Date: 2018-10-19
From: Black Rock Gap

To: Paul C Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: clear sky

It's time to knock out my final section in Virginia. Back in June my daughter Snickers and I headed south through Shenandoah National Park and stopped at Black Rock Gap, twenty miles north of the park's southern end at Rockfish Gap. When I went back later in June I headed north from Daleville, 140 miles south of Black Rock Gap, intending to link up the sections. But humidity and rain slowed me down and I stopped at Reeds Gap, almost twenty miles south of Rockfish Gap. So a forty mile section remains. I plan to finish it in two days, heading south so I don't need to pay to drive into the park and leave my car.The forecast is for gorgeous hiking weather - cool and clear. But that's a blessing and a curse. The one shuttle driver available in the area is insanely busy with hikers taking advantage of the fine weather. To fit into his schedule I end up leaving my home near Philadelphia at three in the morning for an 8am pickup at Reeds Gap. It's dark for the first four hours of the drive, then around seven I can see the dim golden silhouette of the Shenandoah ridge to my right as I whiz down I-81.I'm early, and a hiker wanders into the small lot at Reeds Gap as I pull out the pack. Adam "Stanimal" Stanley, the shuttler, pulls up minutes later to pick us both up. The other hiker, Daniel, has been out for six days coming north from the James River. He tells us he hasn't worn his hearing aid the whole time. At this time of year, there's few enough folks around it probably never mattered.Adam drops Daniel off in Waynesboro and we head up Skyline Drive. Adam also owns two hiker hostels and a number of long-term rental homes/trailers, and rents rooms on AirBnB. That and shuttling keep him extremely busy. Constant staff turnover makes it difficult. And now Virginia is hassling him and all the other shuttle drivers in the state to register as cab drivers, a move probably instigated by a local cab company. If the state continues, it will likely drive most of those shuttlers to stop offering rides. Uber, meanwhile, is untouched. Adam seems to know every ranger in the park, a necessity to make for smooth entry and transit through the lengthy park. Newbie rangers sometimes give his drivers a hard time until they understand that they are helping hikers. In fact rangers often call the shuttlers when they find an injured hiker rather than do all the paperwork required to give them a ride in the ranger vehicle.Anyway, off I go from Black Rock Gap. It was close to freezing this morning but is headed into the 50s. The low humidity is amazing! I feel strong and energized. The terrain is smooth and grades are relatively easy. Few views, but the forest is green and alive without the oppressive heat of summer. I find myself dashing down the trail. By noon, three hours in, I've gone almost 11 miles. This may be a personal record.I stop at a power line cut near Jarman Gap to eat lunch and soak up the warm sun. There's a hazy view into the Shenandoah valley to the west showing farms and clusters of homes with blue mountains beyond. Lunch is half of a chicken salad hoagie I picked up on the drive down. Section hiking does have its advantages!Climbing north out of Beagle Gap up to Bear Den mountain I hear barking down below from the parking area. Sure sounds like beagles! Fortunately no bear growls from the other direction. Bear Den mountain is capped with numerous communications towers. Off to one side of the trail is a fire circle with tractor seats planted in the ground as chairs. One of the many quirky sights along the AT.As I cross Little Calf Mountain with beautiful views from the grassy summit, I begin to feel the miles. Seems early to be wearing down, and I realize I'm dehydrated. Even on a cool day it can sneak up on you. Water and snacks set me right again. The trail becomes rockier south of Little Calf and there are some steep climbs. But generally the trail descends to Rockfish Gap. Here I cross I-64 and Skyline Drive becomes the Blue Ridge Parkway. There's a street vendor called King Popcorn nearby where I grab a hot dog and soda. Not in the mood for popcorn after twenty miles of hiking.Onward south, where the trail is quite nice for the five miles to the Paul Wolfe Shelter. There are a number of swiftly flowing streams and springs with many cascades. There are also a number of enormous downed trees across the trail, some with a jungle of branches to twist through. Someone from the Old Dominion Trail Club needs to bring out a chainsaw (or three). What there is not much of are tent sites, so I'm glad I have plenty of time to get to the shelter. A few minutes after passing the ruins of an old stone cabin, I hear loud rustling uphill. Suddenly a bear cub clambors down a tree and runs off. As he's running a second one descends another tree, hits the ground, and follows. Then a third starts down, swinging around the trunk by his arms like a monkey! I'm too slow to get pictures. Then a fourth tree starts to rustle. A larger bear starts down and stops, listening. I bang my sticks so it knows where I am. It moves a little, but decides to remain in the tree, so I move on, having gotten a bit of grainy video. I'd heard this stretch south of Rockfish was known for bear sightings. This is the largest group of bears I've ever seen. This makes nine I've seen along the trail in five instances - two in Vermont, one in Wind Gap, PA, one each on two occasions in Shenandoah, and now this family of four. And I haven't been to Bear Central - the Smokies - yet.A short time later I pass an old family cemetery, a remnant of mountain life before the park pushed out the residents. Most of the simple stone markers are so weathered the markings have disappeared, but one is very clear. "M C" and underneath that "LOWE" and underneath that a faded name. I read it as a misspelling of "Love" from a mourning spouse.I finally reach the Wolfe Shelter around 5:30. I am the only one here. It has a covered deck with picnic table and two-level sleeping. There's a roaring stream fifty yards away. As I collect water a hiker named Joe comes up from the south. He's been out eight weeks, starting down near the Smokies. Seems like a nice guy, but hard to understand. He sets up his hammock away from the shelter but comes up to chat for a bit before dark. Night falls far earlier than I'm used to on the trail, but I take advantage of the opportunity for extra sleep. It's a very quiet night.