Bubble arrest: Wood’s Hole Magic and Virginia’s Triple Crown

Returning to the trail of the Apalaches after two weeks in the United Kingdom, felt that try to return to a lifestyle that should have been familiar but felt quite distant. The flames, the rhythm and the daily routine were all the same, but somehow everything felt slightly strange. My paths of paths were still there, and my pack still fit, but my brain seemed to have changed a little out of the mentality of the path. Do not be misunderstood, I still love and I want to be here, but it took a readjustment.

Adjust again to life on the path

The physical aspect of returning to the road was surprisingly manageable. Two weeks of urban walk and Welsh walks had kept me in a sufficiently decent way so that it did not start from scratch. My legs returned to that constant pace through a trip without too many complaints. But the mental game was a completely different beast, and it hit me a little more than I expected. While I had been outside Gallivant throughout the United Kingdom with my mother, those with whom I had been sharing many of the miles had moved north or left the road.

Now there was a different type of weight I was experiencing. Previously, it had just been the weight of my backpack on my back, but now I carried the psychological weight of knowing that the people who had been sharing this trip with me were experiencing completely different sections of paths to hundreds of miles away. There were definitely moments of Fomo, wondering what stories and experiences I was missing, what internal jokes had developed, what trail magic had happened without me.

But here is what I had to continue remembering: this is not a career, and it is not a competition. Everyone’s walk is different, everyone’s timeline is yours, and there is no «correct» way to make a walk (except the way it works). My detour to the United Kingdom was part of my history, as well as his continuous progress from Nobo was part of his. Sometimes you have to give yourself permission to walk your own walk, even when that means walking only for a while and trusting that the path will provide new connections and experiences when you need them most.

Wooden hostel

And Woods Hole Hostel was one of the ways in which he provided the path. Woods Hole is one of those legendary stops of paths that somehow manages to live up to all expectations. The moment you arrive, you understand why hikers talk about this place in almost reverent tones. It has that perfect combination of rustic charm and genuine hospitality that makes you feel that you have encountered some kind of hikers.

What really distinguishes Woods Hole is not just the beautiful location or even delicious food, it is the atmosphere. There is something in this place that gets the best of the hiking community. People stay longer, conversations are deeper and you are making connections at 6 am during morning coffee on the porch. Neville and the entire crew have created an environment in which the approach changes miles and logistics to simply enjoy the company of other adventurers who have chosen this momentarily transitory lifestyle. One of my goals in life is to try to be completely present at all times, and I can say that with 100% certainty that was the case when I was in Woods Hole.

Do you want to listen to another remarkable experience in Woods Hole? No one snoring in the house of the bunk. It was a real miracle of hiker and one of the best sleep nights that I have arrived in a hostel on the road without being interrupted by the load train a few beds.

I am already planning to return here after finishing the path, which probably tells everything you need to know about how special this place is. The majority of paths of trails and shelters have their purpose and fades at the bottom of the sweet memories of trails, but Woods Hole is the type of place under their skin in the best way.

The triple crown of Virginia

The triple crown of Virginia is composed of Dragon’s Toth, McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. These three iconic points extend through approximately 30 miles of paths, each offering their own particular challenge and reward brand.

Dragon’s tooth decline begins things with an adequate rock struggle (Peep Pennsylvania?) That made me question the strength of my upper part of the body and ask me if I had accidentally inscribed me for an escalation expedition instead of a hiking route. I know it sounds cheesy, but these are some places where I had been keeping when I would try a walk. The Triple Crown area was one of those places. I wanted them to be special experiences, and yes.

McAFEE KNOB is probably the most photographed place on the entire path of the Apalaches, and for a good reason. That iconic rocky outcrop with the views of the valley that is felt below is absolutely spectacular. Of course, he is also extremely full, and I also hit him on a weekend. I was sharing my triumphant moment of the summit with about thirty people trying to get the perfect photo. I waited for my turn like everyone else, I took my mandatory photos and tried to soak up in the view between the constant flow of «Can you take a photo of us?» Applications The views were impressive enough for the crowd to be worth it, but it definitely felt more like visiting a popular tourist attraction after hundreds of miles of rare human interactions along the way.

Tinker Cliffs completed the trio. Unlike Dragon’s Toth and McAfee Knob, Tinker Cliffs offers several minutes of crest walking with almost constant views that extend to the horizon. It is quite good because you are looking back on the crest you have been walking during the last hours. There was only a handful of people in Tinker Cliffs, and felt as if he were the youngest forgotten brother of the trio. When I finished the triple crown and arrived in Daleville, I had a camera full of photos that would never capture how it really felt being there. One day, I will return for that iconic dawn in McAfee!

Number of doggo sightings on the road: 81

This website contains affiliate links, which means that the walk can receive a percentage of any product or service that you buy using the links in the items or ads. The buyer pays the same price that would do it differently, and his purchase helps to support the continuous objective of the walk to address his quality backpack advice and information. Thanks for your support!

For more information, visit the page about this site.