Virginia is easy!

Or so they say.

"We done Geaorgia."
"You'll do 30s, its flat!"
Liars!

Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying Virginia immensely. The past couple weeks have been a blast.

Now I can do the 30s, I did three in three days. But do I want to? Was it easy? Not particularly. There are some very big climbs here. With big climbs, come big descents. Between Pearisburg and Waynesboro, there are some up and downs in excess of 2000 feet. From Tye River to Three Ridges is 3000. And with June comes heat.

However, I do have some theories. By the time they reach Virginia, most hikers have been on trail for over a month. They are in shape. They have worked out the kinks gear and body. This allows them to travel further more comfortably. There is a lot of well maintained trail. At times, one can really move. But then there are rough patches of rock and steep grade.

Another theory I have about the non-flatness of Virgina is one of expectations. So many people say that Virginia is flat, that one expects it to be so. It may be flatter than Georgia, but it isn't as flat as I expected. And anything steeper than what I expect is somehow more difficult...

Of course, my lack of 30 mile days can certainly be attributed to swimming and lounging. If not trying to break a record of keep to a schedule, what is the point of doing 30 plus.

I jotted these notes down over the past couple weeks, but just two mornings ago, was read something interesting. "Northern Virginia is flat." The last 100 miles apparently leave that flat taste in your mouth. Am I really supposed to believe this?