Location: VA 601 / Marion, VA (528.4 miles)

Since Beast was under doctor's orders to not hike for another day (and also because he was waiting for his hiking boots that he had sent home with his winter gear to return), I decided to wait in Marion with him as a show of solidarity, rather than immediately getting back on the trail.

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Meadow
Location: VA 601 / Marion, VA (528.4 miles)

I got off to a lateish start today, mostly because the original plan was for a relatively short ten mile hike to the Partnership Shelter and the Mt. Rogers visitor center to catch a shuttle into town. Still with no cell reception, I was hoping Beast would eventually catch up with me there by sometime in the afternoon.

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Ponies!
Location: Trimpi Shelter (522.4 miles)

My feet hurt, and I'm exhausted, but still, today met a number of milestones.

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Foggy Forest
Location: Thomas Knob Shelter (497.1 miles)

Beast and I got started around 8:30, to a long, slow uphill in fog and cloud.

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No Parents, No Bedtime
Location: Lost Mountain Shelter (484.8 miles)

We intended to leave town early today, skipping the hostel's waffle breakfast in favor of something more substantial at the Subway at the other end of town on the AT. Unfortunately, even though we verified via Subway's website that they open at 7 am, when we got there at 7:45ish, we found them to be not open yet; the lights were off and no one was inside.

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