Date: 2005-05-17
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Miles hiked today : 18.215.3 AT miles + 2.9 miles of side trailI woke up this morning at 6:55 a.m. and was packed and hiking at 7:45 a.m. 10 minutes later, I arrived at the side trail to Hawksbill, the second highest point in Shenandoah National Park. I spent 45 minutes on the 1.8 mile round trip side trip and was pleased to find that the summit was home to a Peregrine Falcon habitat.Back on the trail, at 9:55 a.m., I reached a grassy meadow that smelled strongly of manure. I had arrived at Skyland Ranch and took a 20 minute rest break and enjoyed a root beer while watching the horses watch me. Amusingly, the two horses in the stalls closest to me were named Jim and Pete, which are the names of my paternal Grandfather and his late brother. I snapped a picture of the horses along with their name placards and moved out.I headed up the trail and took the 0.5 mile side trail loop to the summit of Stony Man, which is the third highest point in the park. The views from Stony Man were spectacular.At 12:20 p.m., I reached the 11.3 mile mark at Pinnacles Picnic Area and stopped for a break. On site were picnickers Kevin and Ruth Ann Cahill of Kentucky and, as I sat down, Ruth asked me whether I had any food. I told her that I had a bit and next thing I knew, she was offering me many goodies. I was fortunate to receive a box of granola bars, 2 rice krispy treats, four snack size bags of chips, a bag of trail mix, a can of pear halves, and a can of baked beans. I ate the rice krispy treats and all 4 bags of chips and talked with Kevin and Ruth for about 30 minutes until they left the picnic area. I relaxed for another 10 minutes and then began hiking again at 1:00 p.m.As I hiked on, I came across a group of 13 large birds circling just beyond the edge of the cliffs past Byrds Nest #3 Picnic Shelter. I believe that they were peregrine falcons and as I moved closer to a rock outcropping to snap a photograph, I heard a noise coming from the rocks. I could see wings flapping, and as I moved closer, the flapping intensified and out came a bird with a red colored head and a large dark body. It was a wild turkey! It scuttled down the hillside before I could snap a picture, and I may be mistaken, but I also saw one of the large birds fly away from where the turkey had been. I know that peregrine falcons prey on smaller birds like blue jays, but turkeys?Continuing on, I reached the side trail to Marys Rock at 2:30 p.m. and spent 15 minutes on the 0.2 mile round trip side trip. The views were phenomenal and, later on, at Thornton Gap, I read an information sign detailing how Marys Rock got its name. Apparently, way back when, a very young Mary Thornton climbed up the hill to the top of the rock by herself and came down the hill carrying a bear cub under each arm.From Thornton Gap, it was 1.4 miles to Pass Mountain Hut, though it felt like more. I arrived at the hut at 4:10 p.m. and ate a large dinner before spending some time reading. Later in the evening, I rallied some of the other hikers to gather fire wood and before long, we had a nice fire going. While gathering fire wood, I saw a single deer, the only one I'd seen today. I journaled while sitting in front of the fire, which may become a nightly affair if the weather stays cold.Bedtime at 9:45 p.m.