Date: 2009-07-08
From: Manassas Gap Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

HILARIOUS SKUNK STORY BELOW!!! PLEASE READ!As I didn¢t sleep very well last night, I stayed in my sleeping bag until about 9:30 am ¢ rather late out on the Appalachian Trail. Jungli kept talking to me that morning and I continued to zone in and out of consciousness (sleep consciousness, that is). I finally headed out at 10:45 am. Just a few miles into the trek, I really had to do a #2. So, I headed off to the side of the trail, but thinking that no one would be approaching, I didn¢t go that far. Turns out that just as I was finishing up, one of the ATC ridgerunners turns the corner. I was able to play it off quite well, but I was nearly caught red-headed with my pants down! The ridgerunner¢s name was Junker, a very nice and very resourceful ridgerunner who loves the Appalachian Trail. He was telling me that he had just passed a large rattlesnake that just ate and was lying on the trail attempting to digest its food. I ended up passing Dick¢s Dome Shelter in an attempt to catch Jungli and others. Turns out that she, too, was very tired and fell asleep at the shelter for a little while. There was absolutely no one out on the trail.   I walked through Sky Meadows State Park, an area of ¢high¢ elevation, but one where there are loads of ticks. I then crossed a very busy US 50 Highway, which I had to run across to avoid being hit by cars and tractor trailers. At the Rod Hollow Shelter, I sat down my belongings and opened up the trail register, only to find one of the funniest stories I have ever heard about a rabid skunk. SEE BELOW!!! Jungli arrived late and we talked for a while, as both of us ate dinner. I was feeling incredibly lethargic and slow moving. Some days, you just can¢t move, while others you move at relative ease. I guess that it just depends on which day it is. Leaving the Rod Hollow Shelter, thru-hikers hit the infamous Roller Coaster, a 13.5-mile section with ten very steep ascents and descents. The Virginia corridor is very narrow here, leaving trail crews with little choice other than to route the path up and over these viewless and rocks ridges. It was certainly a bit rocky over the first few climbs, but as the sun was descending and I managed to catch up to Jungli, we decided to camp by a river. She made a wonderful spiced tea, which I thoroughly enjoyed and I made a nice warm fire. I ¢cowboy¢ camped, which I have done many times before, where I do not set up my tent and simply camp out in the open without any semblance of structure overhead. SKUNK STORY: This was a story that I read while in the Rod Hollow Shelter...sheer brilliance I tell you!Soo¢¦today is my 23rd birthday (Yay!) ¢ which is wonderful and exciting and all ¢ and may perhaps be my most memorable birthday¢¦ever. Not for the fact that I am spending it in the woods, which of course is lovely, but we were woken up at 5:30 am by a raging rabid skunk, which you may have passed¢¦and so is the story of: RABID SKUNK VS. EARLY BEAR. The skunk began by ripping at our tent (at 5:30 am). I tried to scare it off and eventually punched it in its face. The skunk ran off only to come back and try coming back again and again. After screaming at the top of our lungs, the skunk leaves us alone and starts terrorizing Early Bear¢s tent. We throw a bag of urine out (too scared to pee outside) and left a small opening in our meshing. Thought the beast was gone only to discover that it was climbing into our tent! After the Beaver (thru-hiker) kicked it multiple times, the skunk sprayed us so we ran out of our tents stark-ass naked. The both of us in our birthday suits (ha ha) were chased around by this evil rabid abomination. I finally had enough sense to throw a rock at it (hit it) and it left¢¦momentarily. We all decide to drag our tents and belongings away from the area in case we were disturbing its den. As we were trying to pack up, THE F**KER FLANKED US!!! It came in for another attack, while we tried to scare it off, this threatening us with an upturned tail. Early Bird chased it off and we gathered up our stuff enough to run down the trail a mile and finishing dressing and eating onced confronted by OG. As we were hiking ¢ while in our camp shoes and carrying most of our stuff in hand ¢ and almost a full mile and a half away ¢ Early Bear screams, ¢THE F**KING SKUNK BIT ME!!!¢ The rabid skunk had stalked us and kept pace only to jump on Early Bear¢s leg and bite him on the foot. Therefore, Early Bear swears to hell the thing and chases after him with his six foot hiking stick, whacking the silent killer a couple of times before it runs off into the woods. OG runs back into the woods and we tell our sordid story (truly a story of survival and courage). We hike on a little farther to check on Early Bear¢s wound realizing that he may have just contracted rabies. OG stood guard on the trail with a can of pepper spray while we hurriedly put our shoes on. Then, all of a sudden, the evil beast was running down the trail ¢ after us again! So, after Early Bear throws a rock at it, OG sprays it with pepper spray. The zombiesque monster halts and finally starts going crazy from the spray only to flank us AGAIN! So, in the spirit of vengeance (rightful) and for the safety of our fellow thru-hikers, Early Bear grabs his righteous rod of destruction, and bludgeons the life out of the evil son-of-a-bitch. Thus we trudge on while Early Bear is getting his rabies shots¢¦his sacrifice burning forever in our hearts while the skunk rots in hell. THE ENDSigned: Prairie Dog 6/3/09