Monday June 1, 2026
After 170 miles in 7 days on the trail, I have a busy day off in Roanoke planned. My gear gets washed for the first time in a long time and I visit a supplier to try out some new trail shoes. I stuff myself with food and take some much-needed rest time on the trail.
Running through Roanoke
ohOne of the benefits of sleeping on a busy trail is that the morning traffic will serve as a useful wake-up call to wake up early in the morning. Got the job done today and was sailing to Roanoke before 7:00 am My first stop was the laundromat. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I was really excited to do laundry. Every part of me wanted to remove the musty stench from my Darn Tough socks. I couldn’t stand them since the week of rain that started on May 21st. I had to pick up dirty clothes in several places. From the truck I grabbed my laundry bag, my bedding, my camping towel, my bad sleeper liner, my camping pillowcase, my hiking gear, and my socks. I even remembered the towel I use as a mat. He was sure he had forgotten something but he couldn’t think about it. Only after taking everything out of the dryer and putting it away did I realize it. I forgot to take off my hat! Well, I guess it will suck for a while longer.
My next stop was the grocery store for cinnamon rolls for breakfast. You could be developing an addiction to them. With a belly full of cinnamon and sugar, I grabbed my laptop and headed to the nearby Starbucks to grab a coffee and finish my blog. About 5 hours later I left. I was ready for my next errand: a stop at Outdoor Trails to try out some potential new trails. But first I stopped by a CVS. From time to time I like to monitor my blood pressure and heart rate. I had a feeling I might be below 50 bpm with all the walking I’ve been doing. I clocked 47 bpm! Although my blood pressure is a little high. Maybe I need to cut back on trail magic and cinnamon rolls… there are so many possibilities!
See you tomorrow Vitals look pretty good after 1,380 miles.
Outdoor Trails/Equipment Talk: Shoes
The outdoor trails are located in a shopping center near the point where the AT enters Daleville. I went in and Hannah helped me. I had many questions which she answered with ease. I tried on five different types of shoes:
- Another Olympus 6
- Altra Wild Experience 3+
- Altra Solitary Peak 9+
- Altra Lone Peak 9 waterproof
- Mole Chase 2
I wanted to like the Olympus 6. It had the most cushioning and I thought I should prioritize given my tendency towards high mileage days. However, the thinner material around the ankle didn’t keep my foot in place. It seemed like it wouldn’t be a solvable problem, and the movement of the feet inside a shoe was a deal breaker. Both the Lone Peak 9+ and Topo Pursuit 2 had a thinner mesh material for breathability. After developing holes in the similar material of my Topo Ultraventure 4s, I thought it would be better to choose something with a more durable material.
Both the Experience Wild 3+ and Lone Peak 9+ Waterproof felt great on my feet and featured a more durable mesh material. I seriously considered the Lone Peaks, but they didn’t have the more durable Vibram sole material. Therefore, I decided to buy the Experience Wild 3+ shoes and hope that they perform better in the rain than the Ultraventures.
The Ultraventures currently have 880 miles on them and I will be taking them to 1000. Then they will become my spare shoes, assuming they are still usable.
Merchandise sampling. From left to right: Altra Experience Wild 3+, Altra Olympus 6, Altra Lone Peak 9 Waterproof and Altra Lone Peak 9+.
«Dinner»
Just when I think I can’t get much lower into hiker trash territory, I go and do something like this. My dinner consisted of a pint of ice cream, a pound of sliced chicken, and two types of sliced cheese. I lowered all that with two Powerades. I feel great.
The plan comes true
I used the remaining time before bed to plan my hikes until the 4th of July. That’ll take me to Harper’s Ferry! I’m getting better at planning and made sure to plan for quieter days in Shenandoah National Park. I also plan to make this a six-day expedition, the longest yet. Should be a great experience. Otherwise, I focused on days off every Sunday with 4- and 2-day backpacking periods. The 3 day periods are awkward as I end up hiking there and back and end up in the same place. It seems silly to carry a backpack more than 20 miles on days like that.
This plan will allow me to reach the middle of the AT by mid-July. Then I’ll go off the grid the week of July 20th to attend a family event in New Jersey. I’m excited to get halfway there and make it to Pennsylvania before heading to Maine. I’m most excited to take on the half-gallon challenge at Pine Grove General Store.
Additionally, I made sure to walk between 19.5 and 25.4 miles each day. That will keep me on track without forcing me to do extreme mileage. I added my planned days off in July for the family event and to drive to Maine so I could work south from Katahdin. If the rest of my schedule remains intact, I will compete in my double walk around November 10th.
Last week
What a week! 170 miles of trail completed! I once again overcame difficult trail conditions and self-imposed challenges. I’m glad I proved to myself that I can do such extraordinary things when I need them. I changed my plan several times, which I see as a benefit of having a plan in the first place. Knowing my precise schedule allows me space to think about whether potential changes will be positive or negative. Adding extra miles both times this week opened up some much-needed space in my schedule.
Starting this week I learned the disadvantages of very worn shoes. But I also got some great information from Diver and 2 Bears at the right time to help me make a change that will hopefully help my feet hold up better on my long hikes. I also learned that I always need to plan a day off each week so I can work on the blog. Blogging during long walks isn’t viable when pacing is imperative, which means work spills over onto the day off. You should cover 23.5 miles, that’s 140 miles in 6 days, or 20 miles per day, including a day off. If I can prepare to do that, I will keep my goal of finishing my hike in November.
next week
Taking advantage of last week’s learnings, I have an «easy» week planned. It is for good reason that I will be backpacking through the Virginia Triple Crown section. Hikers are only allowed to camp at certain sites, so I don’t have the usual abundant selection of stopping points. But it’s really important for me to have enough time to admire Tinker Cliffs, McAfee Knob and Dragon’s Tooth. I also want to blog as I go, next week’s posts have the potential to be a sort of flagship for the 30+ weeks of posts this hike will require. Writing in the moment seems appropriate to capture my experience.
-See you tomorrow
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