April 5th, 2019, Virginia
The rain started early, around 3am, and continued throughout the day. It was a light rain but the fog and mist made it seem heavier. The temperatures were cool, remaining in the low 40’s all day; so I was able to wear full rain gear all morning without getting too hot, which was a first.
You are so cute…I love you 
Octopus shaped fungus? 
I got started early despite the rain and hiked until mid day. I had already logged 11.5 miles by 12:30pm and decided to stop at a shelter for lunch and a break from the rain. Given the weather, I would also prefer to sleep in a shelter tonight, and let everything drip dry. The next shelter beyond this one is just 6.5 miles away rather than the usual 8-12 miles. But as I approached the nearby shelter I decided it might be better to stop here rather than pushing on. No sense overdoing things in the first week.
This area of Virginia must have had severe ice storms this past winter. Tree tops are broken everywhere, many trees are down, and the forest floor is littered with dead branches. The trail crews have evidently been hard at work. The trail itself is completely clear of fallen trees. I find myself glad to be passing this area now, not in some drier, hotter time of the year. With all the fuel around, I expect forest fires will be a big problem for hikers after any dry spell.
After a hot lunch I unpacked and rested in the shelter—completely alone except for the occasional bird or squirrel passing by. Later in the afternoon a family of four backpacked in and set up tents nearby.
