Date: 2016-04-20
From: Skyline 92.4 - Back To Waynesboro

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 48.8
Weather: clear sky

Brave, an extraordinary trail angel who has already helped me and other thru-hikers, continues to amaze. Brave coordinated shuttles for thru-hikers to drive us around the Shenandoah National Park fire. Anne was my latest trail angel. Anne picked me up at Waynesboro's Quality Inn and drove me to Swift Run Gap, where we are permitted to hike north of the fire. I hiked 17.6 miles today but am showing 48.8 in order to accurately display where I finished hiking on the trail today.Anne's driving was so much more than a ride. As I was driven, I got a glimpse of the Shenandoah National Park fire through Anne. Mountain range views that should've appeared were obliterated from the fire's ashen clouds. Anne understood the Shenandoah National Park fire from the perspective of nature's burning today to enable tomorrow's regeneration but was so saddened by the reality of that fire and the removal of beauty she knew so well. We drove passed sections of seemingly active fire that was spewing violent-looking pillars of smoke. Blue sky eventually appeared; an indication that my AT hike was about to continue. A huge thanks to Anne for her kindness and sharing and my hope that she will experience the beauty of this park's regeneration. And thanks to Brave for bringing Anne and me together today.It felt odd to begin at a new location; my AT hike's continuity was broken. It was past noon when I began hiking, that was odd too. If not painfully aware of the fire's brutality that was raging south of me, I'd be hiking on a warm, beautiful day. I heard music as I stopped for a snack. It became louder and soon I heard "Rabbit!!!" Rambo is the only hiker I know who periodically plays music without earphones. Through the fire's shutting down sections of the AT, we'd been taken to a safe section to hike. We were able to hike together again and Rambo quickly introduced me to Bonnie & Clyde. These two seemed larger than life just like the pair whose names they'd taken as trail names. Bonnie & Clyde began their northbound thru-hike in November 2015. They'd camped for days in multiple feet of snow. They'd gone off trail for 12 days to a hostel to let Bonnie recover from a badly sprained ankle. Clyde currently hikes with a broken bone in his foot but hikes faster than anyone I've seen. When asked about his speed and his ankle, Clyde pounds his chest and speaks of his heart. This group's hiking pattern consists of Clyde tearing ahead with Rambo only to stop and wait for Bonnie to catch-up, and now for me to catch-up too. Rambo has hiked with Bonnie and Clyde for a few days so he told me a bit about them. They hail from New York and have known each other since they were teenagers. Clyde proposed to Bonnie on McAfee Knob and plans have already been made to be married on Mt. Katahdin's summit when they get there. This couple exudes fun and a spirit of enjoying this trail and their time sharing it together. I told Rambo how lucky he was to have come across these two, but he already knew that.Our destination for tonight was agreed upon. It would be a push to Big Meadows Campground but we all wanted to get in a meaningful hike today after being sidelined. Night came and I was separated from the three of them who were ahead trying to make arrangements for the night's stay. Darkness wasn't my friend and I found myself hiking with a horrible sense that I'd somehow missed a white blaze's turn. The trail was rocky and passed through edges that seemed uncomfortably exposed in the darkness. I seriously considered turning around since it seemed like forever since I'd seen a white blaze or a stone pillar that provides navigation directions in Shenandoah National Park. I chose to push forward and then saw buildings that I understood to be Big Meadows Lodge. But the trail then took me away from the light of those buildings and that was disconcerting too. Finally, a pillar directing me to the campground. But my hiking partners weren't there so I began going in one direction and then another trying to find them. In the distance were three headlamps and I quickly moved to them. They had first gone to the Lodge to try to register there. We headed to the Campground's office and quickly entered the campground's laundry room that had lights and heat. It was cold outside so we took the opportunity to open our packs and put on clothing for tonight's sleep. Another camper arrived and she explained the camp and how the sites were set up for cars or campers. Since she just had a tent, she said we could all easily fit in her site. So we went there. I fumbled with my tent's setup. Clyde eventually broke away from the picnic table to offer help just as I was finally getting the tent's rods inserted as the first part of the setup. We ate and hoisted our bear bags. As we settled in for the night in the darkness, Rambo said how happy he was to be together again. Clyde added how he was enjoying it too. And I finished it with my concurrence. It seemed we were a long way from where we each started today.