The Colonists Museum and the meeting with a fellow blogger

Monday, May 18, 2026

A casual day walk turns into so much more: a search for a cat, a walk through an 1890s farm and schoolhouse, a meet-up with a fellow blogger, a game of fetch and alpacas.

Wicked chicken, nugget and Appalachian

FOnce, it wasn’t the sound of birds or other hikers that woke me up this morning. I woke up to the sound of mooing on the other side of Davis Valley Road! A rooster contributed backing vocals. After putting on my shoes before my gaiters for the millionth time, I hit the trail heading south just before 8:30 a.m. I soon crossed under I-81 and began chatting with two hikers.

I had a wonderful conversation while hiking with Wicked Chicken, a hiker from Vermont. He was hiking with his mother, Pip, the old goat. Pip is named after Pippin from The Lord of the Rings, known for his appetite. They had previously come across an emaciated cat during their walk and we hope to locate it a second time. The cat showed them extreme affection for more than an hour while they fed her. They gave it a name, Appalachia. They intended to bring her back to Vermont with them for rehabilitation. We parted ways but soon reunited at the Settlers Museum.

The Southern Virginia Settlers Museum

The museum was not open, but the 19th century buildings were available to admire from the outside. After visiting the school, Wicked Chicken and Pip told me some stories from their walk. They had evidently been evicted from two campsites by an aggressive grouse and suffered a dramatic fire that affected one of their fuel canisters.

A museum neighbor approached us and offered us some freshly baked rolls and jam. The lists were apparently intended for a church graduation, but his wife deemed them “unworthy of Jesus” due to the insufficient amount of salt. Therefore, they were demoted to hiker food. I wanted to do more miles, so I passed on the scrolls and instead visited the 1890s farmhouse a short distance from the museum. The property was a true time capsule with a farmhouse, barn, main barn and cellar. It would definitely be worth a visit during business hours if you are ever in the Marion/Atkins area.

I arrived at the Colono Museum!

The 1890 school at the Colono Museum.

Wicked Chicken, Pip and See You Tomorrow pose on the path in front of the school.

The original farmhouse at the Colono Museum.

The original farmhouse at the Colono Museum. The kitchen was added to the back of the house after the original construction.

The main farm barn at the Settler’s Museum.

Wild meeting of bloggers

After leaving the farm, the trail winds through a forest and ascends Glade Mountain. Near the summit there is a view of Walker Mountain across the valley. Some rhododendrons had been cut down to improve the view. I got a glimpse of I-81 that I had crossed underneath about 6 miles earlier. Seeing how far he had come was a rare pleasure, and it wasn’t even ¼ of the distance he would travel today.

As a blogger, I sometimes find myself spying enjoying other AT Trek bloggers. One of my favorites has been Sarah J. She also blogs every day and I feel like she and I have similar writing styles. I knew from his posts that he was probably somewhere a little south of me on the trail. It was a total surprise to see her about 2 miles from the Partnership shelter. We were both sweating profusely from the heat, but that didn’t deter any of us from taking a photo together. I admired your commitment to the blog, we daily bloggers are a crazy determined group.

Oh, if you’re curious about the holes in his shirt, obviously was a new t-shirt that was immediately attacked by mice in a shelter, what a shame!

The view from Glade Mountain.

Sarah and See You Tomorrow pose on the trail near the Partnership shelter

Return to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Visitor Center

At the visitor center next to the shelter I felt a pang of nostalgia for my memorable last time here. I decided to take some pictures in the visitor center of some of the exhibits. I remember Tootsie mentioning the bear and the diagram of animal feces. Actually, it’s not a bad reference. Perhaps you can also find a use for the tree leaf diagram. For the record, the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Offices and Pat Jennings Visitor Center is a bit of a long name to write multiple times in a single blog.

Outside the entrance I saw Bond. He had already come this far from Damascus! There will be many Trail Days gatherings as I double hike the trail about 60 miles north of town.

On my return leg I ran into a hiker named Broken Thumbs and his dog, Stix. Broken Thumbs has two thumbs that work fine, but for some reason he never seems to be able to get them to carry him to or from the trail. Stix is ​​well trained and intelligent. He had the energy to play fetch despite walking all day in the heat.

The entrance to the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area offices and the Pat Jennings Visitor Center.

An illegally poached black bear is now on display at the museum.

You know you’ve been tracking for a long time when you’re fascinated by animal feces.

Maybe one day I’ll be good enough at leaf identification to stop assuming every tree is an oak.

Stix is ​​having the time of his life on the AT.

Crockett

After crossing the train tracks I met a hiker named Crockett. He is legally blind, but a capable hiker. He asked if I could help guide him through the road that goes under the interstate. FarOut’s instructions had made him a little uneasy, but he knew it was simple. I happily agreed and we made it back to the trail easily. I wished him well and walked the last mile back to my truck, passing a turtle along the trail in the process. A while later I saw him pass. But about 20 minutes later I was walking back down the trail.

I called him to see if he was okay. He had been informed that the lodge he planned to stay at, Long Neck Lair Alpaca Farm & Hiker Bunkhouse, was actually 1 mile up the road. He wasn’t able to contact the hostel and I could see he wasn’t excited to walk all the way back. I offered him a ride and he sincerely thanked me.

When we arrived at the lodge, Wicked Chicken and Pip were on the porch after spending the day searching for Appalachia. Although they couldn’t locate her, I have a feeling she is okay thanks to her kindness the day before.

With everyone happily settled into the bunkhouse, I quickly visited the alpacas and returned to the trailhead for dinner. Tomorrow will be a big day, I’m finally backpacking again!

An eastern box turtle has logged an impressive 540 miles on the AT.

A pair of alpacas at Long Neck Lair Alpaca Farm and Hiker Bunkhouse.

-See you tomorrow

Total: 24.8 miles, 53,899 steps

• Hike type: Day hike
• Campground: Minivan, Rural Retreat, VA

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