Saturday Summer Cruise from Daleville

Saturday, June 6, 2026.

After stopping in town for morning coffee, I ride a few miles north to Daleville. I return to the city with plenty of time to get ahead of my day off responsibilities.

Good morning Daleville

W.Waking up on the large mattress of my truck at 7:00 am made me realize that I should be acclimating to my routine. Even when I give myself the opportunity to sleep in, my body seems to be ready to go sooner than I expect. I stopped at a coffee shop called Little Green Hive to get some caffeine before heading to the trailhead. A hiker named Handstand was preparing to return to the trail for a four-day stint. We swapped stories about the origin of trail names and then I hopped onto the trail.

I planned to walk about 10 miles north to the Wilson Creek shelter and then turn around and walk back to the truck. With any luck, I’d be back in time to grab a bite to eat in town, pack my backpack for the upcoming hiking season, and make another dent in my blog work to free up as much time as possible for my zero tomorrow.

Gear Talk – Footwear

Since today is a day with little luggage, I decided to walk in my old Topo Ultraventure to buy shoes. I do this mainly because I want to see if they can accumulate 1000 miles of trails in total before falling apart or becoming unusable. I immediately noticed the extra cushion and arch support that my Altra Wild Experience 3+ shoes don’t have. Both cushioning and arch support are somewhat controversial features in the world of performance footwear.

Purists would say that you want your shoe to stay as true to your natural foot as possible so that it can function the way evolution intended. Shoes with a lot of cushioning and a raised heel allow for a heel-first stride that, over time, places additional stress on the ankles, knees, and hips. Meanwhile, arch support can prevent the foot’s natural tendency to flatten during periods of prolonged wear. Again, purists see this as a good thing that allows the foot to function better. This is especially true of the toes, which function best when they are free to open wide, improving grip and stability.

From this, my current conclusion is that Topo shoes represent short-term gain, but potential long-term pain. Although they have a large toolbox, the added arch support and 5mm drop from back to front prevents my foot from taking on its most natural shape. Over time, this will prevent my leg muscles from becoming as strong as they could be. The Altra Wild Experience, 3+ shoes are a step in a better direction. They still have a 4mm drop, however, they have less cushioning and less arch support. With the information I have now I think my plan would be to purchase the Lone Peak 9+ shoes next. They have no drop, my heel and forefoot would be the same distance from the ground. Like wilderness shoes, they also have a moderate amount of cushioning, a wide toolbox, and less arch support.

Science versus anecdotal observations

The following section is my admittedly imperfect understanding of modern science’s view of foot health during long runs or walks. Back in 2011 I learned to run barefoot and immediately adopted their philosophy. I would run a 1 mile lap around my neighborhood on the concrete sidewalk, barefoot, without shoes or socks. I quickly learned that this forces you to land on the middle of your foot. Ideally, the heel should not touch or simply rub against the surface. This forces the ankle, knee, and hip joints to bend and absorb the impact of each step. I quickly developed the leg muscles necessary to withstand these forces. Eventually, I went back to wearing running shoes, but kept the midfoot running form. I attribute my ability to walk long distances to learning this method of walking barefoot early in life.

Additionally, I have been taking a high-quality fish oil supplement daily for many years. I think there is something to the claims that omega-3 fatty acids help promote good joint movement, as well as skin health and brain function. I previously shared my trail diet, which I believe gives my body everything it needs to do what I ask of it every day. So far the only problem I’ve had was some overuse pain in my left knee after walking long distances in near-freezing temperatures. Since then, things have only gotten better and stronger. The soles of my feet now feel like they have leather armor.

The path

Today’s walk was a cruise. It was hot, but the trail remained in the shade most of the day. I had a lot of water on my camel’s back. In fact, I made it to the Wilson Creek shelter before taking a sip. That way I knew I wouldn’t run out and be thirsty on the way back to the truck.

Just above the trail I crossed some railroad tracks. Not far away was a sign marking the 1/3 marker to Katahdin. I feel like I’m passing the 1/4 distance marker. In about a month I’ll be halfway there!

The trail crosses a pasture and begins a long climb to the Fullhardt Knob Shelter. After that it became a 7 mile walk through the woods without much variation in scenery.

There was a milestone describing Collier’s Pit. The 50-foot diameter clearing was used to make charcoal the old-fashioned way in the 18th century.

The 1/3 distance marker.

The path crossed a meadow.

For most of the day the trail was like this.

A sign explains some clearing in the middle of the forest.

The clearing used to produce coal in the 18th century.

The crew

There were several great personalities on today’s tour. I’ve encountered Broken Thumbs and Stix about half a dozen times. He does a great job taking care of her and it’s clear she’s having a lot of fun hiking the AT.

2Bears and I caught up after more than a week without seeing each other. He travels in his RV when not backpacking and is a fan of my non-traditional hike. He’s still trying to figure out how to combine RV living and backpacking.

Later I came across Handstand. He and I spent a few minutes talking about how to get the most out of the trail. We agreed that sharing our own stories and listening to others along the way was one of the best parts of being here. I talked to him a little about the van since he likes to brainstorm ideas for his own van project.

Broken Thumbs shows off her broken thumbs as Stix waits for someone to start playing fetch.

See you tomorrow reunites with 2Bears. You can tell how hot the day is by the height of the brim of my hat. It’s getting hot!

Handstand and See You Tomorrow catch up along the way.

back in town

I returned to the van before 3:00 pm As usual, I focused on being productive the rest of the day. I returned to Little Green Hive, allowing me to use the WiFi and rest area until they closed at 5:00 pm I finished the rest of the week’s blogs in the parking lot. I had to reward my efforts with a pint of ice cream from Food Lion, right across the street. I watched the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying replay while enjoying my dessert. The race starts early tomorrow, I’ll be ready!

-See you tomorrow

Total: 19.6 miles, 41,432 steps

• Hike type: slack-packing
• Camp: van

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