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Getting Through Virginia On The Appalachian Trail Part Two – The Trek

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Getting Through Virginia On The Appalachian Trail Part Two – The Trek



Continued from my previous post.

The Kindness Of A Wonderful Stranger

Early on in my Appalachian Trail thru-hike, I received a message online from a stranger. This stranger said he’d been reading and enjoying my blog.

His name was David and he lives near the trail in Roanoke, Virginia. He kindly offered to come pick me up on the trail, help me with a resupply and allow me to sleep in his guest bedroom for the night. I was floored by his generosity and accepted the offer.

When I got closer to Roanoke, we arranged to meet on the trail near Blackhorse Gap.

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In all honesty, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this encounter. He was being very kind, but he also was a stranger. Immediately after meeting him, I felt a lot more comfortable. He was an extremely personable guy, and we spoke about my hike, our respective upbringings and careers. He has children that attended the University of Missouri, my alma mater, and he lived in Dallas, Texas, my hometown, for many years in the same neighborhood I grew up in.

He kindly took me into downtown Roanoke where I purchased some new shoes as my current ones were worn out. Roanoke was a lovely city.

Then we went to his home where we enjoyed some beers and chatted a bit more. His wife Patti joined us and she was also extremely kind and friendly. They were kind enough to turn on the Dallas Mavericks basketball game for me (my favorite team made quite a playoff run.).

That night, they kindly cooked me a steak dinner. They were just too good to me! It was delicious. During dinner, I learned that they moved to Roanoke recently and figured this was a good way for them to meet interesting people and do something nice for others. I’m the second person they’ve done it for. They hope to host more hikers in the future.

Staying at their home, I had maybe the most relaxing day I had my entire thru-hike thus far. It was super nice and I’m extremely grateful for them.

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David, Patti and I enjoying a meal together.

David and Patti were too kind to me! Here’s a photo of us enjoying a meal together.

The next day, in the morning, David drove me to the grocery store so I could resupply on food and then he brought me to the trail. We’ve kept in touch since and I’ve sent updates from the trail.

Blistering Heat Along The Blue Ridge Parkway

When I returned to the trail, I’d hoped to reconnect with KitKat, Old Man, Local, Sonic, Canada Dry and Chappy. Unfortunately, they had fallen behind quite a bit, so I pushed on.

That stretch of the trail ran alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway, a scenic road through Virginia. And when I went through it, it was toasty! That week the temperature got up to the 90s. It was steaming hot.

This was a big departure from before when the cold was the larger challenge I was dealing with. Some day-hikers and locals I chatted with told me it was unusual for it to be that hot this early in the season (late April-early May).

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The first day of this really hot week, I heard that a really nice swimming hole—Jennings Creek—was coming up. It felt like perfect timing. And then when I got there, I met Fresh Grounds.

Fresh Grounds is a trail angel that has become famous on the Appalachian Trail. He has a nonprofit that accepts donations, and he uses those donations to buy lots and lots of food that he gives out to hikers. He spends the entire hiking season driving along the trail in his van—Fresh Grounds’ Leap Frog Cafe—to meet hikers.

I decided to cut my day short that day to enjoy the swimming and the Leap Frog Cafe. A bunch of other hikers did the same, so it was fun to be around so many other hikers.

Fresh Grounds set up a movie for us to watch on his laptop, so we all watched The Water Boy, which was a lot of fun.

After that, I continued hiking through the warm weather and beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. At the end of that week, a big rainstorm finally cooled the weather down, but I decided to head into Waynesboro, Virginia to resupply and rest after a big week.

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My First Zero

In Waynesboro, I decided to take a zero-mile rest day, known in hiker lingo as simply a “zero.”

This was my first zero, which many around me were shocked to learn. Most hikers had taken several zeroes already. However, the advice I was given was to take zeroes when you need them, and I didn’t really feel like I needed one until that day.

The night I got into Waynesboro, I met a few hikers for a burger and a beer in town, which was really nice, and I stayed at a Hostel called Stanimal’s 328. It was honestly one of my favorite hostels on the trail. I really loved it. The staff was very kind, there was a real fun crowd of hikers there and it was a good town to stop in.

While in town, I resupplied at a grocery store, got some fast food and mailed the last of my cold weather gear home.

I also enjoyed some beers with other hikers around a fire behind the hostel, read some of my book and just generally relaxed.

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The second night I was there was Cinco De Mayo, so the hostel made a special Mexican food dinner which was delicious. That night, I met Pumba. We got to talking, and I learned that Pumba was moving to Chicago after he returns from the trail to attend law school. When I’m not hiking, I live in Chicago, and I love the city. So I told him how he’s gonna love the city and that we need to reconnect when we both get back. Pumba and I had some great conversation. Eventually, we decided that when we got back on trail we should hike together.

That night I also met Dingo, an Australian gal that was also hiking with Pumba. Dingo was hilarious and had a very dry sense of humor. She was a lot of fun to gab with.

The Shenny With A New Trail Fam

The next day, I got back on the trail and entered Shenandoah National Park. I loved the park. It was really beautiful with lots of greenery.

The first day I entered the park, I immediately loved the views and the sights. However, by the end of my hike, a storm had quickly rolled in and obscured my views. However, the next day, that rain was gone and the weather was great for the rest of my time in the park.

In the park, I started hiking with Pumba and Dingo as well as Grasshopper and Rex, two super fun older guys they’d been hiking with. We all had a blast hiking together. Grasshopper was from Connecticut and Rex was from Vermont.

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One thing I, and other hikers I’d been hiking around, heard a lot about from other hikers leading up to Shenandoah was the waysides. The park has tons of trail side stores and restaraunts to stop at. For us hikers who haven’t had that opportunity much throughout the first half of the trail, this was music to our ears. Our group of hikers took full advantage.

We stopped for a midday snack and beer multiple days, and we ate at restaraunts inside the park’s lodges a couple times. It was super nice.

Inside the park, one thing that really stuck out was the deer. The deer in the park were not at all skittish. You could walk so close to them and they wouldn’t flinch.

Making Our Way Through The Rest Of The State

Once we got through the national park, we made our way to Mountain Home Bed and Breakfast. It’s a full Bed and Breakfast, but they also serve hikers in a bunkroom style setup.

That was near Front Royal, Virginia, a beautiful town. There we got dinner and beers at a local brewery at night and in the morning we went back into town so that Dingo and Rex could replace their worn out shoes. That took longer than expected because they were getting a new shipment of shoes that day so it wasn’t until like 2:30 p.m. when we got back on trail. I didn’t mind too much though. The town had a lovely downtown where there happened to be a parade going on, and it felt like a nice rest to spend the morning in Front Royal.

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When we got back on trail, we didn’t get to the shelter until real late. At that shelter, we met a mother and her two children that were thru-hiking the trail. The children, two boys, were very young: five and eight years old. The mother told what it was like to bring such young children along for such a crazy long hike. Throughout this hike, I was shocked to hear how many people brought their young kids.

My fellow hikers and I at the 1000-mile marker of the Appalachian Trail.

My fellow hikers and I at the 1000-mile marker of the Appalachian Trail. From left, that’s Pumba, me, Grasshopper, Dingo and Rex.

That day we hit the 1000-mile marker. It was an insane and surreal feeling to know you’ve walked 1000 miles. We brought beers to celebrate the occasion. However, I was the only one with the discipline not to drink it before we got to 1000 miles. We, of course, stopped there for photos and to soak in the moment.

The next day we decided to stay at a hostel run by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and a local trail club called Bear’s Den. And yes, we had just stayed a hostel two nights before. We were doing a little hostel hopping at this point. However, at Bear’s Den, we got a really cheap rate by going in together on a private room.

A beer and a view of mountains at a brewery.

Enjoying a beer with a view!

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The hostel was super cozy, and it was right next to an awesome brewery called Bear Chase Brewing Company that overlooked the mountains. It was an awesome spot to eat and have a couple beers on our last night in Virginia.

The next day, May 13, we traversed the “roller coaster.” a section of the trail that is know for steep ascents and descents over and over again and entered West Virginia, finally completing the Virginia section of the trail.

Me standing next to a sign that says “HIKER WARNING ENTERING THE ROLLAR COASTER ENJOY THE RIDE.”

I did have a good ride. Thank you very much.

(I apologize for the delay in these posts being published; I am writing way slower during my hike than I anticipated.)





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Virginia

Virginia lottery player wins $348 million Mega Millions jackpot

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Virginia lottery player wins 8 million Mega Millions jackpot


A lottery player in Virginia won the estimated $348 million Mega Millions jackpot on June 27.

Only one ticket matched all five white balls and the Mega Ball to win the jackpot, according to the Mega Millions website. The winner can also choose the estimated $155.5 million cash option.

It was not immediately known where in Virginia the winning ticket was sold. It is the 11th Mega Millions jackpot to be won in the state.

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The jackpot had last been won on April 18 when a lottery player in Ohio won a $112 million jackpot.

Under the new Mega Millions rules, the jackpot will now reset to $50 million for the July 1 drawing.

Mega Millions winning numbers for 6/27/25

Here are the Mega Millions winning numbers for Friday, June 27, 2025:

18 – 21 – 29 – 42 – 50 and Megaball 2

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Here’s a look at the changes that Mega Millions implemented on April 8:

  • Ticket prices increases from $2 to $5 for April 8 drawing.
  • A multiplier is included with every ticket (it is an extra $1 now). A 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X multiplier is randomly assigned to your ticket at the time of purchase.
  • Matching the five white balls now pays between $2 million and $10 million with the built-in multiplier.
  • The minimum prize you can win is $10 and a maximum of $10 million for non-jackpot prizes.
  • Once a jackpot is won, the Mega Millions will start at $50 million instead of $20 million.
  • The number of Mega Balls changed from 25 to 24, meaning the odds of winning are better − changing from 1-in-302,575,350 to 1-in-290,472,336.
  • The odds for winning any prize also improved to 1-in-23 from 1-in-24.

What are the new Mega Millions prize payouts?

  • Jackpot: remains the same.
  • Five white balls: increased from $1 million to minimum of $2 million and maximum of $10 million.
  • Four white balls plus Mega Ball: increased from $10,000 to minimum of $20,000 and maximum of $100,000.
  • Four white balls: increased from $500 to minmum of $1,000 and maximum of $5,000.
  • Three white balls plus Mega Ball: increased from $200 to minimum of $400 and maximum of $2,000.
  • Three white balls: increased from $10 to minimum of $20 and maximum of $100.
  • Two white balls plus Mega Ball: increased from $10 to minimum of $20 and maximum of $100.
  • One white ball plus Mega Ball: increased from $4 to minimum of $14 and maximum of $70.
  • Mega Ball: increased from $2 to minimum of $10 and maximum of $50.

When is next Mega Millions drawing?

Mega Millions drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.

How do I play Mega Millions?

The cost is now $5 per ticket and includes a multiplier that will increase the amount of your potential prize up to 10 times the original prize (except for the jackpot).

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Each player selects five numbers from 1 to 70 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 24 for the Mega Ball. (down from 25 Mega Balls). However, you can also have the lottery machine generate a random Quick Pick for you. You don’t need to be a U.S. citizen or a resident of a particular state where you purchase your ticket.

How many balls do I need to match for Mega Millions prize?

You can win at least $10 for the matching just one – the Mega Ball. Short of the jackpot, you can win a minimum of $2 million for matching all five white balls (except in California). You can check all the prize payouts on the Mega Millions site here.

Where is the Mega Millions available?

You can play the game in 45 states plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The states not offering Mega Millions are: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

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Where can you buy lottery tickets?  

Tickets can be purchased in-person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. 

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.  

What is deadline for buying Mega Millions tickets?

The deadline for purchasing a Mega Millions ticket varies by state so don’t wait until the last minute. It can be 15 minutes to an hour or more before the actual drawing. For some third-party lottery apps, the deadline can be closer to two hours before the drawing. For example, Jackpocket in New Jersey has a deadline of 9:15 p.m. for the 11 p.m. ET drawing.

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Click here to check the deadline for where you live.

What are my odds of winning the lottery?

Playing the Mega Millions can be exciting, but just don’t go spending those millions before you win.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 290,472,336-to-1.

Unlucky? Here are 13 crazy things more likely to happen than winning the lottery

What does cash option mean?

The major lotteries in the United States offer two jackpot payout options: annuity and cash.

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The annuity option is paid out over time. There is an immediate payment and then 29 annual payments after that, increasing by 5% each year. The cash option is significantly lower than the advertised jackpot, but it is paid in a lump sum. You don’t have to wait decades for all the money.

Can a jackpot winner remain anonymous?

In some states, like New Jersey, you can win a lottery anonymously. That wasn’t always the case, but now winners are able to stay anonymous under a law that was signed by Gov. Phil Murphy. In other states, a winner’s name and hometown are a matter of public record. Check with your state lottery for more information.

What are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots?

Here are the Top 10 Mega Millions jackpots ever:

  1. $1.602 billion, Aug. 8, 2023: Won in Florida
  2. $1.537 billion, Oct. 23, 2018: Won in South Carolina
  3. $1.348 billion, Jan. 13, 2023: Won in Maine
  4. $1.337 billion, July 29, 2022: Won in Illinois
  5. $1.269 billion, Dec. 27, 2024: Won in California
  6. $1.128 billion, March 26, 2024: Won in New Jersey
  7. $1.05 billion, Jan. 22, 2021: Won in Michigan
  8. $810 million, Sept. 10, 2024: Won in Texas
  9. $656 million, March 30, 2012: Three winners in Illinois, Kansas, Maryland 
  10. $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013: Two winners in California, Georgia

What was largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever?

Here’s a look at the top jackpots won in the United States, between the Powerball and the Mega Millions lotteries:

  1. $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 7, 2022: Won in California
  2. $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023: Won in California
  3. $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023: Won in Florida
  4. $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016: Three winners in California, Florida, Tennessee
  5. $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018: Won in South Carolina
  6. $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2022: Won in Maine
  7. $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022: Won in Illinois
  8. $1.326 billion, Powerball, April 6, 2024: Won in Oregon
  9. $1.269 billion, Mega Millions, Dec. 27, 2024: Won in California
  10. $1.128 billion, Mega Millions, March 26, 2024: Won in New Jersey
  11. $1.08 billion, Powerball, July 19, 2023: Won in California
  12. $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021: Won in Michigan
  13. $842.4 million, Powerball, Jan. 1, 2024: Won in Michigan
  14. $810 million, Mega Millions, Sept. 10, 2024: Won in Texas
  15. $768.4 million, Powerball, March 27, 2019: Won in Wisconsin
  16. $758.7 million, Powerball, Aug. 23, 2017: Won in Massachusetts
  17. $754.6 million, Powerball: Feb. 6, 2023: Won in Washington
  18. $731.1 million,, Powerball, Jan. 20, 2021: Won in Maryland
  19. $699.8 million, Powerball, Oct. 4, 2021: Won in California
  20. $687.8 million, Powerball, Oct. 27, 2018: Two winners in Iowa, New York

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms and conditions.



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Virginia sheriffs rip Dem challenger’s ‘criminals first’ agenda in fiery endorsement of Jason Miyares

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Virginia sheriffs rip Dem challenger’s ‘criminals first’ agenda in fiery endorsement of Jason Miyares


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

FIRST ON FOX: A group of 19 Virginia sheriffs has thrown their political weight behind incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares after Democrats nominated former Virginia state Del. Jay Jones to challenge him in November. 

“The choice is clear. The decision is ours,” the group of Virginia sheriffs said in a letter to their colleagues just days after the primary. 

The sheriffs praised Miyares’ “commitment to Virginia’s law enforcement community and first responders” and urged their fellow Virginia sheriffs to coalesce behind the incumbent attorney general for re-election.

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Jones, a former assistant attorney general, has centered his campaign on protecting Virginia from President Donald Trump’s administration. In a letter to the sheriffs of Virginia, the group of 19 sheriffs frame Jones’ policy platform as anti-law enforcement.

VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS CHOOSE NOMINEE TO CHALLENGE GOP ATTORNEY GENERAL JASON MIYARES

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares speaks during an interview in Richmond, May 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Ryan M. Kelly, File)

“Jay Jones has been an outspoken advocate of the many tools weaponized to weaken Virginia’s law enforcement community, replacing prosecutors with social workers, who put criminals first and victims dead last. The litany of legislation aimed not at criminals but at law enforcement is not just a failure of policy, but a policy designed to fail Virginia families,” the sheriffs said. 

VIRGINIA REPUBLICANS PICK RADIO HOST TO RUN ALONGSIDE WINSOME SEARS IN RACE TO REPLACE YOUNGKIN

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They touted the “tremendous progress Virginia’s law enforcement professionals have achieved over the last four years,” as the sheriffs urged their colleagues to prevent Jones from returning a “tidal wave of lawlessness, violence, and illicit drug activity.”

“We ask that you join so many of us in the law enforcement community in standing united in our support of Attorney General Jason Miyares and ask each and every single member of Virginia law enforcement community to remind our friends, families, and local communities to remember the difference four years makes. We cannot go back to four more years of lawlessness, violence, and resistance to the men and women who serve,” the sheriffs said. 

In the letter, the sheriffs outlined legislation supported by Jones they say is “designed to fail Virginia families.”

Those policies include investigating law enforcement for “pattern and practice” violations, causing “direct harm to Virginians” through Enhanced Earned Sentencing Credits (EESC), eliminating cashless bail and supporting qualified immunity, which they said would make it easier to sue police officers for civil rights violations. 

They also detailed Jones’ support for eliminating mandatory minimum sentencing for selling drugs to minors in schools and school resource officers (SROs), which they said makes schools more dangerous. 

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The letter was signed by Virginia Sheriffs Kyle M. Moore, William Kidd Jr., Travis M. Sumption, Richard A. Vaughan, Hank Partin, Robert Richardson, Whit W. Clark III, Darrell L. Hodges, Wayne Davis, Bryan Hutcheson, Mike Miller, Kevin Kemp, Jeremy Flemming, Donald Lowe, Brian Hieatt, Brian K. Roberts, Jayson Crawley, Jeremy A. Falls and Donald T. Sloan. 

Officers-Killed-Virginia

Police officers are on the scene after a deadly shooting of two fellow officers on Feb. 22, 2025 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. (Stephen M. Katz/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Virginia is one of two states holding statewide elections this year, and the election results will be used as a bellwether ahead of the competitive 2026 midterm elections. 

On the campaign trail, Jones has applauded how attorneys general have sued the Trump administration to unlock federal funding and reject executive overreach, “but here in Virginia, MAGA extremist Attorney General Jason Miyares has put politics first and refused to join in the effort to defend against unconstitutional and un-American Trump policies.”

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“Virginia needs leaders who will put Virginia first. Who will stand up to the powerful corporate special interests. Who will stand up for the rule of law. Who will keep us safe. And that’s exactly what I will do as your attorney general,” Jones said after securing the Democratic nomination for attorney general last week. 

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Jones did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 



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Three more victims identified in West Virginia flash flooding

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Three more victims identified in West Virginia flash flooding


Authorities have identified three more victims killed in flash flooding in northern West Virginia, increasing the total number of people killed to nine.

The body of Sandra Kay Parsons, 83, of Triadelphia, was found in the Ohio River on Tuesday. Officials in Ohio County released her identity after receiving confirmation from a medical examiner. Two other victims were identified last week: Jesse Pearson, 43, of Triadelphia; and Connie Veronis, 71, of Moundsville.

Seven of the nine victims were from Triadelphia, population 660.

As much as 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain fell in parts of Wheeling and Ohio County within 40 minutes on June 14. Dozens of homes, businesses and roads were impacted by flooding and at least 75 vehicles were pulled from two area creeks. Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in the county.

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The region around Wheeling is about an hour’s drive southwest of Pittsburgh.



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