Date: 2005-09-07
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Bears Den Hostel, VA
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: clear sky

19.9 miles todayBears Den Hostel, Va.I'm in Virginia!!! I was up until 2:30 this morning going through my bounce box, getting my maps ready for the next section, answering emails and watching commercials on TV. It was good to get everything done and ready for moving on in the morning. I woke up at 7am and went down to the continental breakfast. I stayed at the Comfort Inn and they actually had a pretty good breakfast selection, but the coffee wasn't even close to being as good as mine. :-))) I took the tray of biscuits and sausage gravy, 3 donuts, yogurt, cereal, apple juice and coffee up to my room. I ate all that while I was watching The Weather Channel. It looks like the nice weather is going to continue for a while. I went back down and got a couple more donuts, yogurt and cereal and went back to the room and finished that off. I checked out of the motel at 8:40 and walked up to the PO and mailed my bounce box ahead about 400 miles down the trail. The bugs have disappeared, so I sent my Deet in the bounce box too. Looks like I made it through another bug season. Woohoo!!! I headed up to the ATC office and waited until they opened at 9am. I saw a hat I liked and decided to make a wardrobe improvement, so I walked out of there sportin' a new hat with an A.T. emblem on it. I said goodbye to Lorrie, Mara and Mosey and headed for the trail. I finally got out of town and headed south. I walked across a bridge over the Shenandoah River. It's quite an impressive river and looks like it would be fun to kayak. Next was a climb up to Loudoun Heights which was about a 1000 foot climb. On the down to Keys Gap, I saw my first deer of the day. There was a sheriff at the trailhead writing down license tag numbers of the cars parked there. At least that's what it looked like he was doing. I hiked on and saw 2 more deer bound off just before I got to David Lesser Shelter. I ordered a "Special Italian Hoagie" with my dinner last night to pack out for lunch today, so I got that out and ate it while I was walking. I was just finishing my hoagie when I came to a painted rock that said it was 1000 miles to Springer. I hadn't seen that rock before, but I liked that it was there. I climbed up to Buzzard Rocks and then on by the trail that leads to Blackburn Center. I kept going and saw 3 deer take off, then shortly after that, I saw another one run off. These deer in this area seem extra wary. I climbed up to The Lookout before heading down to Devils Racecourse, a boulder field that I had to walk over. I saw another skidish deer just before I got to Sand Spring. I needed water. It was only 4 miles to Bears Den, but decided to get water here rather than wait for those 4 miles. I walked down to Sand Spring and as I got to the upper spring, I saw what I think was a copperhead snake hiding in the rocks in the spring. He moved quickly back into the spring where I couldn't see him. I decided to go to the lower spring and get water...I just didn't really want to find out if that was a copperhead. I drank a litre and carried out a litre. It was a short climb to Crescent Rock before heading down and crossing into Virginia from West Virginia at 2:55pm. I said hello to Pamela when I got there. I also took a self portrait in front of the sign with my new hat on. :-))) I had a few more little 300 foot ups and downs before I got to Snickers Gap where I crossed the busy Rt 7. I had one last 300 foot climb up to the side trail to Bears Den Hostel. I walked up to the rear door of the hostel and Queen Diva yelled hello to me from upstairs. It was great seeing her again but she wanted me to shower before I went upstairs to talk...hummm, she knows hikers pretty well. :-))) I got a coke and saw the other person staying here in the bunkroom tonight. Her name is Scarf and I met her earlier when she was hiking a section in NY. She's doing a section down here and finishing tomorrow. She got her trail name because of the way she scarfs down food. :-))) I got my shower and went and talked to Queen Diva. I got the REAL story about when Moosie was here. ;-))) It was quite different from what Moosie told me. Ha!!! Queen Diva invited Scarf, Gerhardt...a guest with a car and me to dinner. It was great!! She made fresh zucchini out of her garden, some scalloped potatoes and left over meat loaf. The first plateful was so good that I found room for a second plateful. :-))) Queen Diva has cooked dinners for over 1800 hikers this year. I can't even begin to imagine what that must have been like. What an angel!! We enjoyed an evening of talk and remembering other hikers, when the talk turned back to when Moosie was here. He's always so much fun to talk about. :-))) When Moosie started talking about how Queen Diva could slackpack him to Pennsylvania, she said she had to practically kick him out to get him walking north again like a real backpacker. She was worried he was thinking about changing his mailing address to here. :-))) Queen Diva asked me about Moosie's wife. She was wondering who had to live with Moosie. I told her all about Mrs Moosie and what a wonderful person she is. Sorry Moosie.....you just make it so easy. Ha!!! ;-))) I was winding down fast because I haven't had alot of sleep the last 2 nights, so I headed on down to my bunk for the night. Thanks for being here, Queen Diva...you are a very good friend that I always look forward to seeing.Thanks for that fantastic dinner too!!!