Date: 2007-06-20
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: scattered clouds

It rained over night and the vegetation along the trail kept my legs and boots wet much of the day. Clouds were hanging low around the ridges and few views would be had this day. Crossing the tops of South Marshall and North Marshall mountains, the wind was gusty and strong and the clouds were racing by. Today was a day for pressing on up the trail and getting to town as quickly as possible. I planned to resupply in Front Royal and was looking forward to a shower and real bed. For this reason, I bypassed the Terrapin Station Hostel at Compton Gap that other hikers had told me was highly recommended.The last few miles of trail before reaching US Hwy 522 was along the fenceline for the National Zoo and Research Center. The trail ran right along a tall (10') very stout woven wire fence that was draped with Virginia Creeper and Poison Ivy vines. I kept peering through the fence where vines allowed a view in hopes of spotting some animal from another continent grazing in the large fields inside the fence. However, no animals were to be seen, only recently cut hayfields. I also kept looking for a sign hanging on the fence that was supposed to say "No Trespassing, Violators will be Eaten!", but never saw it. It would have made a great photo!When I got to US Hwy 522 I found a very narrow road with no shoulder on the west-bound lane into Front Royal onto a which a car could pull off to pick me up. There was a great deal of traffic in both directions and this looked to be a difficult place to hitchhike. My notes had said it was a "easy" hitch but I was skeptical. After nearly an hour of waiting with my thumb out a car finally pulled over. Inside was Mello who was hitching back to Front Royal from a trail section further north. He had recognized me and asked the driver to stop. Thanks very Much Mello!We ended up sharing a room at a Motel in the Center of town and spent the rest of the day doing laundry, drying out all of our gear by hanging it all over the fence around the hotel, shopping for supplies for the next section, and repacking new supplies. Mello also set up his Henry Shires Rainbow tarptent for me to look at. I am becoming more and more unhappy with the poor performance of my Lunar Solo tarptent. The Lunar Solo is fine when it doesn't rain, but when it rains water tends to pool on some part of the canopy if it is not pitched perfectly. I have rarely found a perfectly level campsite and I am getting tired of getting wet from water coming in from the pools on the canopy. It is very light weight, but the weight savings is not worth much when I get wet. I have heard nothing but good things about the Rainbow and everyone I have met who has one seems to really like them, and no one gets wet like I seem to do on a regular basis. After I dried and repacked all my gear I sent Henry Shires an email asking how long it would take to order one and where he might be able to mail it to me. I also talked with Dave and set up a time to meet him at the Snickers Gap road crossing. It will be great to see him and his family again. Besides, my feet and right ankle could use a bit more of a break than just a quick over night in town once every 10 days or so.