Date: 2018-09-29
From: Stealth @ 963.4

To: Mt. Home Cabbin Hostel
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: clear sky

Gotup and made it out of camp before Sodium and Rest Stop. They were inno hurry to leave. I found out as I hiked the first 10 minutes thismorning that I didn't cross the peak yesterday. It was actually .1miles further, so that was the first thing this morning. There was anice view of the valley below and I could see it from severaloverlooks.Sawsomething unusual today... I saw a deer in the trees and as it wasrunning away I saw two little white tails, so there were two deer. Then a few seconds later there was another deer on the other side ofthe trail. It crossed in front of me and joined the other two whohad stopped. It was twins and their mother. They had probably beenborn earlier in the year but they were still young. The motherstopped and the twins started nursing. Everything was fine for acouple of minutes and then mom decided that was enough and almoststepped on one of the twin's back as she walked away. I guess momwas trying to wean them, but I really did think she was going to stepon one of their backs. I guess the animal world is harsh sometimes.Crossedout of the park late this morning. It felt so good to have thatfinished. The trail turned rocky before leaving the park andcontinued the rest of the morning. I stopped at Tom Floyd Shelterfor an early lunch. Met Toots there packing up his gear for a latestart. He was killing time until some of his hiking buddies couldcatch up. I asked if one of the hikers he was waiting for wasStitches and he was surprised and asked how I knew Stitches since heand his group were SOBO and I was heading north. Told him I had metStitches in Harper's Ferry at the Teahorse Hostel. Crazy how thathappens. Toots also mentioned that a super guy named Tom had pickedhim up and taken him into Front Royal yesterday. When he said Tom Ijust knew it had to be Tom who gave me a ride from Harper's Ferry toThornton Gap a couple of days ago. Tom is a trail angel extrodinare. Toots said Tom mentioned dropping of an older lady at Thornton Gap,which is me. Amazing how many people you meet on the trail areconnected to others you meet on the trail later.Tootstook off and I finished lunch and got back on the trail. Took awrong turn and ended up kinda lost for a few minutes. Instead ofwhite blazes I was seeing blue blazes which means a side trail. Retraced my steps and got back on trail 10 minutes or so later. Hiked on to US 522 where the hostel is located.Crossedthe highway and turned east on the trail and ran into boards laid endto end to keep hikers from having to walk in grass covering puddles. I was glad they were there until the boards ran out and I had to walkseveral steps in the muddy water before there was another board. This happened 3-4 times. With all the water and mud on the trail, Ihad managed to keep my boots dry all day and now they were wet andcovered in mud just before reaching the hostel. Oh well, I tried.Reachedthe hostel around 3:45 and got checked in and showered and loaded mysupplies into my pack. Before I had checked in Alison from Open Armsin Luray texted me that I had left my pack cover at her hostel andshe had taken it to Front Royal so it would be there when I arrived. What a sweetheart! I hadn't even realized I'd left it.LaterLisa, hostel owner, took Traylor Swift (my roommate for the night)and I to the grocery and to get hamburgers and ice cream atSpelunker's. Mmmm good! What a good day! Slept like a log allnight.