Date: 2015-07-25
From: Rock Springs Hut

To: Thornton Gap
Miles today: 14.0

Big day today. Would hike my first 14 miler. OK, I'd hiked 13 miles a couple of other days earlier in the trip, so 14 miles shouldn't have seemed so much. But it was. Any time you add an extra mile over a rock strewn path with sharp inclines and declines, you feel that last extra mile. And along my route today I would climb to the top of the highest peak in the park - The Pinnacle.But I had a few aces in the hole for the trip. The first was a stop at Skyland Lodge for lunch. No wayside grill there, but there were plenty of goodies to be had in their store. That would beat another lunch of chunky peanut butter on a tortilla washed down with water. The second ace was my destination, Thornton Gap. Route 211 went thru that gap and I planned to hitch a ride to a town called Luray. My sore feet called out for a "zero" day on Sunday. Plus my clothes and body smelled so bad I needed to soak both in warm, soapy water. Some supplies were needed, too. The third ace was the prospect of magnificent overlooks. Ever since leaving Big Meadows Lodge there were more frequent and grand overlooks. My map suggested I was in for a treat!The hike to Skyland proved relatively easy. I arrived about an hour before noon to music. At first I thought someone was blaring their radio, but I was wrong. There was live music being played on the grounds by a Celtic band. Lively tunes that blended in well with the surroundings. I found the shop and discovered a snack bar complete with fresh sandwiches, chips, Gatorade, etc. Needless to say I bought a load of goodies. Then I found a shady spot and table on the outside terrace to sit, eat and listen to great music. After lunch and a refill of my water bottles, I hit the trail again. The trail soon converged into rocky ledges with grand overlooks. Folks, they were the type of overlooks that just can't be captured by a photo. I tried, but only got little pieces of their majesty in my photos.Hiking along these cliffs I came upon rock climbers just completing an ascent. I have great respect for rock climbers. Tried it once with my youngest daughter, Becca, when she was in college. It was then I decided I was a terra firma type: give me two feet on solid ground anytime.While taking a few photos of the climbers, a solo female hiker came down the trail going in the other direction. We exchanged greetings on this cloudless, sunny and hot day, She stopped to chat and I soon learned her trail name - Groceries. Great name! Knew immediately who did the food shopping in her household. Groceries was married and her husband was to join her on the trail soon. As a southbound we, she had already completed the fabled "Roller Coaster" just beyond the national park and before Harpers Ferry (my ultimate destination for this leg of the trip). Groceries said it was hard - made worse by the high temp and humidity. Sounded like a challenge!Sometime later in the afternoon I took a side trail to a picnic area. Needed fresh water and an energy bar. Sitting at the table I'd chosen I spied two people I knew - Woody and his son Stoner! Those were the fellows that invited a bear into their campsite for a late night prowl. We greeted each other warmly as fellow travelers with a common purpose. After our break, we continued on hiking together. We made our way to the top of The Pinnacle together and took photos of one another. Then we parted ways after reaching the Byrd's Nest Hut, their destination. I still had another three miles to go to my destination, so I bid Woody and Stoner adieu. They would be ending their trip the next day.I hiked on to Thornton Gap and the road. I knew once reaching the road that I'd have to hitchhike into Luray. It was 8 miles from the trailhead. Just before I arrived at the road, I was startled by a bear running across my path into the shoulder of the trail. He/she was a smallish bear and would not move further off the trail with my urging. I spoke to the bear calmly an walked by it, snapping a couple of photos while doing so. Cute bear....I got to Thornton Gap and stuck out my thumb for a ride to Luray. Fifteen minutes passed before someone stopped. It was a guy in an old beat-up pickup truck. Wow, I got a ride! I opened the door and old clothes, McDonalds food wrappers and other assorted garbage littered the passengers seat and floor. I pushed the junk aside, sat down in something very wet and said thanks. The driver looked at me and said he was on his way to the liquor store. He grabbed the green iridescent skull on the top of his gear shifter, pushed the lever into gear and away we went. Hey, it was a ride.....