We’re out of camp at 6:15 a.m. for a beautiful, easy two-mile walk to the James River, where we cross the AT’s longest dedicated footbridge. As pre-arranged, Ken Wallace arrives to give us a ride to Glasgow for breakfast, and then stays with us for trips to the grocery store and Dollar General. Ken comes up from Florida during Hiker Season to avoid the hurricanes, and helps shuttle folks anywhere between Daleville and Waynesboro. Even with an unsatisfied N ordering “Breakfast: Round Two” after quickly finishing off a first waffle and sausage, Ken has us back to the trail by 9:30 a.m. There our friend Billy joins us (after he does a 12 mile bike ride up Thunder Ridge) for the climb to Big Rocky Row, where we have a better view of the now distant Thunder Ridge FAA tower than we did while we were passing right by it! We had worried about the climb back up from the river with our fully restocked (i.e., heavier) packs, but it seems like our easiest 2,000′ climb of the trip. After lunch, we walk on to the shelter. Billy is great company and the miles pass quickly. A thunderstorm threatens at dinner time (we’d heard all kinds of rumbling on the way in), but we only have a short, light shower. A small group tonight: besides us a local couple (Groovasaurus [GA>ME 2007] & Baker and their four-legged thru-hike veteran Hugo) tents, and a southbound section hiker from the eastern shore (Swampman), who is out for a few mental health days, joins us in the shelter. A late arrival is another thru-hiker (Daffy the Slacker) who hangs a hammock.

And the interesting wildlife sighting of the day: as we are making the last 2/10 mile into the shelter, X identifies the squawking of a nearby Pileated Woodpecker. The bird is obviously agitated as his cries are louder and more urgent-sounding as we make our way along. We stop and watch as he flies through the understory continuing his cries. He lands in a nearby tree and we worry we’re the ones upsetting him. Suddenly, from out behind the tree an owl swoops down with the woodpecker in hot pursuit. We can only imagine the owl was in the wrong place at the wrong time and perhaps the woodpecker was protecting his territory.

And the heart-warming story of the day: Groovasaurus was thru-hiking the AT in 2007. When he got just south of Pearisburg, VA, he bumped into an abandoned dog on the trail. Try as he might to hike on, ignoring the critter, the dog would not be left behind. The young man took the dog to the nearest vet for a check-up and after a clean bill of health and shots, the four-legged orphan became the faithful Hugo and finished the thru-hike to Maine with his new best friend & hiking master.

We could not have asked for a better day, and feel we are well prepared and well positioned for the next leg of the journey north to Rockfish Gap…