Monday, July 9, 2001

day 58, Pinefield H, VA

Start:  Riprap Overlook campsite
End:  Pinefield Hut
Miles:  18.2 today, 875.8 total

Made some pretty nice miles, eh?  Granted, we had to hike ALL DAY, Megan's probably dead, and I'm starting to catch a cold I think.  Megan is still amazed that all you do is hike.  We made up a little motto: "Just keep on hiking!"  I'm starting to learn that if you think of hiking as your friend, rather than as a chore or as work, your breaks aren't as long and you can get the day's miles finished sooner.

We went over a lot of the same terrain that Dave and I covered back in the warm-up days.  I remember that pivotal day when Dave had to turn back and head to the car, and I hiked on alone.  Hope he gets a chance to give the trail another go sometime, I think he'd really enjoy it.  I remember some of those hills, like up on Loft Mountain and just beyond, as being pretty hard.  But now, with close to 900 miles under my belt, those hills were like butta'.  And now, staying at Pinefield Hut, the same place Dave and I stayed that night back in February (same "pivotal" day) is pretty neat.  Looks a little different now with leaves on all the trees.  I remember I saw my first black bear on that pivotal day, too.

Tonight there was supposedly a copperhead on the trail from the shelter to the campsites up on the hill.  I really only know rattlesnakes because they make an obvious noise.  Any other snake, and I just hope it's not poisonous.  I'm a pseudo-woodsman.

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