Virginia *IS* flat

Observe the ridgeline in the background. Virginia Plateau

I’m going to unjoin the facebook group “Virginia is not Flat.” I remember Pointless Up and Downs (PUDS) and all sorts of energy expended last time I hiked in VA, and this time, it is pretty easy. I look across at other mountain ridges and they literally are flat.

I’m glad I didn’t push onto Chestnut Knob shelter last night—they apparently got 60 mile per hour winds and snow. I saw some snow still in the privy at noon. It was cool to see the balds and Chestnut again–I made a poor decision not to stay there in 2008 and it was cool to have a chance to reflect on that. I met Laura from the ATC at Walker Gap, and Lost and Infidel shortly after.

15 and Rambler, southbounders, were able to share batteries with me, so I could power my mp3 player and push onwards. I drank water from the gnarly Kimberly Creek and made Helvey Mill Shelter’s cut off with plenty of time to spare.