19th day. 17.1 mi. 234.3. 773.1 total
I’m outside Buchanan VA. The day started with a 2254 ft climb then it was PUDS for most of the day. Pointless ups and downs. Walking in the woods. Saw a 5 ft black snake on the trail, they’re getting bigger. Crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway twice, very little traffic. I guess it isn’t THE destination anymore. Not many people out here. Tenting with Corkscrew and Criss-cross at Marble Spring campsite.
20th day. 18.2 mi. 252.5. 791.3 total
I’m at the Punchbowl Shelter south of Buena Vista VA. A long walk today. Saw my first ever green snake, just green, about 2 ft kind of pretty. Crossed the James River on the longest foot bridge on the AT at 11:00 in the morning. At 2:00 in the afternoon I took a picture from the mountainside looking down on the river and that bridge. It was hot and a brutal climb up that mountain but I pushed on to the shelter.
There are about ten hikers here and a twenty or so guy with pig tails, shaving his legs, bouncing to the music in his headphones while sucking on a pacifier. I will sleep with one eye open tonight.
hoba
LYMG
hoba
LYMG
My Hike, 2014 
It’s the mice. All the nice hikers feeding the flea infested mice that are food for the black snakes. Hopefully the AT crowd gets the connection and leave the snakes to their duty.
When any class of thrus start in the spring at Springer, I would agree that they leave food, crumbs and litter behind. I find that after they have 4-5 hundred miles under their feet they don’t leave that much behind. They are so hungry at this point the 5 second rule has been increased to 5 hours and they carefully scrape out all of the crumbs from that pop-tart wrapper.
hoba
Hey Hobo,
PUDS for most of the day, never heard ups and downs used that way. LOL A 5 ft. snake, Oooooooh Nooooo!!!!! Watch where you step. Thats a way cool foot bridge crossing the James River, wow! Sure the guy in pig tails is harmless, lets hope! 🙂
Upward and onward,
Hiker Steve