Day 79 (Monday, June 30th) - Wilson's Gap to Harper's Ferry

Today's Miles: 13.70
Trip Miles: 1019.60

The smooth path to Harpers Ferry

I started early because I knew I'd be slow. The leg looks worse after the workout yesterday. I wrapped it up, took some ibuprofen and headed for Harper's Ferry. It wasn't long before Andi and Yvanna caught and passed me, and soon after M and N caught up too. The trail was nice at the start and pretty even so I was able to keep up for a bit. Eventually, as the trail got rockier, they walked away from me, but they all waited at the next spring and we agreed to meet at the Virginia/W. Virginia border.

The trail became a rock pile and I had to pick my way through. I thought we still had about an hour to the border when I saw everyone sitting at the sign. I guess I wasn't going as slowly as I thought. We hiked down to the bridge that crosses the Shenandoah River and on to the ATC. We dropped our packs, grabbed some drinks, picked up our mail drops and got our pictures taken. We were hikers # 928, 929 and 930. About one thousand ahead of our start.

The Administrator got us a price break at the Econo Lodge and we headed there. We settled in to watch the Germany/Algeria game. I put my leg up on pillows and put an ice pack on it.

Natalie's brother Aaron came out from D.C. and took us all out to dinner. We went to a place called The Canal House. Very nice place. The food, if not organic, was free range raised and very fresh. We had a great time, but we were all very tired. We went back to the hotel, Aaron left for home and we all hit the hay. Thanks to Aaron for traveling so far and treating us so well. It was greatly appreciated and a pleasure to meet you.

Zero tomorrow to get the swelling down and get ready for the next thousand plus.

Bye for now.  

Bye-bye VA

M & N, leaving VA

A & Y, leaving VA

Why are my feet so sore?

A and Y

Awwwwwwwwwwwww : )

Just Us at the ATC

What swelling?

Dinner with Aaron (thanks again!)

Day 78 (Sunday, June 29th) - mile 987.6 to Wilson Gap 1005.9

Today's Miles: 18.30
Trip Miles: 1005.90

Trees

My ankle and shin were very swollen and sore today. Whether it's a sprain or I hyper-extended something, I don't know. I do know we needed to hike about twenty miles and thirteen of them were over a section called the Roller Coaster because of the radical ups and downs.

We did have a nice break at mile 999.7. We got off trail at Snicker's Gap and walked down to the Horseshoe Curve Restaurant. A nice pub with decent food and cold beer. The kids were smart enough to skip the beer and settle for soda. I wasn't that smart. After we ate we rested there for a bit, then headed back to the trail.

We passed the thousand mile marker on a stone, then another on a tree and still another that was an actual sign. I don't know which was right, but we took a group picture at the sign. We still needed to put in a few miles to make tomorrow easier. I did okay for the first couple of miles, but my leg became more swollen and I slowed down considerably. At five miles from the break I was done so we made a site near Wilson's Gap.

Andi and Mike want to do three things tomorrow: get out of Virginia, get to the ATC, and watch the Germany vs. Algeria World Cup match. The ATC is the Appalachian Trail Conservancy where they take your picture and you see what number hiker you are passing through. When we left we were around #2000 on the trail.

Andi and Yvanna gave me a cream they use for muscle ache and I tried that. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Thirteen miles to town and having passed the Rollercoaster they look a bit more tame.
Everyone's tired, so after a little supper we're all in our tents.

Good Night.

The Roller Coaster warning

1000 miles!

I just liked the bark

I think I found the inspiration

Another 1000 marker

Natalie seems to be the only one impressed

Nice trail; thanks for the sprained ankle

Day 77 (Saturday, June 28th) - Bear Hollow Creek to stream at 987.6

Today's Miles: 21.20 Trip Miles: 987.60 Natalie and Mike went out first today. Natalie's got a tender ankle and wanted a head start. I was out next with A and Y close behind. I've been fighting a sore right foot and leg for two days. I kicked an immovable object the other day and the pain has moved from my toes to the top of my foot and my lower shin. I'll take some ibuprofen and hope for the best.

Shock Top (Marie)

Today was much like yesterday. We hiked about twenty miles. Basically heads down hiking. There was a nice change of scenery as we passed through Sky Meadows State Park where the forests opened to wide grassy areas which were cool. We had some trail magic at the Tucker's Lane parking area when Shock Top (Marie) drove in with Gator-Ade, water, and bananas. Thanks, Marie, and thanks for the trail maintenance you do.

We saw a few more thrus today that we hadn't seen before and a few we have, but none that we've had extended conversations with. Sometimes I think, at this point, we've all become a bit cliquey. Everyone seems comfortable within their little groups. Unfortunately, our little clique will be breaking up when we get to Harper's Ferry and Andi and Yvanna leave to visit Andi's brother in Washington D.C.. We'll get together again before too long. Mike and I will be looking to spend some time with our family when we get to Massachusetts and I'm sure they'll catch us there if not sooner.

We hiked on looking for a good site. Andi spotted one by a nice creek where we set up and had a fire. We ate, talked for a bit and went to bed. Long hours hiking mean less chatter at the end of the day.

One small incident today. Andi was going to brush his teeth before going to bed. He spread a nice big blob of paste on his brush and began to scrub. "Ack! Ack!" He was spitting and choking and went running for the stream. Benadryl anti-itch cream doesn't make a flavorful toothpaste. The good news is his teeth are no longer itchy.

Bye for now.  

Back road

Just another random bench on the trail

Old style AT trail marker

Roots

Sky meadow

Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

Day 76 (Friday, June 27th) - Camp to Bear Hollow Creek

 

Vista

Today's Miles: 21.40
Trip Miles: 966.40

Morning Light

Everyone was up early. We hope to make it to Harper's Ferry by Monday. Today was a most unremarkable day except that we left the Shenandoah National Park, and we met one of the nicest trail magic ladies we've had the pleasure to meet.

The hiking was relatively easy and we had all agreed to meet at Hogwallow Gap for lunch. M & N and I got there first and as I hung my shirt on my trekking poles to dry, a car pulled onto the grass along the side of the road. A man got

Lily trail magic : )

out of the driver's side and a young lady got out of the passenger's side. She walked toward us and (with a little prompting from her Poppy) asked us if we would like trail magic. We said, "Yes, of course!" and were offered sodas, cookies, and chips. We learned our trail angel's name is Lily and she and her Poppy, Dave, are paying back for the trail magic Dave's son received on his thru hike last year.

Andi and Yvanna came out of the woods and were met with the same invitation and a "Guten morgan" from Lily. Now where did she learn that? That was great trail magic Dave and Lily. Thank You. Seeing Lily reminded me of my grandlings back home. I miss them all and can't wait to see them.

We hiked another quick ten miles and set up camp by a stream. Both Natalie and I soaked our feet. My foot and shin are swollen, and her ankle is sore. A family of five, mom, dad, and three children, who are thru-hiking stopped to camp nearby. There wasn't much conversation because we were all in bed by eight. Another twenty miles tomorrow.

Night All.

P.S. Almost forgot, we saw Route Step today and I finally remembered to take a picture. We pass each other a lot because he southbounds in sections. He also has been kind enough to put out trail magic along the way. Thanks.  

Poppy Dave and Lily offering trail magic

Route Step

Yellow Beard

Bear scratch with 4' poles for scale

Sassafras

Skeptical Natalie is skeptical

The Just Us League

A

Y

At camp

Day 75 (Thursday, June 26th) - Thornton Gap to camp south of Jennings Trail

Today's Miles: 7.80
Trip Miles: 945.00

A very late start after watching Germany beat the U.S.A. in a wet, sloppy, uninteresting World Cup match. We watched the game at Uncle Buck's in Luray and enjoyed great service (thanks to our waitress, Betty) and good food. Yellow Beard, who had met Andi and Yvanna before, joined us for the game and lunch.

After the game we did a bit of resupply and hitched out to Thornton Gap. Andi and Yvanna got a ride right away from a woman who worked at Uncle Buck's. M and N went ahead of me and I waited to see if they'd get a ride. While I waited a truck pulled over and asked if I needed a ride, and when I said yes they asked if I'd mind if they pick up the couple up the road. I said that'd be great they're with me. So we all rode out together. Thanks for the ride.

At the trailhead we saw Sweet as Peaches and Odysseus who were looking for Hat Trick. We told them he'd been in Luray, but had headed out here earlier. They left to find him. We hiked into the woods at about 4:30 p.m. not knowing how far we'd go. A couple of miles in we saw Yellow Beard being dropped off. He hiked with us for a few miles to the campsite we decided to use, but chose to move on because he had no water. Our water was low too, but we knew there was a stream about a mile further on we could use and campsites were few and far between.

Mike and I got all the water bags together and headed out to fill them while Natalie, Yvanna, and Andi set up camp. About a quarter mile out we saw the biggest bear either of us had ever seen. It was massive. I couldn't get my camera out in time for a shot because I was too busy gawking at it. I was thinking that maybe I wasn't that thirsty after all, but we continued down the trail a little more cautiously.

Not much further along we saw a cub on our right walking nonchalantly through the trees. We didn't see his mom though, which made us nervous. He crossed the trail in front of us and moved away on our left. We looked around, never spotting the mother, and moved gingerly down the trail.
We reached the spring, filled up and walked/ran back to the campsite eyes wide open for anything that moved. When we got there, Odysseus, Hat Trick, and Sweet as Peaches were there. We warned them about the bears and they moved on. We ate a little dinner and made sure to hang the bags high and away from the camp. Tick check tonight because we all had some on us today. Try for twenty miles tomorrow. Nice chance to chat with Amy on the phone.

Night All.

Morning Light

Cub scampering off

Leaving Luray

Day 74 (Wednesday, June 25th) - 928.8 Stony Man Summit to Thornton Gap

Overlook

Today's Miles: 8.40
Trip Miles: 937.20

Morning

I was up at 5:30 and out at 6:30. I passed a hiker named Yellow Beard on Little Stony Man Cliff. He had spent a sleepless, windy night there. I took some pics at the overlook and moved on. There were a couple of nice picnic areas along the trail with water bubblers; nice, no filtering. There were a lot of deer along the trail browsing on the plants that line the way. They just stand and stare until you get about ten feet away, then they calmly walk off into the denser brush.

I stopped at Byrd's Rest Hut #3 and signed the register, then made my way to Thornton's Gap. After cleaning up in the huge, CLEAN restroom there, I walked down to Rte. 211 to hitchhike the eight miles into the town of Luray. I was getting my HIKER TO TOWN sign out when a truck pulled over and offered me a lift. A local construction worker who had done a lot of the historical restoration work in Luray took me to Rte. 340 a couple miles from downtown Luray. Thanks for the lift. I was going to hoof it from there when Coffee and his wife pulled over and gave me a ride the rest of the way to town. Coffee had been attempting a thru this year when a bad knee forced him off trail. They dropped me off at the outfitters. Get well soon, Coffee, and thanks.

Oh, it was supposed to be a 'short' hike

Natalie and Mike saw me outside the outfitters when they got into town. Their ride was provided by a nice lady named Sharon Shutle who helps out hikers all the time. Thanks Ms. Shutle. As we walked down the street we texted Andi and Yvanna to meet us for lunch. Before we could finish the text they were dropped off next to us by another local trail angel. Thank you.

At the suggestion of Linda, the woman at Appalachian Outdoors Adventures, we ate at the West Main Market. Delicious sandwiches and nice people. We also took her advice and stayed at the Best Western, which was a nice, clean place with a decent little pool. John, the man at the desk, was very accommodating and even offered us a ride to the store to resupply. The girls crashed and napped, the guys hit the pool and then watched some World Cup. We grabbed some food at Gennaro's next door and after a late supper hit the hay. Germany vs. U.S.A. tomorrow then we hike out again.

TTFN

A deer breaking back into the brush

Byrd Shelter

Looking down on Skyline Drive

They keep putting these hills in the way

A funny little bug

Woven flowers

Stealth camping