The value of trail names. I ran into these two at the trailhead in Pearisburg. They didn’t recognize me, nor I them, but when we exchanged trail names, it was very much, “Oh yeah, Orange Crush gave us some candy bars back in…”. I hadn’t seen these guys since Georgia, almost 500 miles back, but I remembered the names Guardian and Long Island.
A painter enjoying the view at John’s Creek, mile 670.k
Met some new hikers this morning, up above Pearisburg: Old School, Tinder and Scarface.
🧨 😊 Game #1: WHAT DO YOU SEE? Leave a message here, email or text me with your answer.😊
Zoom in on this photo. You can see how the tree has grown over the treehouse rungs. I’ve seen a tree grow over signs, absorbing them. I’ve never seen anything quite like this.
🧨 😊 Game #2: CAN YOU FIND THE 2 DOGS? 🐶
Photographed here is the Keffer Oak Tree. Per The Virginia Big Trees website,
”This tree is known as the Keffer Oak, one of the largest white oaks on the Appalachian Trail. The tree was brought to the attention of the Virginia Big Tree Program by James Close who thought the tree might be a contender for largest tree on the Appalachian Trail. Research revealed that there is a larger white oak in New York.”
http://bigtree.cnre.vt.edu/detail.cfm?AutofieldforPrimaryKey=2435
Hiking along the top of a ridge today, I came across these piles of stones. These are known as the Bruiser’s Knob Cairns. There’s all kinds of speculation around what these represent. One explanation is that they were created when farmers were clearing the pasture and farming land. I’ve enjoyed the various suggestions on the FarOut App, one favorite being these are UFO shuttle pickup spots for resupply stops on Venus. 🛸 👽
At the end of the hike today, I met two NH hikers. Not hiking together, about an hour apart. I gave trail magic to one, and had a nice conversation with the other in the shade. I neglected to get photos, so until I see them again, I have these placeholders.
They were Rex and SweetPea. Rex was given his trail name because he lives on a largely plant based diet, and has short arms, like Rex from Toy Story. I didn’t inquire about SweetPea’s name, but it was the second time we’ve crossed paths in 2 days.
