Here is the journal of Jim's next four days:
Tues., Mar. 8
- Jim's voice:
Our Williamsburg hosts, Clay & Pinky McEldowney, returned home
yesterday afternoon after a long weekend away. We enjoyed a great
evening with them. Early this morning we drove two cars 45 minutes to
the end point of yesterday's hike. We left Clay's car there for a later
pickup and the happy hikers set off. We spent the day hiking northwest
on the Virginia Capital Trail engaged in conversation and admiring the
splendid construction of the trails and wooden bridges. Countless
flowers, trees and bushes were planted along the path to enhance the
scenery. By 12:30 we were getting hungry and happened to spot a small
cafe that was under renovation, so not open yet. There were padded
benches outside under a roof that provided welcome shade from the sun on
this very warm day. We enjoyed sandwiches that we had packed before
leaving. After a 20 minute break we were back on the trail again and
cruised along for another couple of hours. Along the trail signposts
indicate points of interest ahead and mileage to them. These told me
that Dorey Park - a large county recreational area - would be the ideal
location for Jane to meet us. We arrived there mid afternoon and Jane
showed up promptly a few minutes later. Clay and I were happy to call
it a successful day on this very warm afternoon, having walked over 15
miles together. We then drove Clay back to his car, said our goodbyes
and headed off to Richmond. We arrived at our next hosts in Richmond,
Bob & Martha Camire. Bob is a high school classmate of ours and we
had a delightful evening talking about the old days, current lives and
family. Bob plans to hike with Jim tomorrow - another day of
companionship.
Miles Today - 15.5..... Total Cumulative Miles - 150.5
Wed., Mar. 9 - Jane's voice:
The three of us drove back to Dorey Park and Bob and Jim set off
shortly after 8am, an early start in deference to the high temps
forecast today. By 11am they had reached the end of the Virginia
Capital Trail in downtown Richmond. Then they hiked along the
waterfront. Jim was impressed by the huge metal floodgates that
protected the adjacent low-lying section of the city from the river.They
spent the next couple of hours walking through the city, including the
campus of VA Commonwealth University, and then met Martha and me for a
late lunch at a busy open air restaurant - a treat for all. After a
delightful lunch that refreshed the tired hikers on this very warm day,
they set off to do a few more miles. In fact, they did another 6 miles
before calling it a day at mid afternoon. Jim especially enjoyed
walking along Monument Avenue, lined with stately houses and luxuriously
landscaped yards. I got lucky today since Martha had a medical
appointment very near their end point, so she picked them up. After
much needed showers for both guys we relaxed for a while and then went
out for a great dinner at yet another open air restaurant.
Miles Today - 18.5..... Total Cumulative Miles - 169
Thurs., Mar. 10
- Jim's voice:
Bob offered to drop me off this morning and Jane readily agreed! It
was a 20 minute drive on this rapidly warming day. The first several
miles I walked along some major highways and crossed entrances to the
interstate. It wasn't until several hours later that my roadway
narrowed from a 4 lane divided highway down to a 2 lane road. By this
time the commercial strip had been replaced by fine residential
developments and later agricultural fields. The predicted temperature
high of 80⁰
was correct, but a pretty consistent breeze made it feel somewhat more
comfortable. I stopped at noon to buy a Diet Coke to drink with my
sandwich that Jane had made before I left this morning. The small store
had picnic tables out front - how convenient. Although only a 15
minute break, I felt somewhat refreshed when I continued up the road. I
passed a huge ranch with several hundred head of cattle visible from
the road. But there were two close to me - one a small heifer just
inside the fence and a large cow, most likely the mother standing guard
about 50 feet away. She eyed me closely as I passed her baby. Most of
today I was on busy Route 33, but finally was able to turn off onto a
quieter country road. Here the terrain became quite hilly with a series
of ups and downs that lent some variety to today's walk.
Meanwhile
Jane chose to spend her day at a shopping area that our hostess had
recommended to her - Short Pump Town Center - sure is a strange name,
but I assume there is a reason for it. She described it to me as a
perfect place to spend a few hours. Like many of the shopping areas
here it is an outdoor mall. She was able to walk and walk, checking out
what was there. She said there were many areas to sit either in the
sun or shade, including small couches, rocking chairs, etc. After
walking the entire area a couple of times, she decided that a rocking
chair under a pavilion had her name on it! She was even able to get a
wireless connection there and caught up on emails, checked my route maps
and then did some reading before having a nice lunch.
We
talked when Jane got to Short Pump and I estimated a 3pm pickup. When I
called her at 2pm to revise that pickup to be earlier, her phone went
to voice mail. I assumed (correctly) that she was at lunch and had her
phone on silent. When she didn't return the call I texted her to
request a 2:45 pickup. When she arrived I was approaching the Ebenezer
Baptist Church and she pulled into that parking lot. I was happy to see
her and pleased to have completed another long day without blister
issues, despite today's heat. At this point I am almost a half day
ahead of schedule which may permit me to take a zero miles day when rain
is forecast for Sunday and Monday. We then drove to our next location
- a Comfort Inn in Montpelier, VA.
Miles Today - 19..... Total Cumulative Miles - 188
Fri., Mar. 11 - Jane's voice:
After a hotel breakfast we drove back to Ebenezer Baptist Church and
Jim set off around 9:15. Less than a mile later, Jim walked past
another Baptist church. He decided to keep count of how many churches
he would pass today on a route consisting entirely of relatively small
back country roads. By the end of the day he had counted 5 - all
Baptist churches. His favorite (of course) was St. James! Jim did
express some concern this morning that his feet might not do well today -
they felt a little "funny". This meant that I was "on call", meaning
don't go anyplace interesting or time consuming, because I might have to
make an emergency pickup. As it turned out, this was not the case.
With
each passing day Jim observes additional signs of spring. Today the
most impressionable one was his first sighting of blooming forsythia.
He also passed a number of active logging operations, as well as other
recent timber cuts. The woods around here are growing but it seems also
they are being seriously harvested. He talked briefly with a logging
truck driver who was waiting for his turn as another logger was being
loaded with a giant tree claw. At one point Jim thought he was in
trouble as the route he had been on for many miles unexpectedly
terminated at a junction with two other routes. However after walking
on for another quarter mile he found the route sign he was seeking and
continued on. The only historic plaque he came across was one for the
birthplace of William Clark, who was born nearby in 1777. Yes, this is
the William Clark of the Lewis & Clark expedition. Near the end of
today's hike, Jim passed through two "towns" several miles apart that he
believes are mere figments of someone's imagination, even though they
were indicated on his Google maps.
We
rendezvoused as discussed earlier at a few minutes before 3pm after Jim
had walked 18 miles in well under 6 hours. Jim today passed the 200
mile mark and is halfway to the finish line!
Miles Today - 18..... Total Cumulative Miles -206
Pictures:
1 - Jim and college classmate, Clay as they started out
2 - Jim walking along one of the longer trail bridges
3 - Jim admiring the trail side daffodils
4 - Maggie the Camires' cat as she sat on the chair where I usually read
5 - Jim and high school classmate, Bob as they started out
6 - The Gregoires and Camires enjoying lunch in RIchmond
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