Prime.

I felt great coming out of Daleville. Fully recharged and ready to venture farther into Virginia and pull some big miles.

That first day brought me up to a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway that provided unobstructed views of the valleys and hills. I even hiked some road walk sections to see some of the vistas usually only available to motorists. I hiked about 23 miles that day.

The next day held even more adventure. It began by taking a detour to Middle Creek Campground, where I was able to obtain a generously portioned turkey sandwich before beginning the climb up Apple Orchard Mountain. On the way up, I stopped at a rocky overlook. The view was phenomenal; however, I quickly discovered I was not alone out there. When I went to return to the trail, I noticed a copperhead now guarding my only exit point. Without much else to do, I waited about half an hour for the snake to dip its head back between the rocks before I scurried over them. After that shocking moment, I took my time up the mountain. At the peak was a weather radar, but just past it was the famous “The Guillotine” rock formation, where the trail went directly beneath a suspended boulder.

I continued to feel great and ended up in the town of Glasgow a day earlier than expected. I met a group of locals who had set up a rope swing off the James River Footbridge, which was right before the gap. They asked if I was thru-hiking and if I wanted to try the swing. I had nothing else to do that day, so of course I spent a couple of hours with them jumping off the bridge and swimming in the river. They were nice enough to give me a ride into town, where I filled up on some delicious food and was able to resupply.

The days that followed had me climbing Bluff Mountain and Cole Mountain. Both were quite challenging climbs, but I planned my days so that I could knock them out in the morning, which allowed me to accumulate miles after the big ascents. In the five days after leaving Daleville, I covered over 100 miles.

This past day was one of my favorite days so far. I took an alternate route that involved a steep descent and ascent, but it ended up being totally worth it. The trail was highlighted with a series of waterfalls and swimming holes. I took advantage of the clean water and great day to do a bit of trail laundry. While I waited for my clothes to dry, I decided to take a dip in the water au naturel. I had this side trail all to myself, so why the heck not? It was cold but super refreshing. I hiked about eight more miles to another road, crossing where a few of us hikers got a hitch a few miles down to a hiker-friendly brewpub campground. I just finished gorging myself and am now enjoying the afternoon.

I am currently at mile marker 845 on the Appalachian Trail. In the next couple of days, I will be heading into Shenandoah National Park.