Woods Hole Hostel, Pearisburg, Va. Mile 620.9. Tuesday March 11 — Pearisburg sits on a plateau above Bland, the town we just escaped.

The bifurcated 15-mile hike featured a seven mile gentle take off climb followed by a straight-up jump to cruising altitude. All-in-all, not bad.

We climbed through a range of Eco systems from hardwood deciduous forest to tall pines.

Thirst continued its grip as a side effect of the unseasonal 70 degree heat wave. The sun’s heat infused the air with a soothing pine aroma. Beats the heck out of the skunk that wafted over our tent site at Trent’s Grocery during the wee hours of this morning.

We were tenting next to a horse pasture last night. During the night the horses got frisky, galloping along the fence line. First question: what spooked them? Too tired to care. Zzzzzzz

More and more rocks are forcing themselves into the trail tread. Aside from the ouch factor on the feet, they reach out to trip you and bend your poles. Rocks, go away. You own Pennsylvania. Why not stay there? Maybe they’re Russian rocks?

We pulled into Woods Hole at 4:30 pm. Neville and her husband Michael were birthing a goat. Now that’s a welcome.

More on that tomorrow when I’m going to zero (not hike) to send a box of excess equipment home and “bounce” some food ahead to Buena Vista’s Bluedogart Cafe and hostel, my third planned stop. Should be there in about two weeks.