A support efforrator: the walk

The people I know from all areas of life came to find me in the AT.

Again

Double Springs Shelter in Mile 452.5 in the AT was already familiar to me. I had been on one of Shake Down’s walks during my course of the Trail de Apalachain Institute (ATI) with Warren Doyle. I contacted Warren. I sent him an email and in a matter of minutes he called me. He told me that his current students had carried out the double spring refuge section the day before and that he would be on another walk that afternoon. Warren informed me that if I could get to Damascus around 6 pm, then I could pick us up and we could stay in the popular school. Doube and I had 18.5 miles for walking to get to Damascus. It would be our biggest kilAGe day until that moment.

The student becomes the teacher

Friend and we reserve it! We walked fast and only stopped for some brief breaks. We arrive in Damascus before 6pm. We met Warren out of the library. He asked if he would be willing to talk to his students from AI, review my team and answer questions. I said «yes», of course, but the food first! We went to the Mexican Poblano grill for dinner. Still dirty and undoubtedly smelly on the road, I stopped in front of the classroom to «show and count» the content of my backpack. I enjoyed explaining my team options and talking about the life of paths with those who dream of going on their own in Journey.

Slack pack

After one night, I could sleep and have a lazy morning at the popular school. In the afternoon, when the morning class ended, Warren Slaled packed me south at the AT. I only had what I needed for the walk of the day in my backpack, mainly water and some snacks for the guy and me. Warren took me to a crossing with Virginia Creeper Trail. I had to upload an empining embankment under a bridge to reach the path. I walked on the At Going South to return to Damascus. Again, I was pressed for time. I had to be collected in time for Warren to teach his night class again. While doubting and I walked, we saw our first turtle on the road! It was an oriental box turtle. As soon as the guy realized what was fascinated, the turtle, went after her. The poor turtle scared and put all the parts of her body in her shell. We also had an encounter with a great black snack from which I had to keep the guy away from the guy. We had to wait for it to slide along the path before continuing. I was motivated to walk quickly to the city to get ice cream, but, unfortunately, until my deep disappointment, I only reached the subway before Warren had to pick me up.

Town

He had 1/2 mile, from the library to the subway to complete the at miage in Damascus. In the morning brilliant and early, Warren took me to the city to officially complete it. When he picked me up again, he surprised me with a sticky bun, as a comfort for not spending time in the city as I expected. I appreciate the kindness. Doube and I were left in the Junction with Virginia Creeper Trail again, this time to continue in North Bound. Uploading the empinus embankment was more difficult with the complete packages, but the guy and I achieved and returned to the AT. On our own again, we spend much of the day going up and down the WhiteTop mountain. Taking the time to admire opinions, always.

Visitors

When the father of one of my best friends discovered that he would be walking along the Apalachain path, he was excited by me. I was so excited about the idea that I wanted to know if I could meet somewhere on the road. They are an outdoor family. It can be difficult to coordinate with people along the way, it is difficult to know when it will be in a particular place with an advanced warning. Somehow I could block the dates in the highlands of Grayson and, luckily, it was for a weekend, so some friends could go out to see me.

Dinner and drink

On Friday night I meet my friend Summer, Bill and a friend of his, Mike who finds Summer’s commitment and wedding events. Bill and Mike often camp and in other outdoor adventures. They settled in a place just after the refuge of Thomas’s knobs. I found them there with an impressive view in front of them. I found my tent in the trees next to them and then linked to them in the open field overlooking the mountains. I had a mini bottle of Bearfoot wine to accompany my Mac & Cheese spinach dinner. I packed the mini Trail Magic wine bottle at the crossroads of the road at the bottom of the WhiteTop mountain. Thanks Brandy and Casey, the brothers duo that provided the products.

Beats of hoof

When he approached the dusk, the cold really began to wear. I went to put my base layers in my store. I heard some strange cutting steps and then heard a silent voice that told me to look outside my store. I rested my rain and I was surprised to see pieries in our camp. I quickly put my head and closed the mesh door of my store to prevent the guy from leaving after the ponies. We saw them from inside the store. They were content to walk through our camp, eating the grass around them. There were two larger dark skin ponies and a light -colored cervatillo lack of color. The fault was curious about the dog in the store. He doubted, but that did not deter him from approaching. All the sudden guy decided that he had crossed the line, approaching too much. My hand that stopped him was not prepared for the fierce energy explosion that broke him. Sunged barking and fast and hard claws. I managed to keep it, but I couldn’t stop the mason’s tear. Between the guy and Bill waved their hat, you finally moved away. I spent the next time, before completing the darkness, repairing my store’s mesh with my clear tenacious tape. Bill and Mike started a camp. I enjoyed Summer’s Moms chocolate sparks cookies while he warmed me by the flames.

500 miles

The morning was crispy, but the bright sun that hit my tent made him feel warmer. I went to drink water in the spring surrounded by a fence to prevent water from being contaminated by the ponies. After filtering water and preparing breakfast, Dude, Bill, Mike and I went to a secondary search for the top of Mount Rogers, the highest peak of Virginia. We were already so close to that that it seemed a shame not to go to the top. There was no view, only rocks with geographical labels and great coniferous trees come, but it was the act of getting there together what mattered. When we went down again, we had a snack at the camp, I finished packing and then walked approximately half a mile through the at me to the 500 mile score. The song of the day became I’M Gonna Be (500 miles) by the proclamors. My photo was taken on the sign and then said goodbye.

Commitment

I walked a beautiful mile to officially enter the Grayson Highlands State Park. In Massie Gap, my friends Amanda and Santi met with Dude and me. They took us to Chestnut Hollow Campground, a camp that another of my friends reserved us. As soon as we arrived at the camp, the guy climbed on the picnic table to bed. I realized that I found it more comfortable than the gravel land, just. Amanda introduced me a gift bag. He had a sweet note inside with the food and some articles he needed. They even brought me lunch. There were peanut sandwiches and jam on bread that Santi had provided, so they were exclusive Pb & js, I ate two together with a pringles mini can. They helped me throw my store, although it was almost impossible to take bets in the hard gravel field. Then I took them for a walk in the AT. We went to Wise Shelter, at Mile 504.5, then we had to turn and walk back. Although the walk was all inside the Grayson Highlands Park, which is famous for its wild ponies, we did not see one! I am grateful to have been able to see the beautiful faces of my friends and catch up with life. Amanda and Santi had committed themselves since the last time I saw them, so there was much to talk about. The day was late, I was sad that they had to go home. I saw them drive.

Festival friend

At the Chestnut Hollow camp, I anxiously waited for the arrival of more friends! Jess and his dog arrived. I quickly learned that she is incredible at the beginning of fires. She brought us dinner and sweets for the guy. Maliha and his dog, Huey came at dusk. She grabbed me with enthusiasm and exclaimed that she brought me nerd rubber groups. Maliha also brought his famous apple sauce, at the request of my request. It is a delicious mixture of cream cheese and browsugar that apples, preferably Granny Smith, are submerged and quickly devoured. We sat around the fire that we attended throughout the dinner and dessert articles that my friends spread through the picnic table. We even ended up gourmet s’mores with black chocolate, vegan and apples marshmallows with aggregate sauce. We sit on the intimate brightness of fire, speaking, laughing, absorbed in a friendship bubble. The morning was happily similar to the previous night. We run around the cateo and eating Fireepit. This time, we had cooking pancakes in a pan of Jess and roasted bagles on the open fire thanks to Maliha. Our dogs surrounded us, making us laugh for their mischief. Our three tents were in a good row. We spend half the day coming out in our camp. Around noon we finally managed to pack and get out of our camp. I said goodbye to Jess and Ma in Massie Gap. Maliha walked with me for a couple of miles, I returned on my steps that I made the day before with Amanda and Santi. There was no way to return to where I left it with them. It was nice to have a friend’s company while doing the path again. It was difficult to separate, but I was anxious to start putting more miles into my credit.

Spoiled

I walked 8 miles to the old huerto shelter, where I prepared the camp to spend the night. Doube was a celebrity there. There was a group of 8 women Fom Ohio who walked through the section during the weekend, it was their last night on the path. We had met them on two other occasions in recent days. They worshiped guy. One of them had a dog in the past that was also called guy, she was very sentimental with him. The women spoiled a guy with constant pets and pieces of food. I was in heaven. After the large amount of support of people in my life that appeared for me, I also felt in cloud 9.

Daily Location and Miles Registry

47 – 05/21/25

Double Springs Shelter – Damascus, Va

🏠 School of People

Mile 452.5 – 471.0

18.5 miles

48 – 05/22/25

Play with Virginia Creeper Trail – Damascus, Va

Bound South

People School 🏠

Mile 484.3 – 471.0

13.3 miles

49 – 05/23/25

Virginia Creeper Trail – Refugio de las Peques Thomas ⛺️

Mile 484.3 – 499.4

15.1 miles

50 – 05/24/25

Shomas Knob Shelter – Massie Gap

HOLLOW CAMPRUND FIELD ⛺️

Mile 499.4 – 502.4

3 miles

51 – 05/25/25

Massie Gap – Old Orchard Shelter ⛺️

Mile 502.4 – 510.5

8.1 miles

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