Spa Day at the Plaza

We had strong storms last night but stayed dry and the rain stopped just in time for our 7 AM departure back on the Trail. Although the rain had stopped, the Trail was a river of rushing cold water. It was actually a blast to hike through once we got over getting our shoes soaked. You have to laugh at the fact that you are hiking miles in 6 inches of mud and water. It reminded me of being a kid and playing out in heavy rain storms feeling the power of the rushing water run around your feet and legs.

We had a short 9 mile hike into Pearisburg and on the way in I called and reserved a room for us at the Plaza Motel. It was rated very highly in the trail guide as having friendly staff that does your laundry for free. On the way in, we got some terrific views of the town and valley below. We also heard the tornado sirens going off so we picked up the pace to make sure we were off the ridge before the big storms came through.

The Plaza Pearisburg is a lot like the one in New York. It is conveniently located in the center of town, the service is outstanding and the beds are comfortable. The Plaza Pearisburg is just slightly more affordable at $66 for two people per night and that includes laundry. Unfortunately, the spa wasn’t open so we arranged our own schedule of mani/pedis and epsom salt bath treatments that were wonderful.

The motel restaurant was also closed so we walked through the Wendy’s drive through and they served us right away. No reservations required. After our resupply trip to Wal-Mart, I picked up my packages at the Angel’s Rest Hostel. Mom sent me an awesome package of luxury trail goodies that will keep me fat and comfortable for at least the next week or so. The real trick about resupply day is turning a big mess of food and provisions into a nicely organized pack.

It’s actually really stressful. I spent the last few days coming into town with a super light pack and a long shopping list and now you have a jumble of new stuff to sort through and reorganize. You go from carrying 20 pounds to over 35 but just think about all the calories you get to snack on.

The biggest problem I’ve had the last week or so is that my water system completely blew up on me. I am filtering my water using the Sawyer squeeze bags and filter and then transferring that into a Camelback water bladder that I can easily drink from out of a hydration hose. The bladder has been slowly leaking and I’ve been taping it together but still dealing with a slow cold water leak down my backside. It gets real fun when I add propel or crystal light to my water and that leak becomes a cold and sticky leak down my back side. My squeeze bags have also been leaking and those have been taped but it wasn’t working. The whole lot was chucked today and I bought everything new at Wal-Mart. Hopefully, it will stay together until I get to Harpers Ferry.

The best part of today was my chat with Pringles, the owner of the Angel’s Rest Hostel. They are closed for overnight guests but she was so encouraging and helpful. They held my packages and refused to take any money for it. She called us the “mythical beasts” of the AT 2020 class and told us to keep pressing on. Those terrific words did wonders for my mood. The support for hikers is still strong. Thank you Pringle’s!