I woke up on top of the ridge today; it was cold but oatmeal and hot chocolate/coffee hit the spot. I was hiking by 7:30 AM.

The views along the ridge continued to be magnificent, particularly looking into West Virginia.

Looking into West Virginia

I continue to meet NOBO thru-hikers. This guy was cool 😎; I took his picture as he hiked off along the ridge.

Lone hiker

The hike down into town was long and arduous. I stopped for water along the way. The water filter I’m using (Sawyer Micro) seems to be doing well, even though some people say it tends to clog.

Pearisburg is a fairly industrial town, but it’s very hiker friendly. I’m at a motel for the night and plan to take a zero tomorrow. The ladies at the motel did my laundry for me and I am making repairs, etc.

Chemical Factory

AT Thru-Hike Stats
Section Day #8 (5/16/19)
Start – Stealth Camp / Spring (645.2)
End – VA Rte 100, Pearisburg (637.0)
Today’s mileage: 8.2
Total section miles: 92.8
Total miles on AT: 809.2
Section avg daily miles: 11.6

If you’re not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you’re not a conservative at forty, you have no brain. – Winston Churchill