Date: 2018-05-16
From: Stealth Tent Site (vicinity Salt Log Gap)

To: VA 56 - Washington, DC
Miles today: 16.9

Finally, a little relief from the heat. After over a week of larger climbs under a hot sun, today we had a few moderate ascents, cloudy skies, and cooler temperatures. We started hiking a little before 7:00 with the intent of making it 17 miles to VA Route 56 by 3:00. We wanted to be off the trail on Thursday so that we could be in contact with our daughter who was having surgery. Originally, I thought that we would already be at Rockfish Gap, with easy access to Waynesboro where we were going to take a planned zero day. However, we realized a few days back that we would fall short by about 30 trail miles (kind of in no-man's land). So, I put a note on the end of one of our posts asking if any readers living nearby were able and willing to help get us to Waynesboro from the not-so-convenient spot where the A.T. Intersected VA 56. It wasn¢t long before I got a response from a faithful reader of our journal, David, letting me know that he and his friend, Jim, had us covered. Which Way pulled out of camp a few minutes before me and it was about two miles, and not until she stopped to stretch, before I could catch her. This was the story of our day. Later, when I stopped to post the Day 81 journal entry, it took me four miles to catch up. When I made a final detour down to the Priest Shelter to sign the confessional (log book that is), it took me a couple of miles to catch her. On each of those occasions I was moving quickly with a pack lightened from having only snacks to get me through the day. But, each time that I finally caught up to Which Way (a.k.a Barn Sniffer), she was moving at warp speed. At one point, I passed by Snow Angel while trying to make a run for Which Way. She was the only NOBO we would see on the trail all day.Anyway, the light rain started to fall shortly after we started hiking and continued on and off throughout the morning. We welcomed the cloudy skies and cool splash of raindrops hitting us as we navigated our way over mostly easy terrain. The elevation for the first 12 miles of the hike stayed between 3,500¢ and 4,000¢, meaning that there were no climbs over 500¢ - what a nice change of pace. After hitting the summit of the cloud-covered Priest Mountain, the trail descended 3,000¢ over the final four miles of our hike. The rain also steadily picked up from a sprinkle to a soaking rain as we worked our way down. At first, the path down was rocky and a little technical in spots, but about a mile into the descent, the grade eased and the terrain got much better. With a full canopy and lush ground cover, it was like walking through a rain forest. The Rhododendrons, Flame Azaleas and Spiderworts all popped with color in the moist underbrush. Much of the Mountain Laurel were also laden with 100's of small teacup shaped white flowers. Some of the Mayapple flowers have grown so large that their stems can no longer hold them upright. We emerged soaking wet from the forest at the VA 56 parking area at 2:45 p.m. Our trail angels were already there when we arrived. They had both signed our journal guestbook in the past and it was neat to meet them in person. When we arrived, Dave had fruit, snacks, and soft drinks for us. He was also leaving a cache behind for other thru hikers. Dave had a nice clean car, but did not seem the least bit concerned about two dirty hikers with wet gear piling into his vehicle. Both gentlemen were extremely friendly, exceptionally accommodating and easy to talk to. They bantered back and forth with each other, and before long, with me. I was right at home.As if it wasn¢t enough to pick us up in the middle of nowhere and drive us 35 minutes (sometimes over gravel roads) to Waynesboro, the two of them eagerly made three stops for us. The first stop was at the post office, where we had a couple of packages to pick up. One of the boxes was a care package sent to us from an Army officer I served with during a deployment. It contained some snacks and some blister aid items for Which Way. Thank you Christopher!The next stop was, Stanimal¢s 328 Hostel in Waynesboro (he also owned a satellite hostel we stayed at in Glasgow). WW would stay at the hostel to do a load of laundry and shower while I made one final stop. First, I ran some snacks and some ¢hiker clothes¢ (some hostels keep some loaner garments on hand for hikers to wear around town), both compliments of Dave, into the hostel. While inside, I grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that fit me and left my dirty stuff behind for WW to add to the laundry. Dave and Jim then drove me to the Enterprise rental car agency located another mile or so away. This may require some explaining, as we called an audible on our plans. We knew that at some point in the hike we would have to make a quick sprint to Washington, DC so that I could get a Retiree ID Card and we could pick up our 90-day refill of medications. We originally thought that we would make the trip from Front Royal or Harper's Ferry, but with the way things were lining up, neither of those options were looking feasible. Also, the forecast is calling for very heavy rain and thunderstorms on Thursday and Friday, so we decided to take care of it all now. Dave and Jim waited around to make sure I had secured the rental vehicle before departing. Of course, they would not accept any cash for their troubles. I could tell that being able to help us out was enough reward for them. I can not thank Dave and Jim enough for delivering BIG TIME trail magic when we needed it the most. You two are the best!!!The day got better when the Enterprise rep offered me a free upgrade from the economy-size car to a brand new Chevy Tahoe. We would be riding to DC in style. First, I stopped by the hostel for a quick shower. While our clothes were drying, Which Way and I hustled down the street to a local establishment called Jakes, where we scarfed down a really delicious burger.With our bodies and clothes now clean and bellies full, we were ready to go. After shuttling a couple of hikers to a local AYCE Chinese Buffet, we hit the I-64, headed to DC. I must say, that it felt a little weird driving down the interstate at 65 mph after moving along at a relative snail's pace for the past 3 months. As we passed over the mountains at Rockfish Gap, it was pouring rain. We were happy not to be out in it. Fast forward 2 hours...we took a pit stop in Manassas, VA, where we swung by the church where we were members before hitting the trail. We arrived about half-way through the Wednesday evening Bible study and waited in the foyer for classes to end. It was great to see many of our good friends. Many of them had been following our journal and were very surprised to see us there. It was a neat surprise. After lots of hugs and some Q&A, we continued our trip to DC. We arrived at my cousin Bill¢s place in Old Town Alexandria a little before 10:00 p.m. Bill had brownies and ice cream ready when we walked through the door. Death by chocolate¢Perfect! Bill works for the Department of Interior and is active in the great outdoors. He has a great appreciation for the journey we are on. We were awake until actual midnight catching up. What a day!Peace and Blessings - Next StepP.S. Please pray for a successful surgery and quick recovery for our daughter. Thank you so much!Elevation Data:Ascent - 2,810Descent - 5,170Grade - 9.5Weather:Day - 71/ Rain Night - 63/ RainOver the Horizon: Shenandoah National Park