I was really excited for this stretch of trail as there is a lot to see! We got dropped off 40 trail miles north of Pearisburg where we had started our slack packing two days prior. It was a 54 mile stretch to get from there to the town of Daleville where I am currently typing this blog post. As we made our way from VA Route 42 to the Niday Shelter we passed the Audie Murphy memorial. He is the most decorated World War II veteran and the memorial is the site of the plane crash. https://www.audiemurphy.com/
As we made our way to the 700 mile marker I saw some interesting flowers, beautiful views, and had a blue racer snake slither less than 2 feet in front of my feet! Unfortunately it slithered so fast I couldn’t get a picture, so the one below is taken from the internet.
After reaching 700 miles we had about five more miles to go to reach the Four Pines hostel. This was an unplanned stop but the temperatures were starting to spike and we really wanted a shower! We just stayed in our tents on the hill and I was able to inhale two big plates of pasta as soon as we arrived. The last few miles to get there were quite difficult! We hiked up and over Dragon’s Tooth, it was very rocky and made for a slow few miles.
It was a fun hostel stay in and see all of the artwork, along with some of the animals that live there.
I was very excited for our 16 mile hike from the Four Pines hostel to Lambert’s Meadow campsite this day! I have been anticipating McAfee knob since I learned about the Appalachian Trail, it is the most photographed spot on the trail. It is a bit touristy since there is a parking lot four miles from the knob, but it wasn’t quite as busy as I thought it would be. We were able to get up there and get our picture taken almost right away. My first headstand picture of the trail 🙂
After taking an extended break at McAfee Knob we made our way up to Tinker Cliff’s at mile marker 719.3. It was so hot so we didn’t linger too long! We really had to make sure to stay hydrated this day, I think it reached almost 90°.
We didn’t arrive to Lambert’s Meadow campsite until about 7:00, one of our latest arrivals yet. My new favorite trail dinner is cheese filled tortellini tossed with olive oil and ranch dressing powder, with rehydrated vegetables and sun-dried tomatoes, so good! We were greeted by some wildlife and saw some pretty flowers heading out the next day.
When we arrived to Daleville, VA we were picked up by our supporter, Amanda. We got checked into a very comfortable hotel and then she took us into downtown Roanoke where we had some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had! They actually make ice cream flights, similar to those beer flights you can get at breweries. Signing out for now, Feather Blue! 🪶💙
Hiking Through with Feather Blue 