AT Day 42: Davis Valley & Jefferson NF

Daily Miles: 21.6, Total Miles: 555.8

I sure appreciate the bus transit system such as the one in Marion. Walked to the bus stop and five minutes later was the only passenger on the free shuttle back to Mt Rogers HQ.

I ran into Fossils and Dave, now with the trail name of Tetras, at the HQ. Hadn’t seen them for several days. Also met two new hikers, Long John and Laid Back.

All bundled up on a cold, windy morning and it stayed that way for most of the day. I hiked through varied terrain today including wooded ridgelines, pastureland, and rhododendron “tunnels”. I was going through one of these when I caught a low hanging branch across my forehead almost knocking me down. That’s what I get for watching my feet.

A few snow flurries and hail in the morning and the sun came out a bit in the afternoon. I reached the quarter way mark on the AT.

Near the end of the day, I met the owner of the Quarter Way Inn out walking/running her dog. Tina told me about a campsite down the trail with a great view of the valley below. She was right – I couldnt pass it up.