feeling these next couple of miles will involve lots of money spent and tons of reeelaxation. After all i'm not out here to kill myself i'm out here to have fun!