Date: 2015-06-14
From: WaynesBoro

To: Bluemont, VA
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: broken clouds

WooHoo, I have reached Northbound milepost 1000.   A big round number.   I am at the Bears Den Hostel, which is at NB milepost 1003. That is near the town of Bluemont, VA, which is near the town of Purcellville, VA.   I have four miles left of the state of Virginia.   I then walk something like 30 miles in West Virginia, including Harpers Ferry, WV   Then comes 40 miles in Maryland and then 200+ miles in Pennsylvania. I think.   If I'm wrong it will soon become apparent what's next. But that part is in the future. I am glad to be essentially done with the state of Virginia.   Virginia continued to have more vertical up and down than I'd like. But I was warned that Virginia was no easier than the previous states. But the AT in Virginia stretches about 530 miles, and that is the cause of the "Virginia Blues" - a very long time without crossing a state line. The last several hundred miles have been criss-crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway as well as the Skyline drive in Shenandoah National Park.   I didn't care for it that much. Too much car and especially too much motorcycle traffic.   The views of the Appalachian mountains are the same as all the previous views.   So a lot of "been there- done that".   Once you see the Appalachian mountains a few dozen times, they all look the same.   They can be nice, but usually I am focused on walking the next miles. It has been hot - too hot.   Temps are in the 80's (I think - my REI thermometer is not quite right), and it is humid.   I remain thankful for the "green tunnel" shade. If I was in the direct sun, that would be really bad. Unfortunately, I guess I can expect 2 1/2 months of hot and humid weather from now until late August.   Oh well, it's summer.   I The Shendoah NP has four 'waysides" where I could get pop (or, better yet, milk), even a meal, and resupply, albeit at inflated prices.   So I have hardly been to town for the past 200 miles. I have not taken a shower nor washed my clothes in about 2 weeks. So I am due!, and I will do that in the next hours. And I pushed myself hard to get to this point on this date.   Making the SNP more unpleasant was that I was bitten by a fellow hikers dog at the beginning of SNP, at one of the waysides.   The dog did not break my skin, but I was none too pleased. The dog owners said they were sorry.   So, did that make it right for their dog to try to bite me?   I think not.   Those hikers + dog continued to hike at my same pace all though the SNP, so I constantly saw them. I HATE dogs on the AT.   They don't belong on the trail. Leave your dog at home.   The shelters and related campsites in SNP were crowned. The first shelter in SNP had about 20 tents there, and no good space for me when I arrived late, as I usually do. So, for the last week or so, I have been mostly "stealth" camping at any available but unobtrusive spot I could find. At this hostel, kind of in the woods, I can not upload photos, which is typical of hostel service. So no photos will be uploaded now.   I am taking a multi-day break in the DC area now.   I will resume on the trail in a few days. Time for me to go take a shower!