In Town

5/3/2013

In Town

I got off the AT,  and hiked an easy mile, with an empty pack,  up the hill into Pearisburg.  I had camped on a flat spot that I found,  most of the way down from the ridge.....and just outside of town the night before, so that I would only have to pay for one night at the motel.
I was here all day, and have not left yet today.
Virginia is where the long-haul aspect of this hike starts to set in a bit.  Former thru-hikers that we have met on the trail, (And there are a lot of them.  It seems like once you have hiked it... you can not stay away from the AT.  It pulls you back.)  have warned that Virginia is tough, not because of the climbs......but because Virginia takes forever.   I am told the AT runs through Virginia for 500 miles.  I have not confirmed that.  I plan to wait until I am really tired of Virginia, and then calculate how much farther I need to go to get to the next state.   Don't know which state that is yet either.  There is no rush.   Hiking is a slow motion endeavor.
Right now,  I need to drag my tired butt out of this bed, and start getting ready to hike.   I have to walk down the hill again, to the grocery store, and buy more chocolate.   I realized that I was short on Chocolate as soon as I opened my self packed resupply Mail drop.   I would trade all of those granola bars for chocolate.  I don't need granola.  I need chocolate!
My routine yesterday,  was as follows;.....get up...pack up... walk the rest of the way down the hill....with a feather lite pack.   I had calculated perfectly, for the first time.  I was out of fuel.....out of food.....and out of water.  Hiking into town was bliss.
Figuring out which way to go was a challenge.  The guidebook for Pearisburg needs work.   I stopped at Hardees for breakfast....my rule for meals is simple....if I have to walk past it anyhow....I eat there.   Then I went down to the hardware store.  Then to Food Lion,  the grocery store.   Then to motel to check in and pick up resupply package.....showered....shaved.....layed on bed.  (yes, I know.....But it's 6:30 AM,  in the morning.  Proper grammar is not even a consideration.  The only consideration is that I have to get my butt out of this bed again.)    Got off bed....walked to laundramat, after finding out guidebook was wrong about that (no machines at motel) too.  Then stopped at beauty shop,  (They were both busy improving the looks of two customers).  Stumbled into a bank, so used the ATM and got directions to barber shop.  Walked past barbershop....went in county building.... got more directions....went back to barber.   Was told by barber, when attempting to explain how I wanted haircut and beard trim, that she had been cutting hair for 28 years, and did not need me telling her how to do it.  Made quick decision....I really needed a haircut.....yes, I tipped her for scalping me.......I wanted to get out of there alive.  Went back to motel with clean clothes that I had been hauling around, before 4PM and stayed there.  I was just too tuckered to go to dinner, or back for more chocolate.