Day 152/August 31

Miles hiked: 14.7 in 7:25
Start: Knot Maul Branch Center, VA
Finish: VA 683, US-11, Atkins, VA
Elevation gain:3,110'

Route from my Suunto.

Day 151/August 30

Miles hiked: 16.9 in 9:50
Start: , Mile 1614.7, VA
Finish: Knot Maul Branch Center, VA
Elevation gain: 3,268'

Route from my Suunto.

Day 150/August 29

Miles hiked: 14.5 in 8:18Start: US Route 52, Bland, VAFinish: Saddle at mile mark 1,613.7, VAElevation gain: 3,415'

Route from my Suunto.

Say 149/August 28

Miles hiked: 11.9 in 6:11
Start: Jenny Knob Shelter VA
Finish: US Route 52, Bland, VA
Elevation gain: 2,539'

Route from my Suunto.

Day 148/August 27

Miles hiked: 14.5 in 7:49
Start: Wapiti Shelter, VA
Finish: Jenny Knob Shelter, VA
Elevation gain: 2,129'

600 miles to go!!!!

Route from my Suunto.

Day 147/August 26

Miles hiked: 17.9 in 8:33
Start: Cross Avenue, Pearisburg, VA
Finish: Wapiti Shelter, VA
Elevation gain: 3,898'

Route from my Suunto.

Day 146/August 25

Day 145/August 24

Miles hiked: 7.30 in 3:02

Start: Rice Field Shelter, VA

Finish: Cross Avenue, Pearisburg, VA

Elevation gain: 1,112'

A short hike into Pearisburg to stay at the Angels Rest Hostel where I plan to take a day off. Met up with Tuna, who started his SoBo hike on June 9th. He's from Boston and into organic farming and healthy eating, normally, but admitted he now eats nothing but sugar and fat, i.e., junk food like sticky buns and Little Debbie products. He's averaging the high twenty-miles per day now and hoping to finish in less than 100 days. He was excited to hear about my Barkley Marathons and wanted to know more about ultrarunning, which we talked about for some time. As the world turns, he hiked past Pearisburg to the Woods Hole Hostel, where he had package waiting, but, alas, the hostel was closed! So he got a shuttle to Angels Rest, where he's taking a day off also.

And already at the hostel was another hike, also from Massachusetts, Walking Tree, who highly recommends the bar below:

Personally, I've taken a strong liking to the new Clif Bar Nut Butter bars. And, since I weighed myself at Angels Rest Hostel at 132 pounds, a loss of 11 pounds since I started my hike, I'm also adding some Turkey or Chicken Jerky to the menu, too.

Route from my Suunto.

Day 144/August 23

Miles hiked: 16.5 miles in 8:44

Start: Bailey Gap Shelter, VA

Finish: Rice Field Shelter, VA

Elevation gain: 3,268'

A rather long hike, but much easier than the day before, since I was on a long ridgeline.

Sunset as seen from Rice Field, just in front of the shelter. Very windy location, but with a great view.

Shelter on the edge of Rice Field.

Very overgrown meadow on the way to the shelter--full of thistles and other scratchy vegetation. Pleasant to look at, but not to hike through.

Route from my Suunto.

Day 143/August 22

Miles hiked: 14.60 in 8:24

Start: Laurel Creek Shelter, VA

Finish: Bailey Gap, VA

Elevation gain: 3,642'

No idea what these flowers are, but they were gorgeous. And there was a line of them along the creek, so they evidently like a wet environment.

Route from my Suunto.

Day 142/August 21

Miles hiked: 12.4 in 6:04

Start: Niday Shelter, VA

Finish: Laurel Creek Shelter, VA

Elevation gain: 3,094'

Evidently, not everyone was enamored with making stone walls; still this rock pile took a lot of time and effort to build. Question is, why did they do this? I presume that the land was used for crops, and nor for raising sheep, or livestock, hence no need for stone walls.

Yup, I peed here and watched it flow in both directions.

Well, this leaf just stood out from the rest of the ground like a sore thumb, or three. Really, I won't need to see the fall colors in the Smokies now--they were all right here in one location. :-)

Route from my Suunto.

Day 141/August 20

Miles hiked: 16.8 in 8:47
Start: Rt 624, Catawba, VA
Finish: Niday Shelter, VA
Elevation gain: 4,291'

Things you see while peeing.

These farms look like great places to live.

Route from my Suunto.