Morning trail climbs and follows a ridge. The land tilts steeply down to the left. The trail is a narrow embankment on this steep slope. Surface is good, mostly. Lots of roots in places. I can see thick muscled tentacles reaching through the soil. Last night's thunderstorm cleansed the aire and land. The forest smells clean and moist. A river of fog fills the valley below and the ridges beyond. Gray-white banks still hang on the higher ridges and spill into the narrow valleys. Sunny and warm now.
After dinner. Tenting an No Business Knob Shelter, the first site were I pitched my now well-used tent. I am in the same spot as in 2002, this time with Montreal and Kutsa camped nearby. Had an afternoon thunderstorm--a little hail, even--that lasted most of the way from Spivey Gap where we ate lunch to the sound of thunder. We made most of the climb out of Spivey before the rain hit. Walked the rest of the way in raingear. No stops. Made the shelter by 3:00. Set up tent in the rain. It got a wet a bit in the process but I dried it out and got into warm, dry clothes.
I'm happy to be warm and dry in my tent here tonight. The sky has cleared considerably since I arrived. Drops still fall on my tent but I'm pretty sure that's dripping from trees, not sky. If the clouds clear, I bet it will turn cold. Lots of people on the trail, all making for Miss Janet's. Thru-hikers are now seasoned and wary. They know that being town costs money. They are aware of deadlines and time constraints. But in many respects, a thru-hike at this stage is still a party. Up to Damascus. After Trail Days in Damascus comes Bland (County) days. The party ends in southwest Virginia.
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