AT Days 116-122

This installment of our story picks up with us in Waynesboro, VA. We’re about to rejoin the trail at Turk Gap where we got off several days ago to tend to Gavin’s sore ankle. Thankfully it was just a sprain, and he seems to be feeling fine.

I woke Wednesday morning fairly early to have hotel breakfast and to double-check our shuttle ride. We had arranged for the Yellow Truck to pick us up at 9:00, but some other hikers were needing a ride a bit earlier in the day. I told them to call him and do their ride first and to have him pick us up whenever, on his way back into town. When he picked them up, he said he’d be back between 9:00-9:30, which was fine. I had my breakfast and went back to the room to pack up.

The Yellow Truck guy came by around 9:30 as promised and we got our ride back to the trail. I never caught his name, but he was pretty cool. It was great to talk with him- he reminds me of what my late brother-in-law would have been like when he turned 70. We got back on trail at Turk Gap where Gavin got off last week and we were off. Unfortunately, we had to turn down the offer of trail magic from some section hikers since we were just coming in from town and breakfast, but it was nice of them to offer.

Our goal for the day was a modest 8.6 miles. Generally, when we are coming out of town, we plan for slightly shorter days because we never know quite when we’ll get our ride back. We had a fairly easy day of hiking- a small bit of uphill at first, but then gently downhill for the rest of the day. One of the interesting events of the day was meeting a park ranger named Dave who was out with a shotgun armed with bean bags and rubber slugs. Apparently there were a couple of bears that have been causing issues on the trail, and he was out to teach them to have a bit more fear of humans. He was very interesting to talk with. It was obvious that neither he nor the park service wanted to do serious damage to the bears, but they want to teach them to respect and live in harmony with humans.

Most of the hike on Wednesday was over well-groomed terrain without much elevation change, either up or down. There were a few rocky sections, but it was a fairly easy hike. We wound up at Blackrock Hut and rested well there for the night.

On Thursday we very quickly arrived at the peak of Blackrock Mtn. (3,104’). Thankfully, the climb up wasn’t difficult, nor was the travel for much of the day. We had really nice views in two directions from the summit, and there were plenty of rocks for Gavin to scramble up. I chose to stay on the trail and not risk breaking my neck for a possible better view.

Along the trip this day was the first of the “waysides” in the Shenandoah National Park. We stopped at the Loft Mtn. Campground camp store and got Gatorade, sodas, and snacks. Gavin treated himself to a milkshake- I figured he could use the extra calories. He also found a miniature pair of binoculars which he purchased so he could hone in on the views we pass by. Truthfully, this was one of the most practical things he has purchased along the journey, and I hope he gets lots of use out of them.

There were 10-15 hikers milling around outside the store having lunch and resting. Among them was Deb Zeppelin, a lady not quite my age that we met weeks ago at Angel’s Rest Hostel in Pearisburg, VA. It was really great to see her again. I find it quite odd that time after time we meet folks along the trail and then bump into them weeks later, hundreds of miles up the trail. She was planning to camp that night and meet her husband, but we hoped we’d see each other in a few days.

On the path out of the camp store back to the trail, we stopped and watched a bunny rabbit hopping around in the brush. I believe this was the first rabbit I’ve seen on the trail, and it was huge. On our way to the shelter, we had quite a few views of the valleys below. Gavin got a chance to test out his binoculars, and he was pleased with his purchase.

When we arrived at the shelter, we were soon joined by BBQ and Double Luck, along with her dog, Dr. Phil. They busied themselves hanging a birthday banner and setting out a small coconut pie and zebra cakes to celebrate Lazy Ranger’s birthday. He arrived soon after and was quite surprised and pleased that they had thought of him. We also met several gentlemen who have done section hikes together for several years. One was a physician at Butner Federal Correctional Institution in NC. Upon hearing me tell the story of my heart attack, he said, “Is Dr. Inman Joel Inman? We went to med school together at ECU.” Small world. I took a photo of him to share when we get home.

The highlight of Friday’s trip included passing the 900-mile marker pretty early in the day. Otherwise, our Friday completely didn’t go as planned. We had originally set out to reach the Bearfence Mtn. Hut, a bit over 20 miles away, but we didn’t make it. At lunch, we pulled into the Hightop Hut, only 8.2 miles from our starting point. After eating, I decided that I just didn’t have 12 more miles left in me, so we agreed to just settle in for the afternoon and stay there. This was the first time I’ve taken an afternoon nap on the trail, and I must say that it was quite nice.

The shelter turned out to be a quite busy place to stay. By late afternoon, there were 5-6 folks in the shelter and another 8-10 in tents around the area. Among them was an Englishman and a French Canadian. We enjoyed talking with them about their trail experiences. I have been astounded at the number of international hikers we have met along the trail.

One of the things I have enjoyed about the trail through the SNP (Shenandoah National Park) is that the trail has had few really big ups or downs. It follows the ridge line and most of the climbs are gentle. The grade of the trail affords the possibility of hiking longer mileage days, but so for, we haven’t availed that opportunity. Today especially. I suppose there is always tomorrow.

One notable occurrence from Friday was that the temperature dipped really low overnight. The cold snap tested the limits of my new 40-degree quilt and I wound up pulling on both my wool shirt and my puffy jacket to sleep in. On the plus side, it is much easier to sleep comfortably when it is cool than when it is warm. I truly despise sweating under my quilt, and there has been plenty of that going on lately.

Out of the gate on Saturday, we reached the peak of Hightop Mtn. at an elevation of 3,531’. It was only a short climb out of the shelter area, and we had incredible views. When we reached the Hightop parking area, we were in for another surprise- Trail Magic! This was a complete setup that included a hand-washing station, chili, drinks from chocolate milk to cold beer, and snack food galore. They even had a hiker box. Our hosts introduced themselves and the younger one is a 2014 hiker named Wiki. This immediately rang a bell. “Whose book are you in?” I said. “Mighty Blue’s?” He confirmed that Steve Adams, AKA Mighty Blue, gave him his trail name. I told him that I had thoroughly enjoyed reading about their adventures on the trail together and that it was great to meet someone “famous” on the trail.

After cresting Hightop Mtn., the only other significant climb of the day was about 500’ to the top of Baldface Mtn. For another day, the trail through the SNP was gentle to us and we were grateful. Though it was late in the day when we arrived at the Bearfence Mtn. Hut, it turned out to be a great place to stay. Almost immediately after setting his pack down, Gavin noticed two deer 15-20 yds. from the shelter beyond the water source. Moments later, a young buck wandered out of the woods even closer. He grazed in the grasses nearby, and I was able to video him for a minute or two. He was completely oblivious to our presence. It is remarkable to me that the wildlife out here is generally unafraid of hikers. Consequently, we’re able to take great close-up photos and enjoy God’s critters in a way one wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do.

On the way out of the shelter today we passed another large bunny that was willing to be photographed and videoed. Like the deer from the night before, the rabbit was mostly unconcerned with us, and Gavin was able to walk within 5-8’ of it before it hopped into the underbrush.

The definitive highlight of the day for Gavin was passing a southbound Pug and his human companion. He took a few minutes to pet and talk to the dog. It was a joy to watch because he has had a few hard days in the past week and it was great to see him gushing over sight of the pug.

Gavin and I also hiked out with a new companion today, Broadway. He is from Lexington, VA and has only recently started his hike for the season, picking up where he left off last year. He intends to go all the way to Maine. He and Gavin have much in common, and they enjoyed each other’s company for the day. There is a saying that “the trail provides.” That has most certainly been the case for us. When Gavin has had low spots along the trail, feeling like he really wants to be home instead of here, it seems like we always run into someone who can help him turn things around and be positive again. Gavin talked with Broadway about dealing with wanting to leave the trail and their conversation was remarkable. The video is linked below.

By mid-morning, I hiked on ahead of Gavin and Broadway and bumped into Early Bird, who stayed with us at the shelter the night before. She met a college friend and the friend’s mother, and the three of them were doing a short part of the trail together. Later in the day, I passed her again after she had said goodbye to her friend and donned her pack. I hiked the rest of the morning by myself, comfortable knowing that Gavin was with or near other hikers we knew. I stopped and waited for the rest of the group at the Big Meadows Wayside, and we went up the side trail together in search of nourishment.

Big Meadows usually has a grill, but we found that part of the building under construction. Instead, we had to settle for frozen fare, hot dogs and pizzas, warmed in the microwave. At least it wasn’t Slim Jims and sunflower seeds. We also had a few drinks, and I purchased a couple to pack out with me. The waysides are a wonderful treat to hikers. I realized today that for all the opportunity to buy food along the trail in the SNP, I was carrying way too much food in my food bag. You’d think that after 900 miles I’d have a better sense of how much food to pack for the number of days I’ll be hiking, but I always seem to have way too much. As a consequence, my pack is much heavier than it needs to be.

While at Big Meadows, Gavin and Broadway were throwing a frisbee back and forth. One of Gavin’s throws was errant and the disk wound up stuck in a walnut tree. It was funny to watch Broadway lift Gavin up to climb through the tree to free up the disk. Unfortunately, the prize was out of Gavn’s reach so Broadway had his turn. He started throwing one of his Crocs at the disk and the shoe got stuck in the branches as well. It was truly comical. Eventually we found a half-full water bottle and tried to free the items with it. That turned out to be a better plan, and a short while later, frisbee, Croc, and Broadway were safely on terra firma again.

Broadway, Early Bird, Gavin, and I left Big Meadows together heading for Rock Spring Hut. Early Bird and I hiked faster and got a ways out front. It was fun having someone new to talk to while hiking. It isn’t that I don’t enjoy Gavin’s company, but when we walk together he usually listens to a podcast and isn’t much of a conversationalist. While I appreciate the solitude of hiking alone in the woods, sometimes it is nice to mix things up and hike with someone else.

We reached the shelter around 3:30 in the afternoon which is close to our normal stopping time. We had covered only 11.5 miles, partly due to our long lunch at Big Meadows. Upon inspection of the bear box at the shelter, we found that some hikers had left quite a bit of unopened food, including some marshmallows. We took that as a sign to build a fire and find some sticks. After dinner and toasted marshmallows, we walked a few feet further down from the shelter to a cabin owned by the Potomac AT Club and sat on the porch to watch the sun set behind the valley below. It was a marvelous sight to behold.

We awoke Monday morning and had breakfast together. In talking, Broadway and Early Bird both wanted to hike big miles which meant they’d be leaving us behind. We understood and bid them a fond farewell. I’m confident that we’ll bump into them again somewhere up the trail- that seems to happen frequently. Our plan for the day was to walk almost 14 miles and get a ride into Luray, VA for the night.

We had been told by a fellow hiker that there was a town trolley that leaves the road crossing for town at 2:20PM, so we hiked hard to make that goal. Our first two hours were great- as was the trail. We easily made a 3mph pace. It was difficult to maintain in the afternoon, and a few rest stops later we knew we were going to be late to the road. As it turns out, the trolley was for the town of Front Royal, not Luray, so it wound up being okay anyway.

Along our journey today we passed the Pinnacles picnic area. The trail came out just by the restrooms, so we took advantage of cleaner than usual facilities. I know that you probably didn’t sign on to read about such things, but believe me, it makes a difference to visit a properly cleaned restroom, even if it isn’t a flush toilet. While there, a family that was picnicking gave us some tangerines and walnuts. It was absolutely great to have fresh fruit. I wish we could carry Cuties with us, but it is too much of a headache. They’re heavy, they might “leak” in the pack, and the peels have to be packed out. Same with apples on the heavy and hauling out the cores. Anything that didn’t come from the woods must be carried out, according to Leave No Trace principles.

On our way out of the park we, passed a sign marking the AT and encouraging us to “Enjoy a short hike along a portion of the famous trail…” I giggled a bit when I saw that. I don’t think we qualify for a short hike. Leaving the picnic area, we passed a wonderful view at the Jewell Hollow overlook. The trail actually passes below the overlook, and our view of the valley floor below was unobstructed by trees and other foliage. On the down side, looking up I noticed storm clouds, and on our way back into the woods, we passed by a baby copperhead.

In only about 2 miles, we would pass by the Byrds Nest #3 shelter on our way to the road crossing where we hoped to call a shuttle. Upon arrival at the shelter, we met some dads and sons who were section hiking southbound. They had stopped at the shelter for the evening. One of the dads had a weather app open on his phone and our area was covered by a huge red blotch. Gavin and I discussed whether to stay or make it to the road, and we decided to push on with the hope of being indoors for the night.

No more than 100 feet from the shelter the bottom dropped out of the sky. We got rained on like there was no tomorrow. Ahead of us, we still had a few small climbs to reach the Mary’s Rock overlook. We were both a bit nervous about the lightening and thunder, but we hiked hard and fast to get up and over the peaks so we could begin our descent off the ridge. It rained so much that the trail quickly became ankle deep in water. At first, Gavin and I both tried to step off to the sides of the puddles/streams, but it quickly became evident that our shoes were already as soaked as they were going to be, so we decided to just plow along right down the middle. Thankfully, just after cresting the peak, the rain slowed and then stopped, which allowed us to complete most of the remaining distance without getting wetter.

Just a short distance from the parking area where we hoped to call a shuttle, the rain began again. Sadly, I had felt almost “dry” beforehand, but it probably wasn’t so. I cannot tell you how grateful we were to find that there was a bathroom area at the parking lot that allowed us to get inside and put on dry clothing. As odd as it sounds, my “dry” clothing was my rain pants and jacket. To be truthful, neither of these is useful for rain protection while hiking because neither article of clothing breathes enough to prevent you from becoming sweat-soaked from the inside. For that reason, when the temperatures are warm, we usually just continue hiking without rain gear. When I came out of the restroom with my “dry” clothing on, I met two new hikers, a couple from Florida. She was Lost Dog and he went by the name Dog Catcher. They, too, were looking for a shuttle and an inexpensive place to stay. I had to go back out in the rain to successfully make a call, but I was able to reach Alison from Open Arms Hostel and she agreed to pick us up and ferry us to town for $5 each. What a bargain.

I told her that Gavin and I would prefer to stay in a hotel with a private room/bath, rather than bunking in a hostel. I think she understood, and she recommended the Cardinal Inn. It was an older motel, but it was better maintained than some, and we enjoyed our stay. It was a short walk to a grocery store, laundromat, and several restaurants.

Though we had planned only a one-night stay, the rain changed all that. Our shoes and hiking clothes were soaked, and I knew there was no way they were going to dry in the hotel room. For that reason, I made the executive decision to take a zero day on Tuesday. Around lunchtime, we loaded all our dirty clothes in a bag and set out for the laundromat. After getting the wash started, I walked to the Hardee’s next door and got us some burgers for lunch. As our clothes finished and we were leaving, we met some hikers from Asheville. Tugs and Tank Top are a newlywed couple who started the trail in March. They took a few weeks off in Gatlinburg for the wedding and honeymoon, and now they’re back out with their dog Raisin. It was interesting talking to them, but we quickly moved on, heading for the downtown area.

Our reason for walking away from the hotel was visiting the outfitter’s shop about 0.5 mile further down the street. We came and saw, but we didn’t see anything we really needed. Gavin searched the hiker box and also came up empty. It wasn’t a wasted trip, however. The downtown area in Luray was really interesting with many older houses and businesses. Perhaps the most intriguing sight was passing a movie theater that had flowers and other mementos outside in memory of the proprietor who passed away in April. There was even a handwritten sign that said, “A dear friend. We will miss you,” and a caricature of the late owner. Other sights included Uncle Buck’s restaurant and the Shenandoah Inn, which was housed in a Victorian house. It was quite beautiful. The final landmark we visited was the Green Hill Cemetery. It was obviously quite old, and inside they have a kiosk that lists the names and plot numbers of all those who are interred here. There was also a post card with a photo of the cemetery that had fallen into the kiosk behind the glass that said, “Please Join Us.” Gavin remarked about that, and I noticed that there was a similar invitation to “Join us for second Sunday strolls through the cemetery.” I’m pretty sure that the bottom lines of the postcard invitation were not visible behind the tracks that held the sliding glass.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a grocery store to resupply, though I’m not sure why. Our food bags were already quite stuffed, and with the waysides that we pass every day or so in the SNP, there really was no need to add much of anything, but we did because when you are in town, you’re supposed to buy food. I really need to put some effort into figuring out the whole food thing.

Nearly back at the motel, we met up with Jar Head, whom we had met in Waynesboro, and Riddler. They had planned to hike out that afternoon, but an hour or so later I saw them checking into the rooms beside ours. Riddler is from Gainesville, FL, and I wound up walking with him to the Mexican restaurant for dinner. He was quite an interesting guy to talk with. When we got back to the hotel, he entertained us with some of the riddles that are the source of his trail name. I was able to contact Alison, who agreed to pick the four of us up the next morning and deposit us back on the trail.

Thanks for checking in on this installment of our adventure. I am hopeful that in the coming weeks I can publish more often. When I get to camp or town, I am still fighting the battle of wanting to get chores done and go to bed vs. writing a bit in my blog. I am also hopeful that I’ll be able to reply to your comments in the next day or two. Again, we appreciate your support and remind you to just keep taking the Next Step.