April 17
End: Rice Field Shelter
Miles: 17.2
Total: 2499.0
Up early, I dragged my things out of the bunkhouse and packed up below the sleeping area. Declining to buy breakfast, I paid our hostess, Neville, and hiked off in the nice morning weather.
As with almost all road crossings on the Appalachian Trail, I had a climb to do. Thankfully it was not difficult, and before too long I passed a shelter and walked along on the tip of the hill before beginning the descent into Pearisburg.
As with almost all descents into towns on the Appalachian Trail, the hike seemed to take longer than it should. I could see a little bit of the town from above, but I hiked off to the end without much in the way of food.
Not overtly attempting to hitchhike, I walked up the grass on the side of the road, past a dilapidated house and on to the Dairy Queen, where I started my normal eating routine in town. From there I moved to the grocery store and got some junk food to eat while I waited for Ashley, a friend from college.
She arrived with her husband, whom I met for the first time, as well as a fetus in its second trimester. It was a lot of fun to see an old friend, and crazy to see her married and pregnant. I tried not to think about the crazy difference in our lives, and why I am not married and pregnant while we ate at Buffalo Wild Wings in Blacksburg. They took me to a few other places and then back to the trail, where we said goodbye.
Hiking once again, I did the little pieces of trail which meander about near Pearisburg before crossing the New River and starting an ascent towards the mountains on the West Virginia state line. Because of my time off the trail with my friend I was only able to make it to Rice Field Shelter.
I stopped early compared to my usual hiking days, but was glad I had stopped when it started to rain about an hour later. It rained all night, and I got good sleep.