Apr 30 - Southern Virginia

DAY #50
START LOCATION: Walker Gap/Raven, VA
FINISH LOCATION: Campsite 75 feet north of Walker Gap
TODAY'S MILEAGE: 0.014
TRIP MILEAGE: 563.114
MILES TO GO: 1,615.86

Slept on the living room floor at "Magic's" house last night.
Smokestack and I woke up around 8 and the Taylors... Mom, Dad, Uncle,
cousins, brother... Had all gone to start their days. We didn't hear a
peep.

We all got up and Magic cooked us breakfast. He made a whole spread of
scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee and an entire loaf's worth of cinnamon
raisin bread French toast. It was heaven. The stack of French toast
was about 8 inches tall and we killed all but 3 slices of it. It was
delicious.

We then headed out in the afternoon to do some light resupply and pick
up what else... Lunch. Ha. I'd had a full feed bag leaving Atkins, so
Magic and I waited outside the dollar store while Smokestack re-upped
for the 50 mile push to Woods Hole hostel. We then headed to the local
Raven deli where I got a big ham club sandwich with fries. Magic
picked up all of it. He insisted.

We headed back to the house, where after eating our big lunches we
watched a movie... Inglorious Basterds. Great flick, if you can handle
grotesque violence. But, it was a great story, well acted and very
entertaining. Unbeknownst to me, Magic had been doing our hiker
laundry. I thought he had just bagged it up last night so the family
didn't have to smell it, or stink up his room. Nope, he took it to thr
next level and went and washed it for us.

We then began our pack-up for our drive back to the trail. The family
started arriving home and we said our goodbyes around 6:15. We
decided that we'd camp near Walker Gap and make our big push the next
day. We wanted Magic to join us at the campsite and hang with us for
awhile. So, we stopped on the way to the trailhead and picked up a
twelve pack to share.

On the trip back to Walker Gap, Magic filled us in on all the great
aspects of "God's Thumbprint", a flat plain of green farmland that is
surrounded by mountains. Absolutely stunning. So much so that Garth
Brooks handed a piece of blank paper to a farm owner and said "write
down a number, I'll make it happen." The owner said... "Not for sale."

We shared beers and stories at the gap. Magic talked about the
positive imprints the trail left on his life... It taught patience,
hard work and perseverence. He was also expressing a bit of jealousy
that we'd be hitting the trail tomorrow. But, he told us how happy it
made him to help us. And, my god, all that he and his family did for
us it showed. He's a great guy and has a loving family. I'm looking
forward to seeing them again.

Much bigger miles tomorrow than today, obviously!

-natedog