Date: 2007-06-18
From: Gravel Spring Hut

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: few clouds

Bears...Bears...everywhere. Since I called Bones with an update yesterday afternoon, have seen 8!!! more bears in Shenandoah National Park. Decided against my own counsel to add 3.5 miles to the 22.5 I had when I reached the shelter at 6:15 last night to stretch the daily total to 26, a marathon day, and a new personal best. I was still hiking and climbing well, but as the sun began to sink, and after taking a wrong turn on the rocks on top of a mountain, I spotted a bear cub just ahead and almost on the trail. The advice people give you about bears is to not worry about them as they'll hear you long before you spot them. That is not true at all. Almost all the bears I've come across seemed to be startled when I came around the bend on the trail. True I don't talk much, but I breath heavy when going uphill or moving fast, and the poles make some noise especially when the trail is rocky. Anyway this cub was oblivious, so I banged my poles together before getting any closer in hopes he/she would run off. Well the cub did run off to the left, but I also got the attention of mama bear just to the right of the trail, and she wasn't too sure about me so she came out onto the trail and stared at me till I backed back around the bend, and then she turned her back and leisurely started off down the trail herself. I waited a little over 5 minutes and then tried again, and by that time she was about 20 yards off the trail in the woods, and I passed by without incident. A little later, and now starting to get dark in the woods, came upon a mom with 2 cubs just to the left, and didn't break stride, so got past without incident, but I think I only had the brass to do that because I was getting tired. Didn't find any decent plass to pitch a tent around the 26 mile mark, so kept going, and just as the sun was going down, came upon a couple of tents just off the trail, and lo and behold had caught up with Buffalo Bobby, and Iceman who made me welcome, and provided a nice happy ending. I ended up with 28 miles, and really overdid it, but thought that I might not have another day with not too difficult a trail, and so much daylight, so I went for it. In the morning met another mom with too cubs, and again had to bang my sticks to get their attention. They were only 5 feet off the trail. On hearing the sticks bang the two cubs started up a tree kind of half heartedly, and then momma bear stood up and lunged suddenly at the tree, and they went up for all they were worth. That was the most aggressive move I'd seen, so I started backing up a good distance, then got out the video camera thinking from this distance with the zoom lens, I'd have some footage of the cubs in the tree. Momma bear wasn't too sure about me though, and kind of seemed upset at being suprised, so she came out onto the trail and gave me a good stare. Well staring from a bear is like the first stage of aggression, so I backed around the bend and waited about 15 minutes so she'd have time to get the cubs down and go their way, and sure enough when I started back down the trail...singing Waltzing Matilda in a good loud voice... they had gone their way, and I went mine. That was 15 bears in my 6 days in the park, and the encounters were getting too close for comfort, so glad to be safe and sound at the Comfort Inn in Front Royal tonight. Got lucky with a ride into town with a man who was dropping another hiker off at the trail. Anxious to get to 1,000 miles, and Harper's Ferry, so will be hiking out in the morning. I will get my zero days when I visit brother Bones in Maryland in a week or so. Shopping is done, but their is still some laundry awaiting me, so bye for now. Thanx for the father's day call Carrie. Thanx also for the best wishes I caught up with today in the log book. I appreciate it.