Day 73 (Tuesday, June 24th) - Lewis Mountain Campground to 928.8 Stoney Man Summit Trail

Layers and layers of mountains

Today's Miles: 17.20
Trip Miles: 928.80

Our hike today consisted of traveling from restaurant to restaurant. In the Shenandoah Park there are places along the parkway not far from the trail, where you can stop for a meal. For us today, there were two; one nine miles from Lewis Campground, and the next about nine miles from there. Deciding we should take advantage of the high calorie option, we were stopping at both. I passed Derek and the girls again and took some pictures. They're a church group, Latter-day Saints, and I asked them to say, "Guten morgan" to Andi and Yvanna, who were hiking behind me; they did, getting big smiles from A and Y.

We made the first restaurant, Big Meadows Lodge, and had lunch. The girls fell asleep afterward on the benches outside. I got bored so I hiked out alone. Some nice views along the way and the terrain was kind. This is a great place to take someone as an introduction to backpacking. Lots of wildlife, nice people, and well worn trails.

I was taking my time and after a while Andi and Yvanna caught up. We hiked together the rest of the way to the Skyland Resort and Restaurant. It's kind of snazzy for being in the middle of a national park. Pseudo snazzy, wannabe snazzy; weird. M and N showed up after some time and we ate, but the novelty of food in the woods is wearing off. After Luray and the World Cup I think we'll get back to normal.

After supper we hiked on a short way and found a site a bit off trail. We set up quickly and I went into the tent to write this. The kids are outside talking and giggling; the best part of the day.

Night All.  

Derek and the girls

Claude Monet took this

Day 72 (Monday, June 23rd) - Camp at 889.3 to Lewis Mt. Campgrounds

Today's Miles: 22.30
Trip Miles: 911.60

Green tunnel

We knew we'd be passing the 900 mile mark and decided to meet at, or near Hightop Hut (shelters are called huts in Shenandoah) so that we could cross the mark together. Before we headed out we had a visitor in camp. A young buck with antlers just coming into velvet was hanging around us as we got ready to go. So tame; they have no fear here in Shenandoah.

I hiked alone and enjoyed the quiet morning moving down through the mist. M and N caught me at the road crossing at Powell Gap and we watched as waves of clouds rolled up the side of the mountains. I hiked out ahead of the kids until the road at Smith Roach Gap, where we all met for lunch. It was a quick uphill from there to the Hightop Hut where we got water and then walked the half mile to a stone marker for 900. We took a few pictures and then climbed to the summit.

The kids wanted to hang out and I wanted to move out so I left for Lewis Mountain Campground eleven miles away. It was 1:30 and the times listed in the guide for some of the stores and restaurants hadn't been accurate. I wanted to be sure I made it before the store closed. I passed a lot of day hikers and saw some wildlife; snakes and deer, no bears today. There was a group of about twenty teenage girls, with some adults, hiking forty miles over a few days. One of the adults, Derek, was excited to meet a thru-hiker and asked if he could take a picture with me. I sense a future thru-hiker there.

Ready to strike (non-poisonous)

I got to Lewis Campground at 5:20 and went to the campstore for the chocolate milk I'd been craving. The sign on the door showed closing time as 6 p.m. In the book it had 7 p.m. I'm glad I hurried. Along with the milk I had an apple fritter, York Peppermint Patty, chips, a water, a root beer, and a Hershey Bar. Just a little something to hold me until supper. I told the man working the register that there were people coming in from the trail and he said he'd stay open until they got in. Thank you.

M and N got there forty-five minutes later with Andi and Yvanna not far behind. They all loaded up on food and we decided that 22 miles for the day was enough. We got a campsite there. It was $15, but you were only allowed two tents per site. Two of the day hikers I passed today, James and Dillon, were there and told me to set up on their site. Thanks guys.

We cooked dinner, drank some beer and soda, ate all the junk food we had purchased at the store and chatted with our neighbors. Soon enough it was time for bed. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Bye for now.  

900 !

Yvanna and Andi at 900

Taking a break

Day 71 (Sunday, June 22nd) - Camp at 869.3 to Camp at 889.3

Today's Miles: 20.00
Trip Miles: 889.30

A face in the woods

Woke up to a damp, dreary looking morning. Everything was wet to some extent, but I felt that we'd get a chance to dry out at some point today. Just a feeling.

I was out of camp first with A and Y right behind. About two miles into our hike, at Skyline 92.4, as we crossed the road, Yvanna saw what she thought was a trash can down the foggy road. Then she noticed that it was moving toward us. My first bear after 870 miles in the woods and I see it on the road. It walked toward us, but at a good distance and then turned off into the brush along the side of the road. Pretty cool to finally see one.

The three of us hiked on to the Black Rock parking area. We waited there for M and N and had a snack when they came in. We talked for a bit and then I headed out alone. We wanted to make Loft Mt. Campgrounds, another 6.2 miles away, where we could do some laundry and grab some food.

As I walked along I saw something move on my left. I spotted two bear cubs climbing up a tree and saw Mama Bear staring out of the brush at me. I started to slowly back away while keeping my full attention on the sow. After a few steps, a voice from behind me asked, "What do you see?" It was a hiker I didn't know who had come up behind me. I had been so focused on the bear I never heard him. I pointed to the bears and he said, "I knew it wasn't a squirrel."

"You scared me more than the bear!"

Oh deer

Yvanna and Andi came along and we all tried to get close without aggravating Mom. N came up next and almost ran toward the bears she was so excited. She said Mike was behind us (sore knee) so I went to find him. When I did we all passed the bears (turned out there were three cubs) taking pics and trying not to make mom angry. Five bears in two hours after more than two and a half months; crazy.
Our animal day wasn't over. N saw another bear when she hiked out ahead of us and over the course of the day we saw nine deer.

As we got close to Loft Mt. Campgrounds, at around 3:00 p.m., a SOBO hiker came by and said, "Hi, John." I didn't recognize him and was trying to figure out who he was when Natalie yelled out, "It's my dad!"

What an excellent surprise. The best trail magic for Natalie. We all went up to the campstore and had a great reunion. We had some drinks and snacks and a lot of talk. We dragged out our gear, because the sun had broken through at last, and dried out our wet gear. There was a laundry there and a shower and we took advantage of them both. Ron (Natalie's dad) shuttled us down to a restaurant where we chowed down on burgers, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, ice cream, chips, and soda. We still wanted to get some miles in, so around 7 we headed back to the trail. We took some pics with Ron and said our goodbyes. A great visit!

We hiked out a few more miles and found a campsite, set up for the night and went to bed. A long exciting day. Thanks Ron for finding us. Natalie was thrilled and the rest of us enjoyed the chance to meet you. Hope to see you again soon.

Good Night All.

Foggy morning

First bear sighting

Traffic jam

Nat and Dad - what a great surprise!

A nice reunion

Rock field

Day 70 (Saturday, June 21st) - Waynesboro to mile 869.3, just past Sawmill Run Overlook

Today's Miles: 11.40
Trip Miles: 869.30

Gadget and Delaware

Our first day back hiking with Andi and Yvanna. We had a little breakfast at the motel before heading back to the trail and I bumped into Delaware and Gadget; nice young people. M & N and A & Y hitched out from Main St. I walked down W. Broadway to 250, and using my "Hiker to Trail" sign, I got picked up very quickly. Lee Diehl, who produces organic feed in Waynesboro, was kind enough to take me to the trailhead. Thanks, Lee. And thanks for the Mennonite made pecan roll; delicious.

A & Y were already there and M & N got dropped off shortly after. There's a kettle korn stand near the trail and we were enjoying some when Heike came walking by. She was just getting to town and said she had been caught in last night's rain. She's staying at QI and we told her about Jake's. We also told her we'd be in Luray for the Germany vs. U.S.A. World Cup game. She said she'd try to get there.

Natalie's snail

We got on the trail at 11:50 with no idea how far we'd go. The hiking wasn't bad, both because of the terrain and the company. It's nice to be hiking with our friends again. We hiked to Beagle Gap and had lunch. We could hear thunder in the distance and as we resumed our hike the rain moved in.

We sloshed through a downpour for a few hours. The AT became a creek running down the trail the color of chocolate milk. As it tapered off we began looking for a campsite and found one about a mile beyond the Sawmill Run Overlook. We had dinner and a little chatter before heading to bed. Oh yeah, we made sure we had a good bear bag hang. The bears are supposedly very active around here.

The rain began again shortly after we got on our tents. Pretty heavy out there, I'm glad I'm in here.

Night All.  

Beagle Gap,  Shenandoah

More Beagle Gap

The kids

Getting foggy

Sundown

Evening light

Evening fog

Day 69 (Friday, June 20th) - Zero day in Waynesboro

Today's Miles: 0.00
Trip Miles: 857.90

Together again

Natalie went to the clinic yesterday and got antibiotics for her infected heel. So today, we are taking it easy. Naps are nice.

We met Andi and Yvanna and went out for dinner and to celebrate Yvanna's birthday. There's a
western themed bar/pub called Jake's, just one street down from the Quality Inn. Simon (John Deere) and Hoff were waiting there with Puzzle, This Guy, and Ginger Ninja; all to help with the celebration. We'd met Simon, Hoff, and Puzzle before, but This Guy and Ginger Ninja were new to us. We all ordered burgers and beers and enjoyed the cake that Simon and Hoff brought. Lots of laughs with Ginger Ninja and This Guy.

Some of the group were staying at the Lutheran hostel and had to be in by nine so they left early. Mike and Natalie, Yvanna and Andi and I stayed for a few more beers because the skies opened up dropping buckets of rain. Unfortunately the rain stopped. Fortunately we went back to A and Y's room for a nightcap and some fruit and cheese. Tomorrow we head into the Shenandoah. We hear there's a lot of bear activity there. We shall see.

TTFN  

Celebrating Yvanna's birthday

The party

Y and A, This Guy in the background

Happy to You!

Day 68 (Thursday, June 19th) - Reeds Gap to US 250, Waynesboro

Today's Miles: 19.20
Trip Miles: 857.90

This will be short and sweet.

We got up early and hitched back to Reeds Gap from Devil's Backbone. I got out first and waited for the kids. It was an uneventful hike with Mike taking off ahead of us to get to the post office in Waynesboro before five.

Mike got to Rte. 250 before three. 19.2 miles in six and a half hours. Natalie and I got there at four thirty after taking a break for lunch. Pretty quick hiking.

Mike had already gotten a room and picked up the stuff at the post office when N and I got there. The first thing we did was head for Andi and Yvanna's room.

Yahoo! Andi, Yvanna, beer and chips, life is gut!

Thank you to Natalie's family for all the goodies! Thank you to Mary, and John and Sarah for the care packages and news from home!!

Zero tomorrow for Yvanna's birthday!!!!! Oh, and maybe a World Cup game or two.

The only 6/19 pic racing to Waynesboro

Day 67 (Wednesday, June 18th) - Spy Rock to Reed's Gap / Devil's Backbone Pub

Sunrise at Spy Rock

Today's Miles: 19.40
Trip Miles: 838.70

Incredibly windy night! Must have been gusting over 50mph. The couple who tented on the rocks said they were nearly blown off. They had to unhook their tent from the poles to keep them from snapping and laid with the netting flapping over them all night. They couldn't get down in the dark because the scramble was too dangerous. I'm glad they're ok.

The heat was bad today and water was scarce. A local told me it was the hottest it's been in two years. The perfect day to hike nearly twenty miles over some of the toughest terrain we've faced. We want to get to Waynesboro Thursday to meet Andi and Yvanna and that means two long days to do it. We miscalculated our resupply and needed to get to Crabtree Campsite which has a little store. We got to the parking area five miles from the camp and Doug from New Jersey, who had met some thru hiking friends earlier, offered to take the kids to the store and back; thanks Doug!

A thru hiker from New York City named Raven told me there was a river just across the road where you could wash up, so I headed there. Nice river, pretty suspension footbridge (love those), and I took a quick bath. When the kids got back they did the same and we ate lunch. A family out for a day hike offered to take our trash, thanks! When we crossed the bridge Natalie realized we were at the same spot she and her dad had camped at in the past, and that she had hiked a part of this trail with him.

The hardest part of the day began. Up and over a mountain called the Priest, so named because you need a priest's blessing to get over it. Part way up there was a shelter where we stopped for water. As I sat filtering into my drinking bottle, a young bearded man looked at me and said, "Wow, I was just thinking about you guys; how have you been?" It took me a few seconds to realize that I was looking at Eric (now, Yogi) the kid from Kansas who shared the hostel with us on our first day. He had started out doing sixteen mile days, but broke down with injuries and had to slow down. He's hiking now with Scout, a young lady he met in Damascus and is taking his time and enjoying the hike.

After the Priest there was a long downhill before tackling the Three Ridges. Because of the heat, the humidity, the height, and the time of day, I'd say this was one of the toughest climbs we've made. We all struggled with the heat. Even Mike was worn thin. He headed for the summit hoping there'd be a breeze while Natalie and I inched our way up the last face, stopping often to splash a little water on our faces and bodies.

Once we made the climb it was a long stoney haul to Maupin Shelter and some much-needed water. I took off at a jog and Mike and Natalie followed. I wanted to get to Reeds Gap where we could hitch to The Devil's Backbone Pub for food, beer and a campsite. Natalie needed a bit of a rest at the shelter while Mike got water so I took off for the gap. The last two miles were easy and I got a ride from Sam, a local farmer, as soon as I got there. Thanks Sam.

The pub has a huge field where they let you camp and it has a shower and privy for hikers. The restaurant itself is really nice, though a bit pricy by hiker standards. The kids called and said they weren't having much luck hitching. I asked the bartender if anyone at the bar might be willing to pick them up. She said I should ask Alex, a man sitting at the end of the bar. I went over to ask. It turns out Alex is from Worcester and he said he'd be glad to get them. I offered to pay for his drinks, but he said no thanks, he was happy to do it.

The kids got in, we had good food, good drinks, and good laughs with Gadget, Shea, and Atlas (the female version). Odysseus, Hat Trick, and Sweet as Peaches (the male version) came in and we all had a great time talking about literature. Both Odysseus and the bartender, Kristen, are attending Oxford University this year. Kristen for seven weeks starting the end of June, studying English Literature and history, and Odysseus studying anthropology in October. Whoda thunk it.

Off to bed; Waynesboro tomorrow.  

This is where N had camped with her dad

View from Three Ridges

Sweet as Peaches, Odysseus, and Hat Trick