May 19
We ate a delicious breakfast at Mojoe's this morning, then I was able to mail my bounce box up to Harpers Ferry. Woohoo! We'll be there before you know it! Bluebird's parents dropped her off at our hotel, then we headed off to Pearisburg to get back on the trail. Her dad drafted our car for an hour or so. Dad was very entertained and they managed to go quite fast. Right before we returned to the trail we stopped at a gas station to use the bathrooms and get water. One of the other customers was talking loudly on his cell phone and he was very irritated. He was threatening to take his ex-wife/girlfriend to court and talked about her sticking her nose up her boyfriend's ass. Yeesh! He was very animated and a bit scary. Glad he left us alone!
Mom and Dad dropped us off where they picked us off and, after snapping a few photos, we were off! The hike out of Pearisburg was the lowlight of the trip. It was a hell hole. We walked across a big, high traffic bridge then under an overpass. We passed an industrial landfill and walked through construction zones. It was hotter than heck too, which compounded the ugliness. Hopefully the pending trail reroute will bypass that nasty section of trail. I'm glad my parents picked us up in the woods at Cross Avenue rather than at one of the many ugly spots in Pearisburg. It would have been a totally different experience.
We stopped for lunch at a pretty creek, but dared not drink the water that flowed past. We were too close to the industrial landfill. A section hiker named Bob, who was miserably hungover, caught up to us there. He seems like a really nice guy. I felt bad for him. He visited some friends in Blacksburg last night and was paying the price.
Later up the trail, we heard a bunch of crashing through the woods and saw a juvenile black bear scurrying away. My first bear of the trip! It stayed near enough to take photos, but not good ones. I made sure to note the encounter at the Rice Field Shelter a few miles away. It's always good to let other hikers know when there are bears in the vicinity, especially at shelters.
We ended up at a trailside campsite with a bunch of other hikers, including Squirrel. She has a new Osprey pack too! Did I mention Bluebird got the same pack as me? Ospreys are probably the most popular brand out here. I'm sleeping in my "new" (it's 12 years old) summer sleeping bag and trying my pillow for the first time. Hopefully I get a great night's sleep!
Best Thing: The bear sighting!
Looking Forward To: "Flat" terrain tomorrow!
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