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 of calorie-burning list. Just before Roan Mountain State Park is the Grayson Highlands. A state park famous for the wild ponies that are kept there to maintain the balds the area is famous for.
I did not get munched on by the ponies this round but, typically, the salty thru-hikers are assaulted by roving gangs of ponies looking for some quick and accessible salt for their nutrient-poor diets. Though, the following morning we did have a very curious and altogether nosy pony come raid our picnic table at the shelter just before leaving the state park. After the Highlands, there is a significant stretch of ridge hopping.
We hike many miles on one ridge to then just go down to a valley and go right back up another. This is obviously very exhausting and lacks nearly any water sources, which, during a drought, is particularly gruesome. Among these ridges is an area near Roanoke known as the Triple Crown.
This is three famous rock formations in Virginia; Dragons Tooth, McAfee's Knob, and the Tinker Cliffs. This is where the splendid trail magic started to really kick in. First, was the time spent at Hungry-ville.
Hungry is one of the hikers in my trail family and his family chose to host our giant posse for some rest and food. This was quickly followed by a friend's aunt from my first time thru-hiking in 2016. She lived right next to the trail and put us up and fed all of us for a night.
Then, a past thru-hiker and a shuttle business operator housed us for several days. The lack of water really made that section unbearable. It was exceedingly monotonous and seemed like the fight every day got harder, hotter, and dryer.
The rains finally came (all 15 dozen drops of it) while camping in Buena Vista, Virginia. At that point it had been 36 days since the previous rain on trail. This was also time for the Fourth of July, where Uno’s parents rented us an Airbnb for the weekend so we could celebrate the holiday.
Shortly after that glorious break, the group split a little and most went to Aqua Blaze, which is canoeing north on the Shenandoah river for approximately 80 trail miles. A few of us hiked through the Shenandoah National Park. The hiking side, I do not recommend.
As far as national parks go it is by far my least favorite of the parks I’ve been to. As for accessibility to the general public, it is a beautiful drive. As for hiking.
...
it’s trash, though very easy hiking when it’s not 105 degrees. Either way, the roadside waysides were a delight and altogether far too expensive. Money is running out but alas, when you’re hungry, anything will do.
Virginia is a very exciting and diverse chunk of the trail as well as the last vestiges of the south. A strong finish into Harper’s Ferry felt so good after so much drought, so much sweat, and so much heat. Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, marks the symbolic halfway point of the trail with the Appalachian Trail Commission (ATC) headquarters located there and official halfway photos taken for the log books.
I even spent the time looking up my photo from my 2016 hike. Just three miles back south of the ATC is the Virginia border and just 41 miles north of the ATC is the border of Pennsylvania. Many hikers choose to hike these 4 states all at once as a challenge.
This is both foolish and really fun to do. A total day for me of about 33 miles. I did make it, but dang, was it hot and I was well broken at the end with the very rough terrain.
Pennsylvania really does hurt your feet. So many toe stubs and twisted joints, as well as a now fractured phone screen. The shelters in Pennsylvania are top notch; clean, well kept, and generally well located.
I did have a really fun side adventure to Philadelphia to see my friend who flew in for a visit from Portland, Oregon. The people in Pennsylvania are also ridiculously giving. Everyone asking if we had water and were fed.
I returned to the trail just before leaving Pennsylvania and entering New Jersey at Delaware Water Gap. Immediately, the trail was so much nicer but the heat is creeping back and I haven’t been dry. So, I sit here shell-shocked from an extended evening in New York City at a drive-in movie theater where they let us camp for free.
Meier's 2024 Appalachian Trail hike is his fourth thru-hike. A thru-hike is when a hiker starts at the beginning of the trail and follows it to its terminus. He has completed the Appalachian Trail; the Continental Divide Trail, running through five western states; and the Pacific Crest Trail on the U.
S. west coast. Meier began his 2024 journey in Amicalola Falls, Florida.
It will end at Mount Katahdin in Maine. Get local news delivered to your inbox! City County Government Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items..
