Date: 2020-07-26
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn AT Center
Miles today: 17.9

Not a lot of miles today, but plenty of mountains. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club's infamous Roller Coaster started a mile out from the shelter. 13 hills in 13 miles, each up to a 500 foot climb. And naturally only two or three have views. With the heat and humidity, I felt every climb and they thoroughly drained me.After six or seven of these I stumbled into the Sam Moore Shelter. So humid! I sat down on the edge of the sleeping platform to recover, and watched sweat drip off my nose and form a puddle in front of the shelter. After ten miles of roller coasting I popped into the Bears Den hostel just off trail. A beautiful stone mansion repurposed as a trail center, there's a bunkroom in the basement with an outside entrance. I used the secret hiker combination to open the door lock. It's the number of miles (to the tenth) from here to Manassas Gap. I think the hostel is closed for overnights, though the caretaker wouldn't be available until 5 to ask. However the bunkroom was accessible. I bought a couple of cold sodas from the honor system fridge, and cleaned up a bit in the bathroom. I could have showered if I wanted, but I didn't see the point since I was going right out again. As I was leaving I ran into Smoky Bear again, looking for the caretaker about hammocking in the yard. It would be several hours before the caretaker appeared. I told Smoky how to get in if he needed anything in the meantime. The code is designed so only long-distance hikers would know it, or know how to look it up. This is for security since lots of tourists drive up to a parking lot nearby to take in the view from Bear Den Rocks nearby.  I was okay leaving Bears Den because a short distance later down in Snickers Gap I was able to walk to the Horseshoe Curve Restaurant. Jimmy cooked me up some mozzarella sticks and a chicken sandwich. The winding mountain road it sits on used to be the main route 7 highway, but was relegated to a back road when the highway was straightened many years ago. Horseshoe Curve started hosting live bands again a few weeks ago. There were no backpackers out today other than Smoky, but I passed many, many dayhikers, it being Sunday. They were mostly north of Morgan Mill Rd, which has a parking lot, and around Bears Den rocks and Raven Rocks on either side of Snickers Gap. These not coincidentally are the three views of the roller coaster.The roller coaster ended soon after Raven Rocks, at which point my guide said I went through a boulder field called the Devil's Racecourse. I don't specifically remember it, but this may have been where I started grumbling to myself how everyone complains about Pennsylvania's rocks. Virginia has had plenty of rocks on a regular basis since before Pearisburg. And my sneakers have the scars to prove it.As evening approached I turned off the ridge to follow a side trail down to the Blackburn AT Center. This is another old summer house now run as a hiker amenity by the PATC like Bears Den, but this is not a hostel. Only the caretaker uses the house. There's a wood-stove heated shed with a few bunks for winter hikers, but most simply tent nearby. A group of five older women were setting up tents as I arrived. They are nearing the end of a forty mile section, and laughing like school girls. The Blackburn caretaker came out to offer everyone sodas.Took an outdoor shower warmed by a solar-heated tank. I feel so clean in my tent now. The temperature last night was so warm I didn't need my sleeping bag. Tonight feels like it may be the same.