Date: 2005-06-27
From: Pass Mountain Hut 

To: Gravel Spring Hut 
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: broken clouds

I am sitting atop the third peak of Hogback Mountain, having a Snickers, taping my heel and playing hare and hound (more on this later). It has been a good day. I am still three miles from my day¢s destination, but I am at 3440 feet right now, sitting in the shade cast by a large elderberry bush and on a boulder that overlooks Shenandoah Valley far below. It's hazy, so the view is limited. I am beginning to understand the excitement some hikers express when they arrive at an overlook. There are so many trees here, that people rarely get to see awide expanse. As I hike through the green tunnel, I have noticed that I feel different when I finally reach an open area where the sunshine falls on me unfiltered by a canopy of trees.But, I digress... The highest point of today's hike is on the second peak of Hogback Mountain, only three tenths of a mile further and only thirty five feet higher, but I have to drop down to the road again first before I start up it.Last night as I slept in the shelter which was also occupied by three other hikers, Calves, Sparrow, and Magic Touch, I was awakened by a lot of noise: the sound of someone's pack being opened and rifled through. How rude, I thought. I turned on my light and shined it on a pair of raccoons robbing Sparrows pack. They had the contents of her pack spread around on the ground. The big one was only a foot from my pillow, but they both made a hasty retreat when they realized they'd been discovered. They then went to the tents of History and Bulldog to try to steal their stuff.About Hare and Hound - Calves has been playing that game with me. Not by mutual consent, but he simply waits around till I've had a chance to get well up the trail, then he hikes fast and hard to catch up and pass. Then it seems he slows and talks until I slow enough for him to get beyond a comfortable speaking distance. Several days now, this has been the norm. I usually take my breaks on the trail, finding a rock or log to sit on as I snack and air my feet. So, to make this unofficial game more interesting, I decided to rest off the trail when I felt he would be catching up. *hehe*The reason he is called Calves is because his calves are huge. He is about 35 and well built and toned. He told me he has no body fat and high metabolism. He's fun and I'm enjoying his company these last few days. Can't wait till I walk in to the hut and see his reaction. This morning, I rose and got a rather late start because I knew I didn't want to arrive at Elks Wallow Wayside too early for a phone call home. I would phone home and get some ice cream to mark my mid-point. Yes. Less than 1,087.45 miles to Caratunk! Anyway, I started hiking and after about four miles I saw a large bear standing on the trail. I started taking pics when Calves caught up. We walked on, and soon Calves was well ahead. I arrived at the Wayside at 11:45 and had my ice cream and a Pepsi and called home for an update on Don. Then I hit the trail again (Calves told me he'd hang around for another 30 minutes - the game is on) and when I was summiting the fourth peak of Hogback, I saw a momma bear and a cub on the trail. I fumbled for my camera as the mother took off into the woods at high speed and the cubs scrambled up trees. Of thethree cubs, the closest cub chose a tree that was very close to me, but I felt OK with the mother several hundred feet away. The little guy kept saying, "Mmmm! ... Mmmm!" I took a lot of pics until I heard the mother crashing through the woods towards me. She stopped short though, and I felt I was pressing my luck, so I hiked on. I crossed Skyline Drive and ascended peak three and... here I am, thinking I should get moving again. More later.So here I am at the hut. When I arrived Calves said, "How did this happen!" *hehe* Two points for me.I saw a black snake sleeping on the trail. I stepped by him, then turned around and stepped on his tail just to piss him off. It worked.On the blue blaze trail leading to the hut, I saw a ring snake with a white ring around his neck. I think they usually have red rings, so maybe it's not actually a ring snake. There are a lot people here tonight. Seven are tenting, four in the hut, including me.