I started off a fantastic morning with an incredible ridge walk (much like the ridge you can see across the valley)

Isn’t the Gulf of Mexico part of the Atlantic?

A bumble bee 🙂

The rain showers arrive…but nothing the umbrella can’t handle

The view from the Dragons Tooth (near Roanoke)

The actual tooth…modeled by some nice kids I met from Blacksburg who are prepping for their first big Backpack trip.

Menacing clouds before the more rain showers arrived just before the sketchiest descent of the the whole trip (forgot to take pics). It was a big rock scramble that was nice and slick.

The Rainbow after the storm

The rhododendrons are starting to peak in some areas. We will be paralleling the Blue Ridge Parkway in a couple days which is know for their rhododendron.

Home for the night…yes, a bit odd but it came highly recommended (seriously). It’s the Four Pines Hostel (donations appreciated). It’s just what it looks like…a giant 6-car garage on a farm (1/2 mile from the trail), but with laundry, showers snacks and all sorts of other hiker comforts.

There were about a dozen folks staying on various couches and cots.

…even Oakley the 2yr old Golden got his own couch.

Tomorrow is a big day to Daleville (26mi?). Along the way is Macafee Knob, a very well known attraction in this area as well as several other good view points. It’s supposed to be a clear sunny day too!

More trail wisdom:
–The AT don’t care
(as in the trail doesn’t care how you feel or how tired you are, etc. it’s just going to beat you up regardless)

-If the Trail was easy it would be your mom
(written on a Shelter ceiling)

The family friendly version of that would be:
-If the AT were flat we’d be walking through Kansas