I slept really good in the Meadow. It was wonderfully cool for summer with minimal bug activity, but I got a late start due to shoe repair.

I’ve been letting the shoes go a bit, but I know the terrain in this section is very difficult and I didn’t want my shoes to fail while traversing I giant cliff face.

I possibly found the entrance to tinker caves, rumored to be 300 feet deep. I didn’t explore it though because of reasons.

I passed 2/3 of the VA triple crown, and spent some time enjoying the views with a snack at each, but I didn’t take any pics of the overlooks.

Instead, I took notice of the Rocks, which are very large and impressive in this region. The rocks are the stars of the show today, followed by the mushrooms.

I didn’t have any huge ascents or steep climbs, but the terrain was very rocky and challenging, with lots of wierd steps to navigate all the land features.

I found a message written on a rock face in 1932, or at least that’s what I saw.

I found some trail magic at the Campell Shelter. Someone left 6 pounds of oranges. I ate 4 of them.

Mcaffees knob was full of incredible rocks. Sorry not sorry I didn’t take the usual shots everyone takes.

I like to think of the huge boulders as God Blocks, like a kid playing with Legos.

There was water all over the mountain except at the lowest shelter, where I found only a tiny trickle. I think the spring has been filled in with sand and will soon disappear without maintenance. I managed some leaf manage and collected 3 liters in about 30 minutes.

I discovered a toad while gathering fire wood. It looked very healthy. We parted ways on good terms.

There are bear boxes at most of the camp sites in this area, and signage to go with them. I find it ironic that none of the bear boxes are placed the recommended 200 feet from shelters or camping.

Late at night while gathering firewood I smacked myself in the eye hard enough to make me nauseous.