Carry Me Back to Ol’ Virginia

So who would have thought that on the day Peeta turned 60, we’d be back in Roanoke, VA atop one of the most iconic summits on the trail and certainly one filled with fond memories of our days living here. But we are jumping ahead of ourselves…because since we last blogged we were expecting a new guest hiker!!

Unfortunately, Kirena joined our trek in the lovely town of Bland, which faithfully lived up to its name. But we were excited to hit mile number 600 with her!! Woo hoo!! By then Kirena was worn out so we carried her over the last mile 😊

Even though our time with Kirena was limited to 5 days, we experienced trail magic, camping in the rain (a thunderstorm actually!), a hostel stay and a magical night in the most perfect campsite…unfortunately that did not include a campfire due solely to a lack of dry wood, certainly not any deficiency in Katniss’s fire starting skills. Kirena also got to meet some of the wonderful family of people we have come to love on the trail.

Kirena departed in Pearisburg, VA and we began our approach into Daleville VA near Roanoke over the next week. Trail days was getting underway in Damascus so the trail was fairly quiet. We hiked with a new “bubble” and had a few fun days with Barter Boy (13 year old who is always looking to trade out his trail snacks for something better), his mother Navigator as well as Grouse and Old Buzzard. One evening we pitched camp under the Keffer Oak, a 300 year old oak tree set back in a meadow on the trail. Magical!

Barter Boy and Katniss boat racing

This last week we completed Virginia’s triple crown which is comprised of Dragon’s Tooth (huge jagged rock with a 360 panoramic view), McAfee’s Knob (iconic stone rock-face overlooking Catawba Valley) and Tinker Cliffs (stone ledges facing west over Catawba Valley.) These three fall along a 20 mile stretch of trail which consists of some grueling rocky climbs and descents but the views are spectacular! we hiked so many of these trails when we lived in VA but never as a continuous thread. And after drinking a 12 oz box wine, which Katniss hauled in her pack for 6 days, on top of McAfee’s Knob to celebrate Peeta’s 60th birthday, we set camp that night on Tinker cliffs and watched an incredible sunset!!

Waking up the next morning we had 12 miles to go to reach Danville. We would be amiss to not mention a few more lovely surprises from there. Maureen and Al, some very dear friends from NC, picked us up from the trail and drove us into Roanoke…where after showers AND laundry we celebrated a wonderful birthday dinner! ❤️ Such a treat to see them both!!

And a big shout out to our friend Teresa!! She graciously offered cross town shuttle services for resupply and dinner despite having an awful day of cleaning up after a skunk incident. You’re the best!!

It’s been wonderful to be back in VA and revisit some familiar places and see some old friends!! At 730 miles we are OFFICIALLY one third of the way through our journey! While there is a familiarity and a routine to each day, every step holds the promise of a new great experience. And so tomorrow we saunter on. Happy trails!