Up and out by 730, I was determined, as Young Blood suggested, to begin my hike, to BEGIN MY HIKE. And so we hiked out, talking along the way about his new job and his reluctance to leave the trail. At the crest off the first hill I called my wife to wish her a happy mothers day . I hated the thought off her being alone on this , the first off many bitter sweet holidays. Aaron always called, he never forgot and was always so grateful for his mom. Again the weather and the trail were mild compared to the previous. Again I was celebrated with free soda, snacks and sandwiches from a local church . After saying goodbye to Young Blood at a shelter with a real shower near Marion, VA, I trekked onward. I met a young hiker who asked a biz zillion q,s about the Navy while keeping a torrential pace. Eventually we broke and I ended up here, in Atkins where nobody would give an old bearded hiker a ride to the Dollar General for resupply. I about lost my religion as I watched motorists in their comfortable seats pass by my thumb on their way home from their Sunday celebrations. Eventually I begged a ride from a local about my age who wore the stars and bars on his hat but listened to MnM on CD. The fella even gave me a ride back to the trail head with my 5 day resupply.
With 20 more miles on my dusty self I settled in a tick infested field within ear shot of I 81. It’s been a while since I thought off Geoffrey Dahmer and now is not a good good time to start. Don’t want to be all by myself . ….but I am. And I am hiking my hike.
Andy M Davidson 