Date: 2019-07-02
From: Calf Mountain Shelter (VA)

To: Blackrock Hut (VA)
Miles today: 13.0

The slumber party got going early this morning. Everyone was excited for the day, so SC was awakened earlier than usual which meant we started earlier than usual.The shelter we were staying was .3 miles off the trail and the water was on the path between the trail and the shelter .2 miles from the trail. Anyway, I had filled up last night, so I didn¢t stop for water on the way back to the trail. There was a trail reroute almost as soon as we got on the trail. It rerouted us around the next water source. Then there was one source about 1.5 miles from the shelter. It would be our last water source until we reached the next shelter (this time it would be called a ¢hut¢), about 12 miles away.The six of us ladies all stopped at that source to fill up on water. It was hot too, which made the situation a little more difficult. We saw the tenters throughout the day as well. When we left, the guy in the hammock appeared to still be sleeping. We didn¢t see him again. I imagine that he¢s still at that shelter waiting for someone tall enough to help him retrieve his food bag from the bear pole.Today we had relatively easy terrain, but the heat made it difficult. Early on I passed some ripe wineberries, and then I was mad at myself later for passing them up. Later I saw blueberries, so I stopped and picked a bunch for a nice snack. We were also offered ¢trail magic¢ by a couple of older guys out with backpacks full of honeybuns, fig newtons, and peanut butter crackers. Unfortunately I have to turn these down. SC on the other hand gets to experience her first honeybun. It¢s a thru-hiking staple for many because of its calorie to weight ratio. At one point in the afternoon it started thundering. SC, the hammocker, and I all put on our waterproof pack covers, ensuring that it would not rain. .8 miles before Blackrock Hut there was a sign stating that ¢due to aggressive bear activity¢ the hut was still available to hikers but tenting was closed. Between Calf Mountain Shelter and Blackrock Hut there were 3 miles of trail closed to ¢dispersed camping¢ (camping in places that are not official, established campsites).  There were no other official campsites, and like I mentioned above, 12 miles without water sources. You pretty much had to do 13 miles (+ the .3 between Calf Mountain and the trail). More warning than .8 miles would have been helpful, especially because we were hiking with 2 new hikers. 13 miles is a big day to begin with when you¢re just starting out. They had opened up a picnic area to tenting, but it was another 2.5 miles. Also you had to go down to Blackrock Hut because of the water situation. So a 13.5-mile day could into 15.8 real fast. That¢s what last night¢s tenters decided to do. They came down to get water and then went on to the picnic area to tent, but they are thru-hikers so they had no problem with that distance.Then, as it was just starting to get dark, the woman who was on day five of her hike arrived. She ran out of water and decided that she would take the road for a 3-mile section instead of the trail. She figured that maybe someone would see her and stop to offer her some water. And someone did! Anyway, 13 miles was the biggest day she had done so far. She announced that she would hike to the campground tomorrow and then take a zero day.It is the same 5 women in the shelter again tonight. The hammocker also joined us by hanging her hammock along the entrance to the shelter. We called her a bear burrito.