After spending time with my husband an dhis family mourning the passing of his aunt, I headed back down to Beuna Vista with colleen, who was kind enough to drive me back down the following monday. Unfortunately she could stay for the week, but we made plans to meet up on the next weekend to hike with another friend.

From Punchbowl over look. I headed down by about 330 pm to the ridge line to Rice Mountain before dropping down and circling the Lynchburg Resevior. It was a nice a gentle 8 miles to get my legs warmed up and I was extra kind to my knee. That with stretching seemed to do the trick as I felt great the next day.

The next day I headed up 300ft to another Bald Knob over about 5 miles. This was a real test for my legs so soon into this arc of the trip, but I toook it slow and steady and made my way up to the top by noonish. After having lunch, there was some decent ridge walking over Cole Mountain and Tar Jacket Ridge. While wlaking on the ridge I came across a fawn that was playing dead in the trail. It was breathing, so I hope it was just waiting for mom to come back, but pick a poor place to hide.

As I made my way along the ridge, I decided to set up camp at the Piney River. It was a wondeful sote that I had all tomyself as the babbling brook serenaded me that evening. I ddcided to set up behind a cool rock that had a wicked tree around it. I've neen doing a study of these interesting features and woll probably do a post about them later, but I love home much people love the natural oddities they find on trail. Whether trees, views, rocks, or water, peolle seemed to be drawn to these different places. Theres something paleolithic about it.

Day 3 I awoke to rain on my tent, but it had finish by the time I packed up and I headed along the ridge line, stopping to bunker down with an afternoon thinderstorm and had my hot meal at Spy Rock. I wait until the storm passed before heading up to see the views, which while mostly misty, show the clouds moving and the wind pushing through the surrounding tree tops. A very cool sight.

Afterwards I headed up Preist Mountain, stopping at the shelter to refill water and use the privy. There I met White Owl and chatted as he dried out his gear and I refilled my bottles. He was staying there that night, so I said good bye as I headed down the Mountian to the Tye River Crossing. There were several other campers when I arrived. But the site was spread out enough that everyone had their own space. Which I was glad of the next morning.

Unfortunately, I woke up feeling nauseous at 2 am. I was hoping it was just the heat and humidity, but I was trying to fool myself. By 5am I had to dig a hole and use it twice. Once to vomit and the otherside as well. As I texted shuttle drivers, I was trying not to panic about having noro again.

Thankfully, I was able to get a ride by 830am and head into Waynesboro, Va to staybatba hotel. Tallking with my shuttle driver it sounded like I had just caught a 24hr stomach bug that had been going around and from the Priest shelter. I hoped White Owl was okay.

As I got into my hotel room, I was already feeling better, especially compared to my norovirus experience. Thankfully, I was able to pace a online pickup order at the Walmrt across the street and got a grilled cheese from sonic that Inwas able to keep down. After doing laundry and a nap, I headed to pick up my order and was all set by 2pm. It looked like it was just a 24hr bug. I still took a zero day the bext day to let it pass through the rest of my digestive system and to restore my fluids, but I was resupplied and ready for another 5 days.

Summary of Progress:

• Miles Completed: 36.9

• Total Miles Completed: 835.5

• Location: Virginia

• Weather: Sun with some rain.