Robert in America

Retiring the Old Boots

21 November 2009 · 4 Comments

Day 144, Mile 1838

After 1400 miles it was time to get a new pair of boots. I had to give the old ones a proper burial though:

Hello from Damascus, VA, “The Friendliest Town on the Trail.” Or so they say. So far, I have found Damascus to be just about as friendly as every other town. But we’re planning to zero here tomorrow, so there is a still a chance for the town to amaze me. More importantly though, I am less than 5 miles from the Tennessee border, and after 530 long miles, I am almost out of Virginia!

This last stretch through Virginia has been very nice. We had a thumping good rain storm on Halloween which knocked all the leaves from the trees in one fell swoop. I felt like I woke up one day in September and it was all-of-a-sudden autumn, and then I woke up on November 1 and it was just as quickly winter! Although it’s been nice to be able to see the landscape through the bare trees, I do miss all the spectacular colors we had last month.

Lightweight and I have been hiking together since my last post, which has been really nice. We’ve both been in good spirits since we left Woodshole, I have felt very recharged and ready to take on this last stretch. A few days back G-Fog finally caught up to us as well! Since it was also his birthday, his mom and girlfriend were up to visit him, and so we ended up spending a night in their motel room and slackpacking the next day. His mom also took us to Waffle House one morning for breakfast–and it was absolutely delicious.

Owl near Old Orchard Shelter

Our last 70 miles was through the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area, home to the highest point in Virginia. It was a really significant spot for us, being our first time over 5000 ft. since New Hampshire, hitting the less than 500 mile mark, and the chance to enjoy its unique “wildlife.”

Foal with its Mare

Surveying the Damage

Friendliest Pack Animal on the Trail

As you can see, the Highlands are populated by a herd of very friendly wild ponies! They came right up to us, nipped at our pockets, and dug through our bags. Fortunately, they didn’t get any of our food. Apparently, the Forest Service put the ponies there in the late 60s to help keep the “bald” areas on top of the mountain from being reforested. Whatever their purpose, they provided for a fun afternoon of photography!

Sunset from Rhododendron Gap

As I mentioned above, G-Fog finally caught up to us again and I am a firm believer in “the more the merrier.” I feel very conflicted about finishing, now that I am so close. Part of me is so anxious to be done and at home, enjoying the holidays with my friends and family. But an equally strong half of me doesn’t want to finish, because I just don’t know what I’ll do with myself if I am not walking 20 miles every day! I’m already in the job application process though, looking ahead to my next adventure. And so all I can say is “onward.”

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