A Backpacker in Virginia

By Tommy Baggins

This is the third of eight trail journals that I kept while backpacking on the Appalachian Trail. This particular journal is from my hike through central Virginia during the summer of 2003.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tommy Baggins
• Release date: Feb 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310032004

Tommy Baggins

Who am I? I'm a lover of sci-fi and fantasy fiction as well as a fan of classic movies. I'm a self-proclaimed royal historian of Oz as well as the self-proclaimed emperor of Canada and, yes, I'm completely full of it. I like to think that I'm a sterling example of person with Asperger's syndrome. It may be more trouble than it's worth but it lends me and my writing a distinctive perspective. I live in the real-life fairy country along the border between Delaware and Pennsylvania. Although, during the summers, I like to throw on a backpack and go walking among the mountains.

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A Backpacker In Virginia

By Tommy Baggins

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2016 Tommy Baggins

INTRODUCTION

This is the third of eight trail journals that I kept while backpacking on the Appalachian Trail. This particular journal is from my hike through central Virginia during the summer of 2003. Well, that's enough of an introduction. Here's the journal.

THE JOURNAL

May 31

I'm in Pearisburg [Virginia]. Tomorrow I'll start my third AT hike. My original plan was to hike today. However, I arrived later than expected. Also, the weather is terrible. Who wants to spend the first night of a trip in a bivy sack on the side of a mountain during a thunderstorm?

June 1

Today's the day. Today's weather forecast is mostly sunny (although we have clouds now) with a high of 69°. After today the forecast is for 6 straight days of nonstop rain.

First photograph of first camera: A patch of bright orange fungus.

Second photograph of first camera: Rice Field Shelter. The AT goes through a cow pasture at this spot.

Third photograph of first camera: Cows walking on the AT! These cows chased somebody! A fellow backpacker with a pair of dogs –her trail name was Two Dog Night-- told me that one of her dogs chased a calf. This didn't sit well with the parents [of the calf].

Fourth photograph of first camera: Mountains. This –I think-- is Symms Gap. I took this picture on an impulse.

Four Pines is a place just before Catawba. I've heard it has everything a backpacker could want.

Fifth photograph of first camera: A deer visited my campsite on the first night of this trip.

My first evening on the trail was frustrating. First, I spilled a pot of tea thereby wasting a good portion of my limited supply of water. There is no spring or stream here. Then I tried to cook a pot of macaroni & cheese. I failed at this also. The wind is blowing hard enough and steady enough that I couldn't keep an Esbit tablet lit.

First night on the trail is always stressful. I'll sleep well tonight, I hope. I'll feel better tomorrow.

I ran low on water today but found a stream with a a semi-stagnate pool populated by tadpoles