Date: 2018-09-01
From: Hightop Hut

To: Lewis Mtn Campground
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: light rain

Slept really well until a nature call at 3:30am. Got up and opened the tent flap and saw lots of fog... couldn't even see the shelter. Anyhow took care of business and got back in the tent and figured I had a couple of hours to sleep. I planned to get up at 5:30 because I had an almost 12 mile day ahead and wanted to get an early start. As soon as I got comfortable this bird in a tree right outside my tent started squawking. A bird in one direction answered then a bird in another direction answered next. This went on for an hour and a half. I yelled "STOP IT" but that had no effect as I expected. They stopped around 5:15 which meant I wouldn't be getting anymore sleep. At 5:30 I started packing up (I thought it would be getting light by 5:30 but I was wrong). I used my headlamp to take down the tent and by 6:30 the sky was dawning. Finished all my chores and was on the trail by 7:15. Went to the top of Hightop Mtn. and saw the father/son duo who had stopped at the shelter for dinner. Looked like they were trying to get packed up and I knew I'd see them later when they passed me on the trail so I didn't say anything. Hiked on a few more minutes and they caught up with me. After a brief conversation they took off like lightning.When I got to the next Skyline Drive crossing they were there. I told them they must have been standing there a long time for me to catch up with them. Turns out they had gone to get their Backcountry registration. So they took off again.I took a wrong turn just before the South River Picnic Area and ended up off trail and had to walk on Skyline Drive for a quarter of a mile. This section of the road has no shoulder so when a car came I had to get off the road and walk in the ankle-high wet grass. Thank goodness I only had to do that 4-5 times. I came to the entrance to the picnic area from Skyline but didn't know where to catch the trail again. One of the picnicers helped me out and I only had to walk the length of the area to get back on the trail...but who should I meet but the father/son duo again. This may seem unimportant but I never catch up with hikers who are so much faster than I am. However, this is the last time I would see them today.Climbed Baldface Mtn. and finally Lewis Mtn. and got to the campground around 3:00. It had looked like rain for an hour and started thundering. I wasn't thrilled with the 3 campsites that were still open so I went to the campstore for a sandwich and a cold drink to consider my options. A few minutes later fog rolled in like I've never seen before. It was fast moving and heavy. In a few minutes it started to pour. It rained for more than 45 minutes and big puddles were everywhere. I decided that I wanted to go to a dry hostel or motel. I called all of them in Luray, the closest town (which isn't even that close) and all were booked solid due to Labor Day weekend. One of the campers, Keith, who had been standing on the porch when I made all the calls, offered to let me pitch my tent on his campsite. I agreed and thanked him.  While I was still sitting there waiting for my phone to charge, a guy who's wife I had talked to earlier came over and invited another hiker (Walter from Switzerland) and I to have dinner with his family. He mentioned mac 'n cheese and I immediately accepted. It was a great dinner with Greg and his wife and his parents. How nice of them to invite us.The fog started rolling in again so I left to put up my tent. It's a great campsite...my tent is pitched in lush grass not the gravelly dirt that most campgrounds have. Rain was threatening again but it missed us this time.What became a real downer of a day with the rain and no dry place to stay turned around in 5 minutes to a wonderful dinner and a nice place to camp. As I always say...