Date: 2005-09-12
From: Baldface Mountain, VA

To: 30 minutes south of Blackrock Gap, VA
Miles today: 32.3

32.3 miles today30 minutes south of Blackrock GapShenandoah National Park, Va. I woke up at 6am after a good nights sleep. I brewed my Starbucks coffee and had a poptart and a piece of carrot cake for breakfast. I got packed up and was walking by 7:10am. I had an easy 4 mile walk down to Swift Run Gap before I climbed 800 feet up to the summit of Hightop Mountain. There was a nice view, but alot of ozone out today. I walked on a couple more minutes and came to a nice little boxed spring. I sat down and took a 15 minute break while I drank some water and filled up my water bottles. I put my backpack on and I realized that I've either got to start eating more or get a smaller waist belt for my pack. That's an easy one...bring on the food. :-))) On my way down the mountain, I heard a bear off to my left. It was fairly thick over that way. I kept trying to spot it, but never did. My mother will be proud of me for not going to investigate. :-))) I walked by Hightop Hut without stopping. It seems they put all the huts .2 miles off the trail and when I'm going by, I don't stop if I don't need water. I continued on down to Smith Roach Gap and then down to Powell Gap before I went up and over a 700 foot bump. From Simmons Gap, I went up Weaver Mountain and down to Pinefield Gap. On the way up from Powell Gap, I was just walking along and all of a sudden about 8 or 9 grouse flew up from next to where I was at on the trail. Those buggers make your heart skip a beat or two when they take off because it's always right next to you and it's quick and noisy. Today seemed more like a roller coaster with all the small ups and downs than the other day when I really walked over The Roller Coaster. I stopped by the trailhead to Pinefield Hut and took about a 10 minute break. I continued the up and down day with a couple more 500 foot bumps and back down, then up 700 feet to the top of Loft Mountain. I went down a few hundred feet and back up a couple hundred and finally got to the side trail to the campstore at Loft Mountain Campground at 3pm. I had thought about taking a break about an hour earlier, but knew I'd be sitting for a while when I got to the campstore. I don't usually get that tired from walking, but I was ready for this break. I drank a 32 ounce Gatorade before I even got it to the counter to pay for it. I bought a soda and went outside and ate an early dinner. I finished off the cheese I had along with a 6 ounce garlic summer sausage and some Wheat Thins. I could feel my energy coming back. I think I was just extra thirsty and hungry. I ended up spending 1 1/2 hours there. There was a nice breeze coming through where I was sitting so I cooled down nicely. I finally hiked on at 4:30. The next 4 miles were very easy and went by fast. I started up out of Browns Gap and saw a bear. I had been walking uphill for about 5 minutes and was in my normal climbing zone. I looked up just as the bear was about 35 feet in front of me. He looked at me at the same time and took off up the hill. I wish I could move that fast. :-))) He was probably about 150 pounds and pure black. The next 2 1/2 miles were uphill to Blackrock Mountain. It was a fairly easy uphill, then I walked down and past Blackrock Hut without stopping. I kept going to Blackrock Gap, then up and down another 2 small 300 foot bumps before I found a nice spot to set up my tent. I had seen 2 turkeys in the trail just before I got here. My Shenandoah National Park/John Galt deer count is up to 32. I really thought I'd have seen at least 4 times that many by now. Maybe they moved some out of here or something. I'm not seeing any bucks this time through. They're all does and older fawns.