Date: 2008-09-27
To: Luray, VA
Miles today: 81.0

Whoa! Can you believe Florida just lost to Ole Miss?!? Anyway, here's the update:Harpers Ferry, W.Va. - David Lesser Shelter - Day 82 - 1165.3 - 1174.1 - September 21stI truly love how plans while on the trail always change. Stretch didn't feel like going to see the city, so after a great breakfast and some more relaxing, we headed to Harpers Ferry with the Hammonds for a picnic lunch and to meet up with Drew. Michael, Will, & Boyd headed down the trail with us for a while and the left. Thanks again for the incredibly generous hospitality!!! Drew, Stretch, & I ended up doing a fairly simple 8.8 today instead of just doing a couple. The shelter tonight is really nice with a deck! Tomorrow we will go under 1000 miles to go. Not thousands to go but rather hundreds to go!David Lesser Shelter - Sam Moore Shelter - Day 83 - 1174.1 - 1188.2 - September 22ndNice short first full day with Drew today. We stopped in at the Bears Den Hostel/Center for lunch. It was a really nice place. After that, we continued on for a short distance to the shelter we're at tonight. We've done half of the Rollercoaster (a series of 10 ascents and descents over 13.5 miles) so far and it hasn't been too bad. We're going to finish it tomorrow and cross over the 1200 mile mark. 988 to go!Sam Moore Shelter - Manassas Gap Shelter - Day 84 - 1188.2 - 1207.9 - September 23rdToday was a nice full day. After finishing the last 5 hills of the Rollercoaster (which were not so easy), we went through the last 13 miles pretty easily. The highlight of the day was hiking through Big Meadows State Park, a location of Civil War battle and history. It was a large section of open meadow on top of a ridge that was gorgeous. Yearbook caught up to us at the shelter tonight and moved on to the next shelter because he is meeting family later this week. After a nice game of National Parks Monopoly in the shelter tonight (dominated by Slot Machine despite Stretch's challenge), I'm ready for bed!Manassas Gap Shelter - Denton Shelter - Day 85 - 1207.9 - 1213.4 - September 24thAfter the first 4.4 miles, we walked into town (Linden) and grabbedour mail drops and headed further into town to get BBQ lunch at the Apple House. It was delicious! We then decided to grab some hot dogs and call it an early day only 1.1 miles further down the trail. After getting a hitch from a fellow backpacker, we enjoyed the rest of the day at the shelter. The hot dogs were great and the poker game was also fun...on towards Shenandoah tomorrow!Denton Shelter - Gravel Springs Shelter - Day 86 - 1213.4 - 1232.0 - September 25thAfter a restful afternoon yesterday, we ehaded off and trucked it into the park. Just a couple of miles into the park, we ran into a huge black bear not too far away from the 3 of us (we were standing next to its fresh poo). After letting it run away, we finished the rest of the miles before the rain began. Mothballs and 2 Liter are also here tonight. Shorter day tomorrow in the rain before heading to Luray Saturday!Gravel Springs Shelter - Pass Mtn. Shelter - Day 87 - 1232.0 - 1245.1 - September 26thBoring rainy day today. Besides getting soaked today and seeing a bunch of large deer, lunch at the Wayside would be the highlight of the day. Drew got a hitch at the Wayside to Harpers Ferry and drove back to the park and hiked in to the shelter up to where Stretch and I ended the day (and he hiked in some torts for the night!). We're looking forward to Luray tomorrow!Pass Mtn. Shelter - Luray, VA - Day 88 - 1245.1 - 1246.1 - September 27thAfter hiking a mile to Drew & his car on Skyline Drive, we drove to Wal-Mart to resupply and get snacks for today. Thankfully, the Best Western here let us check-in super early at 9am. We have since freshened up, eaten, done laundry, and are now watching football in the room while resting. Drew has headed back home this afternoon and it is down to just Stretch & myself again. I hope the Dawgs can pull it off tonight with all of the upsets so far this week...we'll see!!!