Getting to Know Virginia

One of the few vistas we had on Friday.

For the past 3 days, we've been doing shorter day hikes to have some time to unwind after our 6 day adventure and to plan our next few moves through Virginia. I can't complain, though. There's a huge difference between slackpacking and getting to spend the night in the RV and overnighting in the woods. Mostly, I'm enjoying not having to carry 30 extra pounds around and getting to see my Trail Angel Mamma every night. On Friday, we hiked about 5 miles through a low elevation area right around Damascus. Not too many views, but meandering through several small streams was still pretty.

Feathercamp Branch Stream.

On Saturday, we hiked about 12 miles, and although it didn't include any big climbs to big views, it did follow a big section of the Virginia Creeper Trail, a bike path that this area of Virginia is famous for. We saw dozens of bikers of all ages using the Creeper Trail, which follows the former route of an old logging railroad, and really enjoyed the beautiful river and bridges.

Creeper Bridge.

Creeper River.

One of the best parts of slackpacking - eating Trail Angel food by the river.

Today included a 7 mile hike and the first big climb of our Virginia adventure, up Buzzard Rock. It was about an 1800 foot climb to get to the top, but it was completely worth it, even though my foot was in a lot of pain in my new boots (I've almost worn out 2 pair already).

King of the Rock.

Seeing for miles.

Perfect Pit Stop.

It's been much cooler for the past few days, and absolutely perfect weather for being outside. We made it to our rendezvous point in time to get cleaned up and go to a really nice dinner in a nearby town. Nothing beats a good steak at the end of the day, in my mind. And the one I had tonight was excellent. Southern Virginia is getting crowded for the holiday weekend, and the locals are clearly restless for some festivities. While we were driving back to the RV park, we caught the tail end of a fireworks show. Hopefully we can find some more to enjoy tomorrow.

The Trail Angel is always there, even when you can't see her.