Buchanan, VA (USA)

[I left the hotel at 0615 - it was pitch black with fog and the car was covered in frost. After getting some gas (0635), I drove up VA-43 to the Blue Ridge Parkway and witnessed a spectacular sunrise. I used the same parking area as yesterday (0700) and hiked SOBO into the frosty, dimly lit forest. Off in the distance to the west, I could see gray ridges shrouded in mist - my camera couldn't even capture the beauty... Only a few hundred yards down the trail, I encountered a section hiker ("Blaze of Glory") who had spent the night in a shelter a few miles away. We chatted for a bit before I continued. The section was a "roller coaster" (+/- 1000 feet four times) and it was tough going most of the day. I was trying to reach a turnaround in the woods from May 2014, when I had surrendered during my climb up Fullhardt Knob because I was so out of shape (understatement). I chatted with several other section hikers (one was "Socrates") and wasn't in a particular hurry because of the distance I'd targeted (18 miles). The sounds of train whistles in the Valley were nearly continuous all morning. I was able to peel off gloves, ear muffs and my pullover by 0900 and was sweating by noon. I reached my destination (about half a mile south of the shelter), although it was initially hard to locate my turnaround, exactly, because of the changes in seasons. It felt good to overcome my limitations and close the loop on a previous "failure". I headed back quickly and only paused twice - to talk to hikers. It was definitely a day for socializing as we caught our breaths... The last person I encountered was a SOBO thru hiker (a Mainer who departed Katahdin on August 4) and he gave me some great tips for longer jaunts in the future. The only thing missing was any wildlife encounters. It was a long climb back to the car but I finished by 1430 - whew! After eating a quick meal in Buchanan, I made good time back to NoVA. This could be the last AT hike of the year - finished around 280 miles in the last 12 months (a pretty nice amount, considering that I hiked on fewer weekends, took no multi-week trips and had surgery)... Hope I can keep up the pace in 2016! AT Today = 9.00 miles / G.T. = 590.00 miles]