As Will closed in on Friday's destination (Bland, Va) close to where I-77 crosses the AT, he and his trail friends were greeted by Nannie and Papa. Being a pre-planned rendezvous, it was not a surprise but it was a fantastic welcome to Will and the gang. Homemade chicken salad, ham, turkey, blueberry brownies and extra trimmings were just in time for these hungry hikers.
We were thankful to get a "motherly" update on Will and his feet conditions. Our concerns were put to rest hearing Nannie's perspective rather than relying on Will's. He tends to minimize issues, that could be for two reasons........it keeps us from being overly concerned and he is able to stay focused on his goal. The feet are fine, reports Nannie and Papa!
The trail experience is dynamic in many ways; the weather, the terrain, the elevations, the daily challenges and the daily rewards. Will's appreciation for the dynamics of nature continues to fuel his passion for the trail. Sore feet and the elements of weather are forgotten, in fact never mentioned when we talk. Instead, Will only speaks of the beauty he is discovering and experiencing in nature and in the people he meets.
Currently he is traveling with "Beefstick." Beefstick holds a Phd in astronomy and is headed to Toronto to teach after completion of the trail. He has completed a through hike of the AT before. Accompanying the two of them is a couple from Florida. Hopefully we will find out more about Will's trail family as he continues. Brian, Skyrocket, Tumbleweed, Danger Mouse and Stickerbush all are about 3 days ahead and making good time across Virginia.
Beth and I are planning a vacation around the first week of June to meet up with Will somewhere in Pennsylvania. We are thinking he may be just south of Harrisburg by then. He said last night he plans a 24 mile hike today. The nourishment the Trail Angels provided today should be plenty of fuel to get them there!
The visit was great, nice to meet new hikers, eventho we can't remember the trailnames, we have pictures. And of course the smell lingered as we came down the mountain! we love that boy
ReplyDeleteFrom the looks of the tracker, Darkstar is making his 24 mile trek today, I hope they continue to have good weather.
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