After the 800 mile mark I passed through a stretch of the trail along a stream where the Brown Mountain Creek Village used to exist in the 1800s. It was a community of former slaves who rented the land to grow corn and make charcoal. The only remaining remnants are a few stretches of stone walls and I set up camp near the northern border. I always get great sleep with the sound of rushing water filling the air.
Cozy camp next to the Brown Mountain Creek
Early on in the next morning I crossed over route 60 and started the climb up Bald Knob mountain which, as you may imagine, had a large bald on the top.
I support whoever is hiking around with googly eyes to stick on signs like this!
Bald Knob
The plan was to rack up a big mile day, camp near The Priest Mountain, and then have a nice easy 12 mile day to Reid Gap which is where you hitch a ride down to the Devils Backbone Brewery. They have a big compound with a stage, pavilions, a restaurant, and a field where hikers are welcome to camp. I spent more money than I wanted eating lunch and dinner there but some Anheuser-busch reps were also imbibing and fed a couple beers to us thru-hikers as they asked questions about trail life. The following day was 20 miles to Rockfish Gap which is the entryway to Waynesboro where I planned to take a full Zero-Day. On the way I saw some cool flowers, a pretty cascade, AND A FREAKING BEAR! I finally saw a bear!!
Tiger Lily
Mill Creek
BEAR! Unfortunately, he scampered off as I was switching to my zoom lens
A new friend, Beanie, caught up to me right as I arrived at Rockfish Gap where there is a list stapled to the guardrail that contains all of the local trail angels who will give you a ride to town. I found the one name that also listed a trail name, Sharkey, who sounded like a cool dude so I sent him a text and he arrived 10 minutes later. We were planning to go to the free campground in Waynesboro but Sharkey offered to take us to dinner at the Blue Mountain Brewery and then put us up at his place for the night. We did laundry, drank craft brews, and shared trail stories the rest of the evening. Sharkey has hiked the AT three full times! The next day he shuttled us around to do our town chores; food resupply, outfitters, post office, etc. and that night, Beanie's friend Ducky and White and some of White's friends from NYC visiting for the weekend joined us at Sharkey's. We played with his flock of chickens, had a big fire, and ate fresh omlettes for dinner. Great times were had!
Thanks again Sharkey! You're the man
The next stretch of trail parallels Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park.