Mile 1383 – US Route 60 To Mile 1358 – VA Route 56
This morning we were both excited to be hiking again and also a bit nervous about our plans for today. Although the snow has stopped falling, there is now quite a bit on the trail, and the weather up on the ridge we are crossing today was very cold. Our original plan was to camp up on the ridge tonight, but we decided to hike farther to the next road crossing instead to avoid being out overnight in the very low temperatures that were predicted up there. That plan set us up for our longest day yet – over 25 miles.
A few days ago we learned that Brenda would be in town for one day, so we took advantage of that and arranged for her to pick us up in the evening. It was slow going with all the snow on the ground, but we were motivated by the prospect of a warm car waiting at the end. So we hiked as fast as we could all day.
Fresh snow on the trail
Reminds us of Grayson Highlands
Winter
It was well after dark when we arrived at the road crossing where Brenda was waiting. As we got closer, we noticed something… There were people in the car with her. It was Ox and Torch! We were in shock and so excited to see them. They had both traveled back to Virginia this morning (Ox from New Hampshire and Torch from Texas) to surprise us and to be here when we finish. What an amazing gift!
RocketWalk 