April 15 / 16

Had to stop and resupply in Marion, Virginia.  I was low on food and my stove fuel was almost depleted.  I thumbed a ride into town and since it was already 3pm got dropped off at the Travel Inn for the evening.  A Wal Mart was within walking distance so I bought my food  there but had to catch a bus into downtown to a Army Navy store for a fuel canister because Wal Mart did not carry them.  It's been overcast  and cold all day, with a light sprinkle.  So today is a nero day, which is a day when you hike but stay at a hostel or hotel and then continue on the trail the following day.  Nero means a near zero.  On a true zero day you don't hike for a 24 hour period, you relax and recuperate.

Gear update:  While I was in Damascus, Virginia  I did a gear shakedown and decided to upgrade my tent and my sleeping pad.  I  bought a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 which weighs just 2  pounds  saving me 1.4  pounds over my MSR tent.  I also purchased a  Mammut  regular 20 inch wide sleeping pad which weights only 1.4  pounds cutting 1.2  pounds.  I sent my old tent, my sleeping pad, and a  heavy parka  jacket that I rarely used back to Texas.  I got rid of several other small items that I rarely if ever used and trimmed my 1st aid kit.  I ended up cutting about 5 pounds from my backpack.  My food bag is by far the heaviest thing in my pack especially after a resupply but it can't be helped.  I'm probably burning between 5000 to 8000 calories when hiking and only consuming about 2000, a large caloric deficit.  As a result I've lost about 20 pounds already.  I weighed 230 at the start of  the hike.  I hope to lose 30 more.

4 / 16    I'm  solo tent camping  tonight at Davis Path campsite.  I did 16 miles today.  I'm now at mile 546.  I spoke to Chef yesterday morning prior to leaving.  He's a day ahead of me, probably some 20 miles.