Beautiful night to be in a tent last night. No rain coming, so I left the rain fly off to be more comfortable. Every time I woke up, I opened my eyes to see a giant bright moon and a star-filled night sky. It was enough to keep me up a few times just to watch.
Thunder Hill
Getting warmer, getting sweatier, getting oh so smellier. Well, feet survived yesterday's 20-miler with my new hiking sandals and they felt pretty good today. Shin splint was a bit better behaved too, though much of the day was spent doing long stretches of ascent and that doesn't seem to aggravate it as much.
Cove Mt.
Well, the weather was absolutely perfect hiking weather today and the terrain was easy to boot. Hiked the day with Skyline and Sundance as we passed the first of our many future crossings with the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Fullhardt Knob
Many meaningless PUDs this morning, but time passed quickly walking with Skyline and Sundance as we told each other riddles on our walk into Daleville, VA for a resupply--a process that I've quickly come to despise having to do.
Lambert's Meadow
After a night of great company, it was time to see perhaps Virginia's most well-known section of trail. Beautiful cool weather as I teamed up with Skyline and Sundance, Fitz, and Slips for an afternoon journey over the famous jutting stone ledge of McAfee Knob and along Tinker Cliffs--both with tremendous views of the green valley countryside below.
VA 624
Lots of PUDs today, but several cool things to see including my first sighting of a Pink Lady's Slipper flower, the Audie Murphy Memorial site (USA's most decorated WWII veteran), and the dramatic Dragon's Tooth rock ridge.
Niday
The first day of May shall henceforth be known as "Mystery Day" since today was full of them. For starters, the ridgelines were all clouded in so that the vistas of the Virginia countryside below were a mystery. Second, I saw a beautiful red wildflower whose identity still remains a mystery.