Day 47 - Near Pearisburg, VA - Mile 649

Trevor and Finn left Trent's Grocery on Wednesday morning and not far into their hike Trevor said Finn jumped back and let out a yell.  Apparently Finn almost stepped on a 4 foot black Rat snake and it caught him off guard!  Trevor said he took a picture and I’ll post it when I can get my hands on it!

They hiked a total of 17 miles Wednesday, to Doc’s Knob Shelter.  On Thursday morning they hiked about 8 miles to Pearisburg, VA where a section hiker they met previously gave them a ride to a nearby Chinese buffet, followed by Dairy Queen, for lunch!  Apparently Hardees is located next to the Chinese buffet and Trevor managed to eat a biscuit and gravy BEFORE hitting the buffet.  Finn said he’s never heard of anyone eating just before a buffet, but those of us who know Trevor know just how much he loves biscuits and gravy! 

After the buffet their friend returned them to the AT where they hiked another 12 miles to tent camp at Symmes Gap Meadow.  This campsite is located on a ridgeline separating Virginia and West Virginia and Trevor said the wind blew real hard all night long.  This morning (Friday) they hiked 10 miles to Rt. 635 near Pearisburg, VA where we met them 11am.  It was raining and they were soaked!  Below is a picture we took within minutes after we arrived.

We were surprised to find that Trevor’s beard had quite a bit of red in it!  Mamaw told me she thought his beard would be red and she was right!  He looks really good and his legs are very muscular and defined.  You can tell he’s lost quite a bit of weight and the beard really hides how much his cheeks have sunken.  Mike and I were surprised when he lifted his shirt to reveal ribs and abs.  He still has 1,500 miles to go and I can only imagine what he will look like by then.

The first thing they wanted to do when we arrived in Blacksburg was to hit Kroger and resupply for the three day hike they’ll be starting on Sunday morning.  Trevor said he’s been forced to mainly resupply at small convenience stores and they don’t have the selection of large grocery stores.  He was pleased with Kroger’s energy bar selection and below is a snapshot Mike took of him picking out his bars for the next three days.

It’s so odd to see him reading nutrition labels trying to find products with the highest, rather than lowest, calories.  Trevor said that pack weight is an issue and it’s impossible for him to carry enough food to meet his daily caloric needs.  He mostly bought cheese, salami, couscous, energy bars, bagels, and honey.  Below is a picture of me and Trevor that Mike took at the checkout while we were waiting on Finn.

After Kroger we drove Finn to his hotel and dropped Trevor off at Hillcrest dorm where he plans to stay for the next two nights.  I hope to get my hands on his camera card tomorrow so I can upload the pictures he’s taken.  Once I get them I’ll be sure to post them on the blog!