Hikers Log - trail date: day 80

(Tentsite (mile 1,116) - Darlington Shelter (mile 1,138.3)

I began hiking this morning at about 8am and soon stopped for breakfast on a large rock next to the trail. While I was eating I noticed the cicadas singing for the first time. As I slowly looked around I noticed cicada nymph shells everywhere. They seemed to be on every branch on every tree and shrub. From where I was sitting I counted 30 shells before I gave up counting. I even spotted a couple metamorphosed cicadas from where I was sitting. Brood X had arrived in force!

After about 2 miles of climbing, I reached a ridge covered in giant rocks. The trail wove between and sometimes over the giant boulders, creating a sort of rock maze in which the trail could easily be lost. It quickly became apparent that the trail builders seemed more concerned with making this section interesting rather than easy - and I was all about it!

As I climbed down off the ridge, I caught up to Mr. Darcy. We hiked together for a bit and I asked him about the english literature program he was pursuing at the University of Glasgow. He explained that it was a one year program in which he would be focusing on nature writing, which includes everything from Thoreau to Bill Bryson. By adopting a lense of "eco criticism," he hoped to critique the basic narrative of most nature writing, which tends to focus on white men "conquering" the wilderness. He also explained that his trail name is indeed a reference to Pride and Prejudice because he "is the most eligible bachelor on trail."

I hiked on and soon realized that while engaged in my conversation with Mr. Darcy, I had missed the last water source before town. This meant I had about a third of a liter to last me 2.8 miles into Boiling Springs - and it was hot! Soon the trail left the woods and led me through wheat pastures which provided no shade or relief from the sun. These pastures continued for about a mile and led me right to the edge of Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania.

The walk into town was rather scenic as the trail routed me through a lakeside park. The lake was filled with swans, ducks, and geese and although it was midday on a Wednesday, many people were fishing along the pond. As I was taking pictures of the geese, Mr. Darcy and three other thru-hikers (Aspen, Strap-on, and Trivia) hiked past and invited me to join them for lunch at a cafe right off trail.

We were seated on an outdoor patio and were joined by Numbers. I ordered a salad topped with a mountain of roasted vegetables including zucchini, bell pepper, squash, onion, and portobello mushroom. I also ordered a side of chips and salsa. Apparently, the upcoming 13 miles were totally dry, so I practically chugged water hoping to establish a strong baseline of hydration. The upcoming terrain was flat and I worried that it would be more field hiking with no relief from the afternoon sun.

After eating lunch I completed a small resupply at a gas station and hung out for a bit on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's regional office porch. At a little before 2pm I began hiking again and soon found myself walking in a narrow wooded corridor between pastures. On either side of me were fields and farms, but fortunately the trail was well shaded and I made good time over the relatively flat terrain.

After a little over an hour I emerged from the wooded corridor into a field and watched as a large group of ominous clouds approached rapidly. Strong wind gust blew and I watched branches fly from the tops of trees. In anticipation for some really rough weather, I stowed my phone and camera away in ziploc bags. Fortunately, the worst of the storm passed just north of me and I was subjected only to brief rain and wind.

I continued hiking and was thrilled to encounter a female box turtle in the middle of the trail. She was surprisingly tolerant of me taking pictures and turned out to be rather photogenic!

I crossed over Interstate 76 and then over US Route 11 followed by Interstate 81. Afterwards, I passed through more fields and crossed over Conodoguinet Creek (which is actually a major river) before beginning the short climb to Darlington Shelter.

I reached the shelter a little after 6pm and a man who introduced himself as "Mango" asked if I wanted a trail magic hoagie. I accepted this offer without hesitation and Mango explained that he had thru-hiked the trail in 2020. He was now out for a short overnight with his two great danes, both well over 150 pounds and sweet as can be. I ate my hoagie and then set up my tent before eating my actual dinner. After dinner, I visited the privy and retired to my tent just as it was starting to rain.

Tomorrow my plan is to hike 11 miles into Duncannon where I hope resupply, shower, and do laundry. After that I can either hike to the shelter 5 miles outside of town, or I can hike to the shelter 11.5 miles outside of town.

Hiking through hot fields

hoping for a shady tree

dreaming of water

Hikers Log - trail date: day 79

(Tentsite (mile 1,097.8) - Tentsite (mile 1,116))

I woke up this morning a little after 7am and was disappointed to discover that it was still cold and wet. It did not seem to be actively raining, but each slight breeze shed rain from the trees above and a heavy fog hung in the air. This was not exactly ideal weather for unreasonable levels of icecream consumption, but I figured there was still time for the sun to heat things up and dry things out.

After hiking a little over 2 miles, I reached the 1,100 mile marker. I am not sure what the exact mileage of the halfway point is, but in my mind it has always been at 1,100 miles. Technically, the halfway point changes every year along with the total length of the trail, which fluctuates as small reroutes are incorporated. I just know that this year's official total mileage, when added to the length of the approach trail, equals just about 2,200 miles. So as I stood gazing at the 1,100 mile marker, my only thought was: "Wow... I've really hiked half of the Appalachian Trail!"

After hiking another 1.5 miles, I reached a dramatic sign marking the halfway point of the 2011 Appalachian Trail. The sign seemed like a more fitting monument to the trail's halfway point than the small "1,100 miles" painted on a tree. I stopped for pictures and took a moment to reflect on what I had accomplished. I also considered how much still lay ahead.

In 3.5 miles I reached Pine Grove Furnace State Park whose general store was home to the infamous "half-gallon challenge." The store was open when I arrived, but they only had two tubs of icecream left. The flavors were butter pecan and coffee crunch - neither of which I wanted to eat a half-gallon of. The lady behind the counter explained that the icecream selection had been devastated by a hoard of voracious thru-hikers over the weekend. She consoled me by explaining that the icecream delivery truck should arrive in the next two hours. I decided to wait and used the time to dry out my tent and charge my electronics.

After about a half hour, what looked like a delivery van pulled up next to the store and I went inside to see if the icecream was being delivered. Inside I found a woman who seemed to be the manager or maybe the owner. I asked her about the icecream delivery and she said she was unsure when the truck would arrive. She then suggested that I just get four pints served from the icecream bar. That way I could get four different flavors for the challenge.

The first flavor I got was cookies and cream. I then took a seat on the store porch and began the half-gallon challenge. My first pint disappeared quickly and I returned to the store for my second. This time I got banana caramel. At this point in the day, the sun had still not emerged and although I was wearing my insulated hoodie, I began to shiver as I ate my second pint of icecream. The bananas and caramel went down much slower than the cookies and cream, but it too disappeared. Mint chocolate chip was my flavor of choice for the third pint. At this point, my consumption was slowing and I was feeling rather chilled. Fortunately, I had good company to cheer me on including Painless and Mr. Darcy. With their encouragement I finished my third pint and returned to the store for my final, determined to conquer the half-gallon challenge. I brought things full circle and selected cookies and cream as my final flavor. The last pint was a slog. As I neared the final spoonfuls, I decided I should find a restroom in case I got sick. I finished the last spoonfuls as I made it to the restroom, where I sat for a while. I was victorious.

I spent the next two and a half hours at Ironmasters Mansion Hostel, an old historic building which had been converted into a hiker hostel nextdoor to the general store. While there I charged things, checked my email, and generally avoided moving much. Pine Grove Furnace State Park is also home to the Appalachian Trail Museum, but unfortunately the museum is only open on weekends. At around 2:30pm I packed my things and made my way back to the general store. There I found Numbers - the tripple crowner I met a while back hiking with his mother. We chatted for a bit and he explained that his mother finished her section hike and he had gotten back on at Harpers Ferry.

At about 3pm I started hiking again, planning to do about 11 miles to a tentsite and stream. The afternoon hiking was pleasant and uneventful. I finished my audiobook for "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," which I greatly enjoyed. At about 7pm I rolled into an empty tentsite and took my time setting up. I ate my dinner in peaceful solitude and retired to my tent just after 8pm.

Tomorrow, I'll hike into Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania after 8 miles for a small resupply. Then I hope to hike another 14 miles to Darlington Shelter. Apparently, the weather forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully that will not be too unpleasant.

Half gallon challenge

Hikers Log - trail date: day 78

(Chimney Rock (mile 1076.5) - Tentsite (mile 1097.8))

I woke up this morning around 6:45am to the sound of light rain against my tent. In a tired haze I crawled out to relieve my bladder and considered how nice it would be to sleep in. I then realized I could do just that. I was not planning to hike an insane distance today and the rain was not exactly enticing me to get moving. More importantly, I realized that this hike is maybe the only time in my life where I have complete freedom to structure my day exactly how I see fit. So I crawled back in my tent and slept until 8am, the latest I have slept on trail in a long time.

I ended up breaking camp and starting the day's hike at just before 9am. The rain had remained a light sprinkle and I opted to skip the rain jacket for the time being. I felt grateful for the rain because it would likely keep the afternoon cool, making for a pleasant hiking temperature.

After a couple hours the rain grew heavier. At this point I was thoroughly soaked but felt warm enough as long as I was moving. I reached Caledonia State Park after hiking for about 9 miles and quickly made my way to the restroom. There, I spent a considerable amount of time warming and drying myself with the electric hand dryers in the restroom. I then sat outside under the restroom's vestibule and ate lunch while watching the rain fall on the park parking lot.

I finally put my rain jacket on after another session with the electric dryers and made my way down the trail. After 2 miles I reached Quarry Gap Shelters, two small 4 person shelters connected by a covered porch with a picnic table. This may be the prettiest shelter I have seen on trail. The clearing around the shelter included a large fire pit, spring, flower box, and swinging bench. At the picnic table were several thru-hikers stopped for lunch including JPEG and Shady Grove, who I had not seen since Boots Off. I stopped to chat and while I was there Mouse and Mr. Darcy both passed.

I began hiking again around 2pm and the rain was slowly replaced by a thick fog. I was beginning to get hot so I took my rain jacket off. As the rain stopped, the forest displayed all of its hydrated vigor. I was excited to spot a young toad as well as a young red eft.

After another 7.5 miles I reached Birch Run Shelter where I stopped to warm myself and chat around the fire pit. While there, I ran into "Trainer," one of the Little Hotties I had last seen in Grayson Highlands. Trainer explained that he was suffering from a cold after hiking 69 miles during the 24 hour challenge.

I then hiked another 3 miles to a tentsite which puts me 7 miles out from Pine Gtove Furnace General Store, home of the half gallon challenge!

Hikers Log - trail date: day 73

(Stealth Campsite (mile 998.9) - Shenandoah Street (mile 1025.1) *overnight at Airbnb*)

I left Ashby Hollow at about 7:30am. Delta had texted me to say that he stopped early yesterday after smashing his shin on a log. Apparently, he stopped about a mile before Ashby Hollow. He said he would hopefully catch up today, but he also did not feel a huge need to rush through this section. Making it to Harpers Ferry for the Airbnb would be awesome, but he was planning to meet his mom in Maryland this weekend, and that can be wherever. On the other hand, I really need to make it to Waynesborough, Pennsylvania by Friday night to meet up with AC, so I had a little more reason to bust ass.

The rollercoaster started strong with big rocks that I imagined must foreshadow Pennsylvania. Knowing that I was over half way between Front Royal and Harpers Ferry made the upcoming 26 miles seem more manageable. I also knew that making it to Harpers Ferry tonight would make my Thursday and Friday hiking more manageable. Probably somewhere in the range of ~20 mile days, which will be very nice. We’ll have to see what the shelter and campsite situation looks like, although the last couple nights have reminded me how much I enjoy stealth camping.

After 1.1 miles of rollercoastering, I reached a major milestone… MILE 1000🎉🍾🍻🎊🎆

After a brief celebratory photoshoot, I ate my breakfast and treated myself to a well-earned golden mango🥭

Quadruple digits never felt so good!!!

After continuing on, I soon felt the growing need to dig a cathole. I crossed a large stream and dropped my pack at the beginning of a side trail running parallel to the stream. I made my way down the side trail and then away from the stream. As I crouched to dig my cathole, I noticed a hognose snake eyeing me suspiciously. This was a thrilling encounter because I have never found a hognose in the wild before! I finished my business and snapped a couple photos with my phone. I wanted to get some good macro shots with my camera, so I rushed back to my pack, grabbed my camera, and nearly sprinted back, hoping that my hognose model had waited patiently for my return. Unfortunately, my serpentine friend was nowhere to be found. I looked around for a while before giving up and continuing down the trail.

Fortunately, my phone camera is not too shabby

Bears Den Rocks

Raven Rocks

Another 5 miles brought me past Bears Den Rocks. I then reached VA Route 7 in Snickers Gap after a short 0.6 mile downhill descent. VA Route 7 is a major four-lane highway with a narrow grassy median and a sign specifying “TRAIL X-ING.” The highway was somewhat busy, but I took it one side at a time and made it across without any close calls. A quick 2.5 miles brought me to the first Virginia/West Virginia border. The trail quickly dips into West Virginia and then follows the border before finally leaving Virginia just outside Harpers Ferry. Just after the border was Raven Rocks, which offered nice views to the south.

After another 1.5 miles, I reached the end of the Roller Coaster, which was marked with a similar “WARNING NOW ENTERING THE ROLLER COASTER” sign for southbound hikers. The next 12 miles or so straddled the Virginia/West Virginia border. The border followed a single ridge which meant there wasn’t much in terms of major elevation changes. It also meant there wasn’t much in terms of water sources. In fact there were no on-trail water sources. After 3.5 miles of hot and dry hiking, I was getting low on water. I decided I had to take long detour to get water at the Blackburn Trail Center, a full amenities campground maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. The blue blaze was a steep decline with many switchbacks. I resented every step, knowing I would be climbing back up in just a few minutes. The trail center itself was an impressively nice facility, complete with a bunk house, solar showers, and tent pads. I filled my water bottles and gritted my teeth for the ~200 foot climb back to the trail.

The Blackburn Trail Center

The afternoon was hot, but the ridge was pretty. Over the next 10 miles, I entertained myself with music. I was mostly in a hip hop kind of mood and opted to reacquaint myself with albums like Apollo Brown and Che Noir’s excellent collaboration “As God Intended.” The afternoon really started to drag on. The heat was oppressive and my body was really feeling the strain of attempting two ~27 mile days in a row. I spent much of the afternoon hiking in a fog. If I didn’t have the prospect of a a nice Airbnb motivating me to make it to Harpers Ferry, I definitely would have opted to find myself a stealth site.

A little before mile 1024, I crossed the Virginia/West Virginia border for the final time. The occasion was marked by a small sign, which didn’t capture the awesome feeling of finishing Virginia. Another notch in the belt. A big one at that. The longest stretch of trail in a single state is in Virginia - almost 550 miles. In other words, more than half of my journey so far. The state is notorious for grinding down hopeful thru-hikers and producing a cognitive state known as “the Virginia blues” which often leads hikers to quit their thru-hikes. I couldn’t help but feel proud that the Virginia blues didn’t get me. I wasn’t even half way to Katahdin, but this was still big accomplishment.

Shortly after the border, the trail enters the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and begins its decent towards Harpers Ferry itself, nestled at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. As I emerged from the woods overlooking the Shenandoah River, I caught sight of Delta just up ahead. He must have passed me when I stopped for water at the Blackburn Trail Center. Together we crossed under and then over the Shenandoah River Bridge and made our way to a river access parking lot on Shenandoah street were we waited for Katie’s dad to pick us up.

While we were waiting, a younger gentleman approached us with four beers from Vibrissa Beer x Dominion Wine and Beer. He said he worked at the brewing company and trail magic was a big part of their ethos. One of the beers was called “Backpacking with Nelson,” which he explained was named after a buddy of his who doesn’t particularly care for backpacking. The beers made our wait exceedingly pleasant as the afternoon cooled into the early evening. As I sipped on a beer and considered the day, I reflected that his may have been my toughest day of hiking. Two 27 mile days in a row takes a toll on the body. Not to mention the heat. Delta agreed that it was a tough one.

Eventually Katie’s dad arrived after picking Katie and Jasmine up a ways to the south. We then made our way to the Airbnb, which was a huge house overlooking the Potomac just outside Harpers Ferry. We were greeted by Katie’s Labradoodle and a bountiful home-cooked meal served by Katie’s mom. Afterwards, I was able to call Anna Claire from my small bedroom with Potomac views. Definitely worth the push today.

Hikers Log - trail date: day 72

(US Route 522 (mile 972.1) - Stealth Campsite (mile 998.9))

Delta and I checked out of the Super 8 at 7am and made our way across the street to Dunkin Donuts. We each secured a half dozen donuts and proceeded to slam them all for breakfast. We decided to try our luck hitching back to the trail and sure enough, we were able to catch a ride with a gentleman named Adam in an AmericanPest truck. Adam was an avid hiker, so he was excited to give us a little trail magic. He dropped us off at the trailhead just before 8am.

Our goal for the day was to hike 26.8 miles to a water source that would put us about halfway between Front Royal and Harpers Ferry. Our incentive for pushing hard is that Katie’s mom apparently has an AirBnB booked in Harpers Ferry for tomorrow night and we’ve been invited to join for a hot meal, showers, and laundry.

I hiked the first 5 miles with Delta. As we reflected on our time spent in Front Royal, we both agreed that it might have been our favorite trail town. I then continued on solo after Delta stopped to use the facilities at Jim and Molly Denton Shelter. Another 10 miles brought me to Whiskey Hollow Shelter for lunch. Sleeping on a bench in front of the shelter was Stu from the Little Hotties who had just got back from Trail Days. Delta reached the shelter and Stu filled us in on all the details from the annual hiker bacchanal. Apparently, the Little Hotties had rented a U-Haul to serve as both their transportation and lodging for the festivities. From what Stu told me, it sounded like a great time.

Delta and I continued hiking together for a while after lunch until I again pulled ahead. After 9 miles, I reached the start of the Rollercoaster, an approximately 14 mile section of steep climbs and descents with almost no views. Fortunately, I only had 2.8 miles to the supposed stealth campsite at Ashby Hollow. This short distance amounted to two hills of the rollercoaster. Ashby Hollow turned out to be a pretty great stealth spot, with a sizeable clearing next to a footbridge over a large brook. I set up my tent and ate dinner, expecting Delta to arrive any minute. He never did, although Stu hiked by, too much in the zone to even notice me sitting on a log next to my tent just off the trail. I silently wished him a nice ride on the rollercoaster.

Hikers Log - trail date: day 71

(Stealth Campsite (mile 265.4) - US Route 522 (mile 972.1) *overnight in Front Royal, Virginia*)

I woke up at 6am and treated myself to a very nutritious breakfast of a s'mores Pop Tart, a Fig Newton, and a Nature Valley almond butter biscuit before starting to hike at 7am. Delta and I cruised the first 4 miles to Tom Floyd Shelter where we both stopped to use the facilities. The shelter was just north of the park boundary, meaning we had completed the Shenandoah stretch of the AT. The shelter was pretty small, but it had a huge porch and seemed like a cool spot to chill.

It was less than 3 miles to US Route 522 where we were planning to either hitch or catch the trolly. As we were approaching the road, the trail routed us alongside a massive fence with signage for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. I was intrigued but also confused. The other side of the fence was just a field. We reached the road and figured we would try to hitch. I opened a bag of fruit snacks, stuck my thumb out, and tried to not look like a serial killer. A big orange lifted Jeep stopped for us before I could even finish my fruit snacks. The driver introduced himself as John and said he would be happy to take us to the Super 8.

We arrived at the hotel just after 10am. After thanking John for his help, we went in the lobby and were told we could not check in until 2pm so we decided to walk 0.4 miles to a Martin’s grocery to resupply. On the way an older woman pulling out of a parking lot stopped to ask if we were thru-hiking. When we said yes, she offered to drive us the half block to the grocery. Although it was a bit silly to be shuttled such a short distance, it seemed uncouth to turn down her offer. She introduced herself as "Put-put" and said she was hiking Shenandoah until her knee started acting up. Put-put seemed like a lovely lady. She even offered to drive us to the trailhead tomorrow morning and gave us her phone number.

After resupplying, Delta and I laid all our stuff out on the sidewalk to remove packaging and organize food. While we were organizing everything, we were approached by a homeless man who introduced himself as C and asked us to watch his bike while he shopped in the store. He also warned us about all the "tickies" along the trail and we promised to be vigilant in our tick checks.

After C returned and set off on his bike, Delta and I went to McDonald’s for lunch. The inside was closed due to COVID restrictions, so we tried to walk through the drive thru and were told we had to order online. We did so and ended up eating our McDonald's beneath a little dogwood tree under the golden arches. Next, we went to Spelunker’s, a popular local custard place where I was accidentally served two orders of custard! My first order came out. Then a couple minutes later, a different server appeared with the same order for “Jack.” I explained that I already got my order, and they said they couldn’t take it back so it was free. Truly a hiker’s dream come true!

The outdoor seating at Spelunker’s was nestled in a shockingly well manicured and lovely Japanese style garden. It was a wonderful place to sit and eat two custards.

According to Guthook, the town’s local outfitter sometimes lets hikers do their laundry, so we made our way there to see if the washing machines were available. They were not, but we took a picture with the bear before heading to the brewery where we ran into Put-put who explained she could no longer take us to the trail but she gave us $30 to pay for a shuttle, which we adamantly tried to decline, and a plate of wings, which we did not attempt to decline. We then had BOGO beer pints and sat around for a while.

After leaving the brewery, we tried to go to two different laundry mats, but both were closed. We then headed back to Super8, resigned to do shower laundry. I did my shower laundry then took my clothes to the parking lot where I dried them in a tree while sitting on a curb and chatting with AC on the phone.

To conclude the day, Delta and I took a long walk to a highly rated family-style Italian restaurant for dinner. Google reviews promised ridiculous portion sizes, and we were not disappointed. I ordered gnocchi pesto with sundried tomatoes and mushrooms. We both finished everything, including the starter salads. This surprised of our waitress, who said she had never seen anyone finish everything. They must not get many hikers 😂

Before sleep, I finally contacted Altra about replacing my shoes. We’ll see what they say. Fingers crossed🤞

Hikers Log - trail date: day 70

(Byrd's Nest #3 Hut (mile 941.2) - Stealth Campsite (mile 265.4))

I woke up at 6:45am. As I poked my head out of my tent, I discovered the sky was overcast and strongly hinted at rain. There was no water source at the hut, so full breakfast would have to wait. To tide me over, I ate an orange that was given to me yesterday morning by one of the Moms. It was delicious. I have really come to appreciate citrus on this hike, and this orange was orders of magnitude better than the little cuties that trail angels usually hand out.

I started hiking and quickly made it 1.5 miles to Mary's Rock, a really large set of cliffs described by Guthook as "dizzying." Certainly terrific views, but I would hesitate to say they were any more dizzying than most of the overlooks I have seen recently. Shenandoah has really blown me away with views. The park has offered some gorgeous hiking. Yesterday felt especially beautiful after Big Meadows Lodge. Tons of ridge hiking. Tons of overlooks. Good weather. Good vibes all around. I was also probably riding the high of blackberry ice cream pie and a full belly😂

Today, I am hoping to hike about 21-22 miles, which will put me about 10 miles outside Front Royal, where I am hoping to spend the night tomorrow. This plan could change. Apparently there is a free trolley that the city of Front Royal sends to the trail twice a day. I am not sure when the trolley arrives, but if it arrives at like 8am, then I definitely need to get closer than 10 miles. We shall see.

The view from Mary’s Rock

About a mile later, I encountered one of the coolest trees I have seen on trail. My tree id skills are not the best, but it gave me the impression of a large old (white?) oak. It lived right next to the trail, covered in burls. The tree extended a low branch to form an archway over the trail. The branch corkscrewed like some sort of elaborate bonsai, and my mind reeled with speculations as to the origins of such a dramatically odd feature. As I was admiring the tree, a rather large, tank-like beetle scuttled across the trail, pulling my attention from a macro-wonder to a micro-wonder. I spent a while photographing both.

After another mile, I reached Panorama Parking Area, which was the first water source of the day. I ate breakfast there with Delta and then we hiked 8.5 miles to Elkwallow Wayside. As we were approaching the wayside, the clouds began relieving themselves. We responded by pulling on our rain jackets, more so to keep warm than to keep dry. We were hoping the grill would be open, but alas, it was not. I settled for a prepackaged chicken ranch wrap, a full size bag of cool ranch Doritos, and a Neapolitan ice cream sandwich.

We ate lunch under a breezeway at the wayside with a few other hikers, including John, Kayla, and "Last Chance." After lunch, I used the phone in the Wayside to reserve a room for tomorrow night at the Super 8 in Front Royal. I also called the city visitor center to ask about the trolly to the trailhead. After much confusion, the lady told me the trolly completes a scheduled run to the trailhead at 9:45am. The rain eased up and Delta and I decided to hike another 12 miles to a stream where we hoped to find a stealth campsite.

View from Little Hogback Mountain

We crossed Skyline Drive 5 times over the next 6 miles before reaching the next water source at Gravel Springs Hut. We filled our bottles and set out on the final 6.5 miles to our destination stream at mile 265.2. Along the way, we passed many fine views and had a close encounter with a single deer who seemed much more interested in tasty leaves than us.

We filled our water at the stream and then set out to find the closest stealth spot. About 0.2 miles later, we found an excellent campsite with space for four or more tents just off the trail. Delta and I were eating our dinner when John and Kayla arrived with Aurora. Just as the afternoon light was fading, a single deer strolled lazily through our campsite, seemingly unfazed by Aurora.

Tomorrow morning, Delta and I would make our way into Front Royal. We were about 3 miles from the Shenandoah park boundary and a little less than 7 miles from the road into Front Royal. We might be able to catch the town trolly, but the road would probably be an easy hitch, so we were not feeling pressure to arrive at 9:45am.

Hikers Log - trail date: day 69

(Bearfence Mountain Hut (mile 919) - Byrd's Nest #3 Hut (mile 941.2))

I started hiking this morning around 7:45. Right out the gate was a mile of climbing to the Bearfence Mountain blue blaze. The blue blaze parallels the trail for about a half mile, offering awesome views coupled with very technical rock scrambling that at times felt almost like bouldering. I reached the top of the Bearfence Mountain rock scramble, where I was planning to eat breakfast, just as Delta caught up to me. We both sat to eat and soak in the excellent 360 views.

Another 7 miles brought me to Big Meadows Lodge. I arrived at 11:15am and found that lunch wouldn’t be served until 12pm so I took time to charge my things in the lobby and enjoy the views from the lodge porch. At 12pm sharp, Delta and I sat for lunch. I ordered a pimento cheese burger with a side of mac n’ cheese, plus a blackberry ice cream pie for dessert. Shenandoah is famous for its blackberries, which the lodges and waysides use to make desserts and smoothies. Before starting my hike, I was told by a previous thru-hiker that one of the absolute must-dos on any AT thru-hike was ordering a blackberry smoothie in Shenandoah. The blackberry ice cream pie wasn’t a smoothie, but man was it delicious.

After lunch, I hung around the lodge for another hour letting things charge and writing a postcard to AC. Just as I was getting ready to leave, I met another thru-hiker who introduced himself as “Strap-on.” I resisted the urge to ask him how he had earned such an R-rated trail name. We chatted for a bit, I recommended he order a blackberry ice cream pie, and then I headed down the trail.

The next 9 miles offered tons of views and overlooks. Lots of cool rock outcrops and good trees. I reached Little Stony Man Cliffs and encountered what may have been the most dramatic cliffs I had seen in Shenandoah. I spent a long time admiring the views.

As I was enjoying the cliffs, John, Kayla, and Aurora arrived and I hiked with them for a bit until I pulled ahead. After almost 3 miles, I reached Pinnacle Picnic Grounds where I stopped to fill my water bottles under the bathroom faucets. Intriguingly, there were tons of people of all ages running around in some sort of traditional south Asian garb. They must have been celebrating some holiday, but the occasion was lost on me. A later Google search leads me to believe that it was likely a Buddha Jayanti Festival celebrating the birth of Buddha. In the moment, it struck me as beautiful and a bit surreal to be surrounded by so many richly colored fabrics and merrymakers at a party I was not privy to. Just passing through… the story of the AT.

After another 1.5 miles, I was surprised to find Delta eating dinner at an overlook on The Pinnacle. The sun was setting and we were only about a mile from the shelter, but I figured the views were better here, so I joined Delta. We ate our dinners while watching the sun creep towards the horizon, casting a golden hour glow across Shenandoah and the Loray Valley. Beautiful.

John and Kayla caught up and joined us for a bit until we all decided to hike down to the shelter. This was John and Kayla’s first time meeting Delta, but the three of them had already heard a lot about each other as the only MIT students hiking in our bubble. Delta explained that he was a member of the Skull House Fraternity and John and Kayla explained that they were part of the Sailing Club. The significance of these affiliations was mostly meaningless to me, but I think it communicated something among the MITers. We quickly made it to the hut, which was in a fantastic location, allowing us to catch the sunset climax through the trees in front of the hut.

Blackberry ice cream

in a graham cracker crust

this must be heaven

Hikers Log - trail date: day 68

(Pinefield Hut (mile 898.2) - Bearfence Mountain Hut (mile 919))

Last night I was grateful to be back in the comfort and privacy of my tent. I slept like a rock until early in the morning when a group of owls began hooting at each other in a rather agitated manner. Seemingly as soon as the owls stopped their agitated chorus, the loudest whiporwil I have ever heard began its own assault on my attempt to sleep. In the end, my exhaustion prevailed, and I managed to sleep in until about 6:30am.

I packed my things, ate a snack, and headed out on trail at around 7:30am. As I was leaving, Clover reminded me to keep an eye out for the 900 mile mark, which was only 1.8 miles away. After about 45 minutes of hiking, I reached the 900 mile mark and stopped for pictures and breakfast. As I was eating, several weekenders who had stayed at the shelter last night passed by. I pointed out the 900 mile marker and they were amazed that I had hiked so far. One woman exclaimed: "You're my hero for the day!" Which made me feel really good😊

The first marked water source for the day was 0.2 miles off trail at Simmons Gap Ranger Station. However, according to a comment on my navigation app, there was an unmarked source right off trail 0.3 miles past the turnoff for the ranger station. The next on-trail water source would not be for another 7 miles. I took a risk and decided to trust the comment and avoid the 0.4 mile round trip to the ranger station. After 0.3 miles I noticed a rocky area to the right of the trail about 10 yards which looked like a creek bed. After bushwhacking to the rocks, I realized that the creekbed was actually very wide. I could see a bit of water trickling near the edge and thought I could hear a more substantial trickle towards the center. After dropping my pack and making my way over and under many fallen trees, I was able to fill two bottles. I made my way back to the trail, a bit irritated with myself for not just going to the ranger station. To add insult to injury, I hiked for less than a minute before the trail wound closer to the creek and I passed a well worn trail leading to a nice water spot.

I hiked another 7 miles to a spring just before the summit of Hightop Mountain. While filling my bottles, I noticed a small leopard frog hiding in the main pool of the spring. I very excitedly captured the little frog and took a couple pictures before returning it to the spring.

Just past the summit of Hightop Mountain was a rocky cliff where I stopped for lunch. The views from the cliff were terrific and it soon became apparent that the mountain was a popular destination for day hikers. I had the cliffs to myself for maybe about 15 minutes until a solo hiker arrived followed by a couple with four young kids. While I ate, the flux of day hikers was constant. Many were interested in my thru-hike while others ignored me completely.

After hiking another 3 miles I crossed US Route 33 and ran into a woman who stopped me and pointed out the charm safety-pinned to my bag's shoulder strap. She asked if I had a Greek family member and I explained that yes my grandmother was Greek and the charm had belonged to her. I told her I did not know its significance as my mother had given it to me to take with me with the only explanation being "this was your grandmother's." The woman explained that the charm is called a "phylactery" and that they are often pinned to baby's clothes as blessings of protection and safety. This struck me as pretty amazing. As far as I know, my mother had no idea about the charm’s significance, yet she had given it to me to carry on my hike. Or maybe she knew and hadn’t told me because she thought I would find it silly. I’ll have to ask her.

The next 9 miles to Bearfence Mountain Hut were mostly uneventful. When I arrived at the hut, I found it occupied by a large group of older women who introduced themselves as "The Moms." The Moms are from Pennsylvania and were out for their biannual weekend backpacking trip. They were very friendly and asked Delta and me a lot of questions about our gear and thru-hiking experience. They also offered us box wine (pinot grigio) and marshmallows!

Beneath bending branches

Through forests of golden spring

tattered shoes tread

Hikers Log - trail date: day 67

(Calf Mountain Shelter (mile 872) - Pinefield Hut (mile 898.2))

I slept ok in the shelter until Jasmine and Delta woke up and started packing their things at 5am. Delta in particular sounded like he was making noise just for the fun of it. He had slept on one of the upper bunks, and each of his movements reverberated and amplified across the cheap plywood surface of his bunk. What must have been a dropped water bottle startled me like a gunshot. After Jasmine and Delta got moving, I managed to fall back asleep until about 6:30am. I packed my things and was hiking around 7:10am. After a mile, I reached the last water source before a 12 mile carry. I took my time to drink deeply, fill both liters, and get breakfast ready.

After hiking almost 2 miles, I stopped for breakfast at the first Skyline Drive crossing of the day. I sat on the low stone wall of the pull-off for Sawmill Run Overlook, which despite it’s name, was not much of an overlook. After breakfast, I had 10 miles and several Skyline Drive crossings to Blackrock Hut, where I stopped for lunch.

A half mile past the hut, I reached the summit of Blackrock, which was a giant rock pile. A quick boulder scramble provided lovely panoramic views from the top of the pile, where I found Katie, Caroline, and Tyler lounging in a post-lunch daze. I wondered to myself what sort of insane geological phenomenon could produce a rock pile such as this. The rocks looked like they had been crumbled by some ancient giant. For what purpose? Who knows. But I’m sure the indigenous people of this area must have had legends explaining the origins of this place. Those stories would probably be a lot cooler than the geological explanation. Maybe involving an ancient giant?

I continued solo, and after 2 miles, I made it to Jones Run Trailhead where Professor PB&Jazz was waiting with her old Girl Scout troop leader. They were standing by the open tailgate of her SUV in classic trail magic fashion and explained that they were waiting for Katie and the others. Jasmine’s Girl Scout troop leader apparently had bought way more food than she needed and offered me a selection of dried fruit. I happily partook in a bunch of sun dried peaches and prunes before continuing on. As I was rejoining the trail, I ran into Delta, who I alerted to the availability of free food with Jasmine and her troop leader. There may be no better way to make a hiker’s eyes light up than to tell them there is free food. After 0.5 miles, I stopped at Dundo Picnic area to take advantage of its privies and water spigots.

View from Doyle’s River Overlook, a parking area on Skyline Drive

In Shenandoah, the trail seems to always run in close parallel to Skyline drive. This results in very regular road noise, which is not the ideal wilderness experience. After another 4 miles, the trail wrapped around Loft Mountain Campground and continued 3 miles to a set cliff ledges overlooks on Loft Mountain.

I stopped to dig a cathole right before reaching Ivy Creek, where Delta caught up to me. We began a short but steep climb after Ivy Creek and chatted about the Walter Isaacson biography of Leonardo Da Vinci I had been listening too. We both laughed as I described Walter Isaacson’s seeming obsession with speculating that Da Vinci was gay. We reached the summit of the small, unnamed mountain and appreciated the excellent views briefly before continuing on.

Over the next mile, I got ahead of Delta after he stopped for a bathroom break. I soon reached Ivy Creek Overlook, which was a parking area off Skyline Drive offering excellent views to the east. As I crossed the parking area, I noticed a black SUV and a woman rummaging around in the back seat. She seemed totally absorbed in what she was doing, so as I approached to pass, I tried to make my footsteps as noisy as possible to alert her that I was approaching and avoid startling her. As I got closer, she must have heard me, because she looked over her shoulder. Her eyes lit up when she saw me and she asked “Are you thru-hiking?” When I said yes, she started asking me animated questions about my experience. As we chatted, I also started getting bits of her story. Her name was Liza, and I learned that she was converting to Mormonism next week after being raised and living as an Episcopalian her whole life. Apparently she had met a guy (a Mormon guy), fallen in love, and would be soon living a clean life with him under the tenets of the Church of Latter Day Saints. She was in Shenandoah for one last hoorah of drugs and debauchery. Liza explained that she was on a ton of shrooms, some coke, and a little cannabis. It was around this time that Delta caught up, and she offered us a bunch of shrooms. Before we could say anything, she asked us for our thoughts on “all the satanists in media controlling news messaging.” In my shock, I think I managed a response along the lines of “it’s certainly hard to find media outlets to trust” just as Pudin, Clover, and Katie reached the parking lot. Apparently, this was Liza’s cue, because she bid us farewell, hopped in her car and drove away.

Pudin, Clover, and Katie reached us just as Liza was pulling out of the parking lot. I could not help exclaiming “y’all are not going to believe what just happened!” I shared the story of my full interaction with Liza as we covered the last mile to Pinefield Hut. The last mile was super busy with park visitors finishing up their day hikes. When we reached the hut, we found it occupied by a large group of Shenandoah section hikers. I set up my tent behind the hut and then situated myself near the front for dinner. As I was explaining my “Frogman” trail name, I mentioned that I was studying the evolution of frog vision. I think I mentioned the word “opsin,” which was overheard by a LASHer named “Codger” (which apparently means a grumpy old man), who excitedly explained that he is a visual neurologist and knew all about opsins. Before I distracted him, he had been trying to convince another section hiker that her trail name should be “Dorothy” because she was from Kansas. She was clearly unenthused by the prospect, and later that night, out of earshot of Codger, I advised her that there was no reason to embrace a trail name she hated.

I soaked my feet in the creek in front of the shelter as I prepared for bed. As the evening light was fading, just as I was about to crawl into my tent, Jasmine and her Girl Scout troop leader arrived. Their day had obviously been a slow one😂