Day 48 - On My Own (May 26)

Thought Foot left the trail today because of bad shin splits. He hitched a ride back to Pearisburg to stay at the hostile there for a few days. I'm not sure if I will see him again.

I really enjoyed hiking with Thought Foot. He was a philosophy and religion major so there was never a shortage of things to talk about. Our hiking speeds were different, and that might have become a problem. I was much faster than him, but I did not mind waiting in shelters for him to catch up. I would snack and sometimes even nap while I waited.

Thought Foot thought that his shin split problem started when he was trying to keep pace with buzzard. It could also be from the higher mileage we've been doing.

I'm a little nervous about striking out on my own. I really enjoyed having someone to talk to in the evenings. I'm a little worried I will be spending too much time alone.

I spend nearly the entire day alone now. I hike alone, and just wait for Thought Foot at shelters. Most of the people on the trail are in their 20s or are retired. Its not always easy finding compatible people to hike with.

I'm at the Sarver Hollow shelter tonight. This is another question for Paul, what was this place? There are very old buildings here. I don't think these buildings used nails. There are also a lot of stone work and springs. My guess is that the springs were being used as refrigeration. Its a very cool place.

The shelter is nearly filled, but Buzzard is the only one I know. Its 8:30 PM and I'm going to sleep now. I want to be up by 5:00 AM and walking by 5:30 AM. Its getting hot, and I want to beat the heat by starting early.

I have another question for Paul or Heather. Where can I resupply after Daleville? It looks like the next town the trail goes through is Waynesboro about 130 miles from Daleville. Check the whiteblaze website. There was a good article on resupplies.