God's Country - April 28, 2025

Builder is making his way south through the beautiful Commonwealth of Virginia. As of yesterday, he reported that he had travelled 100 miles on round two of his journey in a week. Not bad!

News has been limited, but he said everything is blooming and "can't beat it". (I confess - I am still a bit jealous. Virginia is a gorgeous place.)

He sent a bunch of pictures but didn't explain what they were. This might be the post we stopped at on our last hike together during Covid where I asked for a picture next to an AT blaze. I remember it as being taller though, so maybe not.

I think he captured this shot because it's the official symbol for the AT.

This is what I mean - Virginia has gorgeous "vistas" as I always call them. I think this might have been taken at Big Meadow, which is where we hiked.

And this is where my jealous feelings end. Traversing slopes like this does not appeal to me. However, Senator Tim Kaine reported that he had a bear encounter in an area like this with a steep hill up one side and a steep drop off on the other side. Senator Kaine raised his walking pole in the air and started whistling loudly and the bear continued along the path. Then the bear scampered UP the side of the hill at an impressive pace. He said if you every need to try to outrun a bear, go down a hill as they are a bit less limber that way. #protip

Builder does have blisters again in the same spots as before but he said his knee is "relatively fine". However, unlike his first sojourn, he has not yet felt the need to take a zero day. He has just resupplied and continued on. He had lunch at the Skyland Restaurant and said he hadn't been there in 40 years (which predates me).

The night before last a previous through hiker showed up at the shelter with trail magic in the form of hot dogs, beans, potato salad and chips. It was "totally unexpected", he said, but very welcome.

He is also experiencing chilly overnight temps. It was 37 degrees yesterday morning. (Again, I'm happy to miss that and am instead enjoying lounging at the neighborhood pool occasionally and puttering in my little vegetable garden in between keeping up with other chores and activities.)

He needs to do some planning today to decide where to take his zero day which will most likely be next weekend, barring any unforeseen complications (bears, blisters and bug bites, oh my!)

Until next time!