Trail Notes – September 29 (Bear’s Den Hostel, Purcellville, VA)

*singing* And the rain rain rain came down down down…

Oy. It is wet and chilly and windy out there! The Ziptie opted to not hike. No regrets there. And I was hardly alone, there are about ten hikers here staying out of the weather. DVD marathon – Perfect Storm was followed by 2001: A Space Odyssey, then Pirates of the Caribbean, and finally My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I only really watched part of Perfect Storm and most of PotC. Now the guys are watching football.

A group of us got restless and bored and went into nearby Purcellville to hit the outfitter and have lunch. Given the weather in VA so far, and that fact I somehow left my rain jacket in Maine, I purchased new Frogg Togg rain gear and some polypro long johns. I have a feeling that I am going to need them. 

Tomorrow I pack my gear and get a shuttle to a hostel in Front Royal. This means that I have a 20 mile stretch of trail south of Bear’s Den and north of Front Royal that I need to slackpack. Depending on the terrain (and the rib),  I might be able to do it all in a single day. Possible, if not likely, but if I do, I’ll need the whole day, so it would be Saturday. The hostel stays and shuttles add up, but so far I have been incredibly lucky, thanks to generous people, and have caught rides free of charge. 

This is an incredible hostel. Tonight, a group of us were clustered in comfortable chairs near a lit fireplace, quietly reading, while another hiker played the piano in the background. Every now and then, I put the Kindle down to take a sip of cocoa. Outside, wind and rain were hammering at the windows. I will be sorry to leave, but I feel that familiar restlessness, too… Time to push on. 

My Virginia cousins have expressed interest in joining me for a period of hiking – that should be fun! There are 550 miles of AT in VA, and so far I have done… 33. Completing Virginia will be an accomplishment all in itself!

I don’t know if I will be hiking tomorrow or not. I kinda hope to. But let’s see what the weather does, as well. I feel like I’m stalled, and yet… Maybe that’s not a bad thing.

I cover distance!