6/4: Wintergreen Cliffs to Waynesboro, Virginia

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• Miles 852.0-864.3 (12.5 mi.)
• Total ascent: 2270’; descent 3885’

How pleasant it is to write this in a summer-weight sleeping bag. Until today, when a trail angel–a history teacher who also thru-hiked last year–shuttled us all over Waynesboro, I had been using my 15-degree mummy. 

Waynesboro and everything leading up to it has been a squeeze. We didn’t get on the trail until 9 a.m. this morning and needed to make 12.5 miles to Rockfish Gap. We weren’t sure how we’d get to town and needed to hit both the Post Office and outfitter before they closed for the day. We did, but we weren’t able to get to a laundromat this evening before they closed (we technically made it there during business hours, but they had closed early). On the bright side, we resupplied at Kroger and ate at a Chinese buffet, the first of our hike. 

We’re staying tonight at a city park, which is free but not nearly as nice as the Glasgow hiker shelter and park. This one’s electrical outlets don’t work, and the YMCA–where we got a pass to camp in the park–only allows hikers to use its showers between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. We arrived, unfortunately, around 4 p.m.

Days like this impress upon me the logistical challenges of being homeless. Getting across town takes time–hours, sometimes–and “normal” activities like showering require a special pass with limited hours. Sometimes, services you need shut down early just because. 

Long-distance hiking is a strange, expensive homelessness, in a way. Some cities seem to treat hikers like homeless people, others like regular tourists, and still others like athletes in a marathon, with water tables and beers and stamps. 

We’re surprised just Beetle, Ryan, and a friend of theirs trail-named Country Boy are here with us. “Free” usually brings hoards of hikers, no matter the facilities. We are guessing most of the others in town right now are at Stanimals, a pricey hostel located in the center of town. We’ll shuttle out tomorrow via a Stanimals vehicle with Beetle and Ryan. 

Tomorrow begins our five days in Shenandoah, which we didn’t want to reach on a weekend but accidentally did. The park is known to be the second most crowded area on the trail, after the Smokies. The good news is, we have only a day of food packed and eight–eight!—fewer pounds between us after shipping our winter gear and sleeping bags. 

Although Shenandoah has some high peaks and steep climbs, relatively speaking, I am sure the trails are well maintained. Not having to climb over trees on the trail, and having things like steps and bridges, counts for a lot. 

I wish I could write more tonight, and I doubly wish I’d been able to upload this cycle’s content to the blog tonight, but I’ve made the most I could of today. There’s no sense in making tomorrow, a 20-mile day, miserable. 

I knew there would be days like this, and I accept it. I hope not to be judged by those around me for not being able to take a shower or do laundry, or by those at home for failing to get the blogs done. 

I said I was going to fail, and frankly, these are small failures. If they help me get first to DC and then to Katahdin, they will be worth it.