Date: 2017-06-21
From: Rock Spring Hut Tent Site

To: Pass Mountain Hut Tent Site
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: scattered clouds

6/21Rock Spring Hut Tent Site to Pass Mountain Hut Tent Site 15.3 milesTotal miles:  943.2Happy Summer Solstice! Today, June 21st, is also Hike Naked Day on the AT.  I can happily report that I saw no one hiking naked, although I did pass two young men in their skivies who appeared to be working up the nerve to participate in the tradition.  The plan for today was to hike to Pass Mountain Hut, a distance of 15.3 miles.  I woke up at the usual time and had camp broken down and was ready to go by 7:45.  I stopped by the cabin below to introduce myself to what I had been told was a Girl Scout troop.  It was actually a church group made up of largely young women and their leaders.  They asked me several questions about thru hiking while I was on my way to filter water.  I wished them luck as they prepared to complete the final ten miles of their thirty mile trek. Gravity, Mike, and I hiked out at 8:00.  The weather was clear and not too warm.  The trail soon turned rocky around Hawksbill Mountain, and there was one section that was made up of millions of small boulders that loomed far over head. A sign warned that climbing on the rocks was prohibited, which seems like a sensible precaution.  Hiking past this section required navigating over many small boulders of various sizes, a skill we would be called on to practice quite a bit today.  The reward was numerous outstanding views, including views early in the day from Crescent Rock Overlook and from several unnamed outcroppings.  We bypassed the Skyland Resort and Restaurant, although we did hike by the Skyland stables.  There I met Jeremy, who works with the horses and is the ranch hand who helps prepare visitors for horseback rides through the park.  While horses are banned from the AT, there are many trails in the Shenandoahs for equestrian pursuits.  I asked Jerimy about mules, and he told me the stables didn't have any but that he had been fighting for six years to get management to change their minds and get a herd of mules.  I encouraged him to keep up the good fight. I continued down the trail, which again soon became too steep and rocky for anything but foot travel anyway.  Mike and I soon arrived at the trail to Stony Man Summit, the highest point on the AT in Shenandoah National Park.  For about half a mile, the AT shares the trail with the Stony Man Summit Trail, and we walked along with many day hikers who quite obviously smelled of soap, shampoo, and deoderant.  After five hot days on the trail, I'm afraid we smelled a wee bit different.  We dropped our packs to hike the 0.3 mile side trail to a spectacular view from the summit. With Mike's help, I set a bit of Beau free into the wind at the very summit. After an interesting conversation with some day hikers from Maryland (I will be there soon!), we headed back to the AT.  We soon passed along the Little Stony Man Cliffs, which provided numerous opportunities for more breathtaking views. Mike told me that it had rained every day that he and Hal hiked thirty-five years ago, so he is now getting the opportunity to see what they missed back then.  We passed a large puddle at the top of one cliff without much thought.  Later, I was told by a day hiker with a very expensive camera that the scene from the cliffs, including that puddle, is immortalized on the back of the Virginia National Parks quarter. I'll need to check that out.  After a very rocky descent from the cliffs, we were again hiking adjacent to Skyland Drive. The trail parallels this road through much of the park and crosses it many times.  I decided to walk up the side trail to the road to the Stony Man Overlook so I could look back on where I had just been.  Mike opted to forgo this and continued down the AT.  Gravity arrived while I was admiring the view.After we departed, I decided to catch up with Mike, as Gravity was listening to a podcast from Beginning Brewing Radio.  I caught up with him at the Pinnacles Picnic Area, where we had decided to eat lunch.  About ten minutes later, Gravity arrived and proudly showed me the photo he had just taken of one of the two bears that had crossed the trail in front of him a few minutes before.  I practiced my now familiar refrain: "I'm glad for you, and I hope to see one, too."  He got a clear photo of the bear looking at him before heading back into the woods.  After sharing in his excitemnt and finishing my lunch, Mike and I headed on, after confirming with Gravity that we would meet at the Pass Mountain Hut to camp.  Areas to stealth camp are very rare in the Shenandoahs due to the terrain, and the park has worked hard to carve out adequate tent sites in the area around each hut.  Mike and I hiked up the Pinnacle and, after some more very challenging rock hopping/hiking, we arrived at Mary's Rock.  From the trail side, Mary's Rock is very impressive, and I struggled to find a suitable location to take a photo. Then, we dropped our packs for the side trail to the front of Mary's Rock.  Mary is the proud owner of one of the most massive rocks that I have ever seen. It rises far into the air above the surrounding mountain.  I scrambled to close to the top and posed for a photo.  The view, as with all of them today, was grand.  Back on the AT, we encountered nearly two miles of extremely rocky descent down to Thorton Gap. Thankfully, the last mile to the Hut was better, and we were fueled by trail magic of a bag of apples and bananas tied to a gate by the road. Mike and I set up our tents on two of the three relatively flat areas carved out for tents south of the hut.  Soon, two southbound section hikers from Philadelphia, Mike and Adam, joined us. Being hammock campers, they graciously agreed to set up their hammocks away from the last available tent spot.  I own a camping hammock and enjoy using it, and I was able to examine Mike's and Adam's hammocks to see what improvements are coming down in hammock design.  Fortunately, Gravity arrived in time to claim the last tent spot.  Sleeping areas in the shelters and tent spots are supposed to be on a strict first-come, firat-served basis, and attempting to "save" a spot is not considered good trail etiquette. Gravity had big news to share.  He had seen Pippi, who arrived at the picnic area minutes after Mike and I left. She asked Gravity to thank me because soon after our conversation yesterday, she saw a mother bear and two cubs.  My reputation as a Bear Summoner continues to grow. Instead of heading for the picnic table by the shelter, the three of us decided to simply share our own company, and we cooked our dinners sitting on some rocks on front of Mike's tarp. We have just two more days in the Shenandoahs before we reach Front Royal and will need to say goodbye to Mike. As always, it seems, time flies by.