Sunday, June 14, 2026
After an intense week of walking, I enjoy some free time starting with an exciting Barcelona Grand Prix. I reward my hiking and blogging efforts with a meal at Devils Backbone Brewery.
Lights on, lights off
TO The passing car woke me up just before 6:00 a.m. I stayed up late, but was hoping to get up a little earlier to run some errands before coverage of the Barcelona Grand Prix began at 7:50 a.m. I drove to Lexington, Virginia, for a resupply trip. I also bought a portable fan to make evenings in the van more bearable without having to turn on the air conditioning. Once shopping was done, I drove to a coffee shop to get some caffeine and a comfortable spot to watch the race unfold. It turned out to be another fast-paced show with several late twists. The fortunes of several drivers took a significant turn, intensifying the season-long battle. It was exactly what the season needed after a lot of action, but too much scoring spread for my taste.
View of Buena Vista near my campsite on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
I guess taking a photo of the start of each Grand Prix is something I need to do now for the blog 🙂
Devils Backbone Brewery
Once the race was over and all my blog posts were ready for the press, I decided to visit the nearby Devils Backbone Brewery Outpost to pick up some food and beer. I had some delicious beers on the patio but a gust of rain tore the umbrella off my table. I moved under a covered porch and enjoyed a cheeseburger and tater tots. It was a beautiful Sunday for outdoor dining…until a little rain decided to come in. I went in for dessert and watched the World Cup game between Holland and Japan. After the rain cleared up a bit I felt like relaxing in the truck for a while. I returned to the trail to rest up for another great week ahead.
Devils Backbone Brewery.
Devils Backbone Brewery.
A drink of Devils Backbone Brewery beers.
See you tomorrow enjoy a delicious beer tasting on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
No trip to a brewery is complete without a pub burger.
Last week
I’ve shown real tenacity in my quest to hike the distance of the Appalachian Trail twice this year, and this week it was on full display. I overslept on Monday, but was prepared to press on with a difficult hike. I then walked over to help a fellow hiker and adjusted my plans as I went. Each time, I added extra miles to put myself in a better position and stay on top of my itinerary, even in the face of adverse conditions.
- There were 3 additional miles on Monday.
- A short slack pack on Tuesday to fill a small gap in the trail miles
- A full day of hiking on Wednesday despite a strong storm
- Tackling a huge climb in sweltering conditions on Thursday, plus an extra afternoon hike
- Friday was my biggest day and I walked after sunset to close the distance on Saturday.
- On Saturday I finished my walk strong, some rewards in the city and then worked on the blog until 10:30 pm to prepare for free time on Sunday.
If I can continue to maintain this level of dedication and achieve the necessary mileage, I will surely be able to finish my 4,400 mile journey.
next week
139 miles of trail await me starting tomorrow morning. Storms can appear again seemingly at any time. Or it may be clear, sunny and hot. I hope the fight against changing conditions continues. It shouldn’t be anything I haven’t faced before.
I’m pretty sure I’m behind the bubble and will see some hikers on the trail next week.
One thing I will be keeping an eye on is the blister on the pinky toe of my left foot. The Altra Experience Wild 3+ shoes have been good for their first 200 miles, but they can only do so much when I walk from sunrise to sunset with only a few small breaks spread throughout the day. I can’t decide if I need to go down half a shoe size. My feet slide a little downhill, but the supposedly large toe box seems tight. At least that’s how I felt when my toe had a giant blister. Tomorrow I will start on Route 60 with a planned 4 day backpacking period.
-See you tomorrow
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