The next thing on the trail is the norovirus… Who got hit, where did they go, how did they behave… I replace the hand sanitizer in my little containers with some liquid, biodegradable hand soap. People get scared of people, of shelters, of hostels. I try to continue hiking and behaving normally, sleeping in my tent when the weather collaborates, otherwise I keep using shelters but I was my hands obsessively. I stop using my filter, preferring to boil or chemically treat my water.

Of course, this is the moment when Dame Nature decides to give us water… a lot of it! At some point I lose my courage, even zeroing in a shelter.

The next section of the trail is a dream coming through for me. The ” Triple Crown of Virginia” was one of the first images to come to my mind when I didn’t know much of the entire Appalachian Trail adventure, in particular the famous image everybody posts on McAfee knob. Actually, last year, when I was hiking a section of the Mountain to Sea with my daughter, she asked me what section of the AT I was the most excited about and this is the one I mentioned to her. I was going to get my own picture on McAfee knob! Now that it is done, without wanting to deny the undeniable beauty of it, I realize there are WAY more to the AT than this very popular and touristic spot.

The whole Triple Crown for me starts from a hostel situated just north of Dragon’s Tooth. I slackpack this section, going southbound from the hostel, since I had heard of its technical difficulty. Later on, I admit I could have done it with my pack since I end up to be too much of a wimp to actually climb the whole thing! There is still some rock climbing to get there, but I think I could have managed with my backpack. Nonetheless, a day without 35 pounds on one’s back is always appreciated!

The view from the top of the mountain is impressive, sometimes in a Jurassic Parc way, but what impresses me the most is  the abundance of rhododendron and mountain laurel.

The next day, I finally go up to MacAfee knob. I am not disappointed. This place is impressive and makes you feel so small!

Afterwards, Tinker Cliffs shows to be some kind of a repeat of MacAfee to me, but in more remote, less touristic setting. There is a bear nearby the shelter where I set my tent up later on. Of course, I did not happen to see it.

The next day starts slow. I am all mixed up with my maps. Distances don’t match. It is Mothers’ Day and I miss my family. I want a treat.  I decide to go down to Dalesville, it seems there is a Kroger nearby. I think it is a mile from me, but it happens to be 3! Instead, I end up in a gas station and I get a pint of Ben&Jerry’s. I eat it with my spork, in the front of the gas station, sitting on a plastic box. Total homeless look. Afterward I fly my last 5 miles. I sleep in my tent, alone at the shelter. Thankfully this day is over.

The next day, I wake up at 2:45 am. Rain is supposed to start at 3 am so I decide to pack my tent and walk. I reach the shelter at 1:45pm and norovirus or not, I am going to sleep in it tonight. I unroll a tarp that is in the corner and set-up on top of it. It’s going to work. Time for a nap.

Days continue to roll. It rains a lot. My socks smell horribly, and so do my feet.

I see some wildlife.

I cross a giant bridge on the James and arrive to Glasgow.

Right after Glasgow I climb the majestic Punchbowl. Views of the mountains and the James river are spectacular.

And then comes the Shenandohah.

I have mixed feelings about the Shenandohah. There are a lot of people, a lot of facilities, thankfully a lot of bear accomodations. Shelters are called huts and are made of stones.

We have a wonderful picnic where Truck Stop serves us venison, drinks and snacks.  Bear and deer were hunted here, just down the hill.

Nature is beautiful in the Shenandoah. Wildlife is visible. Almost tame. And of course it rains.

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NORFOLK, Virginia — Six months out from November, Virginia Democrats believe the governor’s race is Abigail Spanberger’s to lose.

There’s a risk the former member of Congress could get bogged down by national malaise toward the Democratic Party, and her margins could end up being tight because of the negative Democratic brand.

But Democrats are hopeful that Spanberger can overcome that national dynamic. She flipped a competitive district in 2018 that stretches into rural Southwest Virginia and she benefits from the unpopular actions of President Donald Trump. His stop-and-start trade war coupled with the elimination of thousands of federal jobs and looming Medicaid cuts are widely unwelcome in the Commonwealth. Spanberger enjoys strong name recognition and is far out-fundraising her opponent, a candidate who even some fellow Republicans are wincing about.

A sweeping Democratic victory this fall could spook Republicans in Congress over their inaction to Trump’s aggressive agenda and provide a blueprint for staying laser focused on kitchen table issues like economic uncertainty and federal belt-tightening that the party can ride into the midterms next year.

“If we can get these people to vote we’re going to smoke them,” Virginia House Speaker Don Scott said. “We just got to get them to vote. That’s the fear — apathy.”

Spanberger, speaking with reporters ahead of a campaign event in the battleground region of Hampton Roads last week, shrugged off the fact that her campaign is under the national spotlight. She said the operation is “totally grounded” in Virginia and the “issues and priorities that matter here.”

“If that ends up setting a good example for other people running other places, then that’s their choice,” she said before entering a packed event full of local elected officials, donors and supporters in Norfolk, to mark the launch of her affordability agenda calling for lowering health care and prescription drug costs. She’s readying forthcoming plans to address other strains on Virginians’ budgets.

Selling strong messages on affordable housing, rural hospitals and public schools will help Democrats appeal to the more conservative parts of the state in Southwest and Central Virginia, said Aaron Rouse, a state senator and one of six Democrats running for lieutenant governor. Spanberger is “doing everything right so far,” he said.

Spanberger raised $6.7 million in the first quarter, dwarfing the $3.1 million brought in by opponent Winsome Earle-Sears, the lieutenant governor who was limited by state law from fundraising during the state legislative session earlier this year.

Early polling shows Spanberger is in a strong position: A Roanoke College survey this month showed her with a 17 percentage point lead, and more than half of respondents believe the country is on the wrong track. Another poll put the race at a much tighter margin, with Spanberger leading by four points.

But Spanberger’s campaign may run into the strong negative headwinds around the Democratic Party, which has been trying to reverse pessimistic attitudes toward its leaders. National Democrats believe that if Spanberger can broaden her appeal beyond the blue strongholds of Northern Virginia by convincingly talking about kitchen table issues, that will give them a much-needed morale boost and help guide them in the midterms.

Spanberger is focusing her campaign for governor on how she plans to lower costs – and blaming Trump in Washington and term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in Richmond for making life more expensive. Virginia’s off-year elections are viewed as a referendum on the party controlling Washington, and Democrats are feeling confident as Trump’s DOGE cuts come down hard on Virginia’s robust federal workforce.

A recent analysis from the University of Virginia found that the state is projected to lose more than 9,000 government jobs, propelling a downturn in employment that is worrying state leaders.

“[Trump] creates the general political environment that you’re in,” said Virginia-based Democratic strategist Ben Tribbett. “She’s done a pretty good job of surfing that wave, of bringing more people into the party when they’re not happy with what the Trump administration is doing.”

November turnout may answer how much Democrats can count on Trump’s disassembling of the federal government as a motivating issue in the midterms. Virginia Democrats, confident that Elon Musk’s unpopularity will linger even as his term as a special government employee has expired, point to Department of Defense workers and contractors living in the more competitive Hampton Roads area who lost their jobs as evidence that anger over DOGE is not just limited to the northern part of the state.

Youngkin has defended the cuts as necessary to trim government waste, and encouraged out-of-work Virginians to pursue other open jobs in the state. His office has created a website to connect former federal workers to new positions. Earle-Sears was captured on leaked audio in April saying that “we don’t want people to lose their jobs” but downplayed the losses.

“Abigail Spanberger is dusting off the same worn-out playbook that cost Democrats the governor’s mansion in 2021,” said Peyton Vogel, press secretary for the Earle-Sears campaign, in a statement, referring to when Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe. “Back then, Virginians rejected fear mongering messaging and chose a leader with real solutions to make life more affordable and move the Commonwealth forward. Spanberger’s current strategy failed then, and replaying it now won’t change the outcome.”

Moderate Democrats see Spanberger as the ideal candidate to confirm their view that the party should shift toward the middle. In 2018, she defeated Tea Partier Rep. Dave Brat in an upset, joining the wave of women elected to Congress on a wave of anti-Trump energy. But Trump is much more popular than he was in his first term, so appealing to his voters becomes a crucial part of the comeback strategy.

In her first campaign ad launched this week, Spanberger highlighted her bipartisan voting record while serving in Congress. In 2022, after Democrats came close to losing the House, she was captured on leaked audio criticizing Democrats for embracing positions defunding the police and warned them to “never use the word socialism again.”

“Her biggest vulnerability is being a Democrat in this moment, but she is sufficiently defining herself as a different kind of Democrat,” said Matt Bennett, co-founder of the center-left group Third Way. “She watched carefully what happened to us in 2024 and is trying not to make the same mistakes, just trying to keep her focus on the things that voters actually care about and not get distracted by things that they don’t.”

Democrats view Hampton Roads, a competitive area that Spanberger needs to win, as the epicenter of several of Trump’s policies. In addition to DOGE layoffs, the Port of Virginia located here is bracing for a decline in shipments from other major trading partners.

It’s also a popular vacation destination for America’s neighbors to the north. Virginia Beach State Del. Michael Feggans, a Democrat running for reelection in one of the most competitive state legislative races, said he’s heard from local business leaders concerned about the decline of Canadian tourists annoyed by Trump’s annexation talk. Democrats are aiming to expand their one-seat majority in the state House, and are adopting a similar economic message as Spanberger to try to make that happen.

“He said on day one he was going to fix the price of everything and bring world peace, and there’s been nothing but chaos, confusion, and people are scared and people are worried,” Feggens said.

Virginia Republicans, on the other hand, are banking on DOGE being a distant memory when voters head to the polls in November. Those Republicans are skeptical that Spanberger’s anti-Trump message will resonate beyond the Democratic base, and they insist that swayable voters.

“Her entire message seems to be: Trump sucks,” said a Republican operative granted anonymity to speak freely. “When you get down to brass tacks, people want to see what exactly are you going to do.”

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Clem Camacho from Wilmington, North Carolina, has flipped his commitment from Texas to Virginia Tech. He will arrive with the Hokies this fall for the upcoming 2025-2026 season.

“I am very excited to announce my commitment to continue my academic and swimming career at Virginia Tech! I would like to thank my family, coaches, and friends for all of their support getting me to this point. I would like to give a special thank you to Coach Albert and Coach Sergio for giving me this incredible opportunity. I can’t wait to be a part of such a great program. Go Hokies!!”

Camacho originally committed to Texas back in November 2023 and was a “Best of the Rest” (BOTR) ranked recruit at the time. Camacho competes for NSEA Swim out of Wilmington after spending time with TAC Titans in Raleigh from 2021-2024.

In December 2024, Camacho swam at US Open and achieved numerous personal best times. He finaled in two events, placing 12th in the 200 IM in a lifetime best 1:48.06 as well as 21st in the 100 fly in a 48.81. He swam a personal best 48.47 in prelims. He also swam to a lifetime best in the 100 back swimming a 49.26 and time trialed the 50 free with a best time of a 20.68.

Swimming for Eugene Ashley High School, he swam to a North Carolina state title in the 200 free with a 1:37.57. He also was 2nd in the 100 fly in a 47.78.

Camacho’s best SCY times:

• 400 IM – 3:50.86
• 200 IM – 1:47.66
• 200 free – 1:37.57
• 100 fly – 47.78
• 200 fly – 1:48.23
• 100 back – 49.26
• 200 back – 1:48.87
• 100 breast – 56.28
• 200 breast – 2:03.43

The Virginia Tech men finished 6th out of 15 teams at the 2025 ACC Championships. The team was led by Carles Coll Marti who won the 200 breast and 200 IM. Coll Marti just finished his fifth year with the Hokies.

Based on his best times, Camacho is just off what it took to make it back at ACCs. His versatility gives him plenty of options on event choice as it took a 1:44.70 200 IM, 3:47.80 400 IM, 1:34.41 200 free, 46.21 100 fly, and 46.71 100 back to earn a second swim.

Camacho will arrive this fall as a member of the class of 2029 along with Andy Roose, Jack Mainville, Javier Nunez, Tristan Dorville, Benedek Toth, Lucas Huming, and Connor Johnson.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

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