Thank you Thomas Smith, even though you were ‘colored’, you fought for our country.

Managed to escape Pearisburg – or forced myself to leave.   Terrible weather + great church hostel w/ woodstove.   Pearisburg is an interesting place – this picture is from downtown.

Only 7.3 today, at Rice Shelter.   Not To Worry is here, nobody else dared leave.  Cold (38F), cloudy, foggy and foul.   At least right now it’s not raining.

I had to get out of there, it was a vortex.

The climb was sucky up here, although I got a big bag of peanut M&Ms on my way out which helped.  The ridgewalk was ok.   I get cranky and very tired on climbs now, feeling unmotivated.   Maybe I’m just tired, I didn’t get much sleep last night in the loft at the hostel.

Stayed up late with Little Engine, good to catch up with her again.  She’s getting pretty worn down too, as is Chewy.   I’ve heard about week 6 is when the major trail depression, aka the Virginia Blues, kicks in.  Ate a lot of pizza and ice cream, for therapeutic reasons of course.

Forecast for next 2 days is cloudy, rain likely, 50s but 40s at night, and that’s down on the flat, so it should suck up here.  I was actually shivering today – lovely.

Tired. Sleep.