Near Newport Virginia on a Clearing Morning
Pig Sty that I slept Next to at Catawba Virginia
May 21, 1981 - Camp near Newport to Nedy Shelter-
The SUN is back. Got up with only clouds in the valley and crystal clear up here, an incredible sight to say the least.
It looks like heaven up here, after five days of rain. 7:25 a.m. I just got up and it is windy and cold. I’ll take it. Made it
to the new relocated Nedy Shelter. I did 12 miles today Tom and Emily are here now also. I met a couple today
hiking south and doing a section each year. They were both nurses who lived in my home town of Charleston W. VA
May 22, 1981 -Nedy Shelter to Pig Sty at Rt. 311 in Catawba VA—
Beautiful day! Left shelter at 7:33 a.m. Suppose to be very little change in elevation today. Not so. Up 200 feet and
then down 200 feet, and then the same thing about a hundred times. It is noon and I have been hiking hard all day
and I haven't yet come seven miles. I want to go 14 miles today and at this point I may not make it unless I hike late. I
made it to the grocery store after a long day. I got here at 6:40 p.m., a total of 14.3 hard miles for the day. Beside
the grocery store is an old pig sty. Tom and Emily are sleeping inside. I prefer outside because it smells like pigs
inside. If it rains I’ll go inside but not until! Ate well tonight. I had sloppy Joes, ice cream, Pepsis!! It is 8:30 p.m. and
time to go to bed.
May 23, 1981 -Pig sty at Rt. 311 in Catawba Va. to camped near Lamberts Meadow Field-
Left the Catawba Hilton alias the pig sty at 8:00 a.m. Had Pepsi for breakfast. Left for the big hill in front of us with
Tom and Emily Myers. The first one mile was very steep. Did a total of 14.1 miles today. Very pissed off because
three full miles of the A.T. was yellow blazed. A color blind idiot painted them I guess. It was very pretty and rugged
going over Dragon’s Tooth today. It was a very steep Decent down to the road. I did not know if I was on the right trail
or not, since this was a new reroute that I didn't have maps for. Made terrible time to a campsite near Lamberts
Meadow Shelter. Boy scouts had the shelter taken over. Deer came into the camp at around dark. We had a nice
fire and cooked over the fire also.
(The A.T. is usually blazed with white paint)
The SUN is back. Got up with only clouds in the valley and crystal clear up here, an incredible sight to say the least.
It looks like heaven up here, after five days of rain. 7:25 a.m. I just got up and it is windy and cold. I’ll take it. Made it
to the new relocated Nedy Shelter. I did 12 miles today Tom and Emily are here now also. I met a couple today
hiking south and doing a section each year. They were both nurses who lived in my home town of Charleston W. VA
May 22, 1981 -Nedy Shelter to Pig Sty at Rt. 311 in Catawba VA—
Beautiful day! Left shelter at 7:33 a.m. Suppose to be very little change in elevation today. Not so. Up 200 feet and
then down 200 feet, and then the same thing about a hundred times. It is noon and I have been hiking hard all day
and I haven't yet come seven miles. I want to go 14 miles today and at this point I may not make it unless I hike late. I
made it to the grocery store after a long day. I got here at 6:40 p.m., a total of 14.3 hard miles for the day. Beside
the grocery store is an old pig sty. Tom and Emily are sleeping inside. I prefer outside because it smells like pigs
inside. If it rains I’ll go inside but not until! Ate well tonight. I had sloppy Joes, ice cream, Pepsis!! It is 8:30 p.m. and
time to go to bed.
May 23, 1981 -Pig sty at Rt. 311 in Catawba Va. to camped near Lamberts Meadow Field-
Left the Catawba Hilton alias the pig sty at 8:00 a.m. Had Pepsi for breakfast. Left for the big hill in front of us with
Tom and Emily Myers. The first one mile was very steep. Did a total of 14.1 miles today. Very pissed off because
three full miles of the A.T. was yellow blazed. A color blind idiot painted them I guess. It was very pretty and rugged
going over Dragon’s Tooth today. It was a very steep Decent down to the road. I did not know if I was on the right trail
or not, since this was a new reroute that I didn't have maps for. Made terrible time to a campsite near Lamberts
Meadow Shelter. Boy scouts had the shelter taken over. Deer came into the camp at around dark. We had a nice
fire and cooked over the fire also.
(The A.T. is usually blazed with white paint)
Sign near Cloverdale and I-81 on Appalachian Trail
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