Saturday, July 2nd

The Priest Shelter (829.7 mi) to Humpback Rocks Picnic Area (851.3 mi)

Hiking Miles: 21.6

Total Ascent: 5,338.6 ft

Total Descent: 6,016.1 ft

Total Grade: 524.9 ft/mi

Steps: 49,861

I started off on-trail again super early in the dark to attack the Priest: Downhill-Uphill-Downhill. It was EXACTLY the way Flossy described it and it was actually an “okay” terrain. It helped to know that Teresa had started driving that morning about the same time my hike started, and that I would see her that afternoon/evening. It had been a long six weeks since she dropped us off at the airport.

There were several hikers on trail today, as well as a number of amazing views. While I stopped to eat lunch, I met a young girl named “Shoe Lace” who was hiking northbound with no trekking poles, and she told me that she was definitely going to buy herself a pair when she reached Waynesboro, VA.

I eventually stopped at Reid’s Gap and waited for Stevie who was not that far behind me. However he too had stopped to have lunch at a shelter not far from where I had stopped to have lunch. Billie Goat, Crocs and Nat Geo had also stopped at Reid’s Gap, and planned to get a ride to Devil’s Backbone, a local joint where hikers can get food, beer, a shower and even a tent spot for the evening. Unfortunately, they had relayed to me that they heard Little Buffalo had fallen and cut her head. Luckily she was okay and later we learned that she caught up with the group. Smartly, the three of them had ordered pizza while at the gap and were having it delivered so Little Buffalo would have a treat when she arrived.

Stevie arrived and we sat a few minutes with the group. Our tramily also planned on stopping at Devil’s Backbone for the evening, and I thought it would have been nice to have joined them. However, we were also excited about being picked up, seeing Teresa, ordering dinner, and staying in a comfy hotel. Crocs asked me how long had it been since I saw my wife and was wide-eyed when she learned it had been six weeks. Before leaving the group, Billie Goat offered to take our trash to dispose of it when she got to the pub, which was so nice of her. She rocks!!

Stevie and I called Teresa and asked her to pick us up at a campground about three miles away. When we arrived, all of the campsites looked the same so it was not easy to describe a specific pick-up spot. I stayed on the phone, and Stevie walked ahead until he located Teresa and they came back to pick me up.

When we arrived at the hotel, we video chatted with Chris and Amanda. Amanda had given birth to Priscilla Claire the morning before on July 1st at 6:24 am. Everyone was doing fine – very excited and tired at the same time. We ate both Chipotle and McDonald’s (we may have over eaten). Overall – 21.6 miles of hiking. And with that, we had just 13 more miles to go tomorrow before making the jump up to New York to start the last stretch of our journey.