Thru hiker Mitch Meier has made progress on his quest to hike the entire Appalachian Trail . From his journal, exclusive to the Globe Gazette: Sadly, I have had little time to get myself dry enough, cool enough, or well-fed enough to make an update post. This time through the Appalachians has been substantially hotter and dryer than my previous 2016 hike.
The weather is about to change to the cooler in New York. Since my last update I have hiked the entire states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. What started as a mad dash to out-hike the heat turned into a daily slog of misery and “Google Damp” which is just my body being soaked in my own sweat day after day, after day.
Like, so sweaty that I can feel my shorts dripping on my own legs if I stand still at all. I was leaving Damascus, Virginia, heading north on the Appalachian trail full of the hope and promise of a new state. I promptly became dehydrated and damp for the next 1000 miles.
Upon entering Virginia, we quickly came to Roan Mountain State Park. The area is studded with various balds, mountains that have no trees on the top but instead are kept bare for grazing and agriculture, which offer the few views we have all through the Virginia section. Virginia is also the longest state on the trail.
The highest point in Virginia is Mt. Rogers, which the trail comes very close to but is simply a pine forest. I did not go up there.
An extra climb with no view is very low on the priority .