Date: 2007-04-19
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter - The Shenandoahs!
Miles today: 123.6
Weather: light rain

4/19 27 miles!Finally hiking real miles in the Shenandoahs. 50's overcast, ideal hiking, but got no Zip today.lite drizzle at lunch time.2 section hikers told us they saw 2 bear cubs which Mama quickly treed and then oddly she too treed. Guess we should be on the lookout!So Guthook & I bearbagged our food at Pinefield Hut 27 miles. 881.3 miles total.Today we passed 40% done [870miles]!!!!4/20 28.6 miles!Early start at 0730MEGA blowdowns across the trail everywhere slowing our progress every step of the way. Several climbs today.Prior to the Shenandoahs we were paralleling and frequently crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway. Now it's Skyline Drive. But the perks are much betta!Shenandoahs are mostly for drivin visitors. So there are multiple roadside pulloffs, several with "Waysides" - FOOD grills that is. some with nice cabins and or plush lodges and mini convenience stores. So we plan to take advantage of all the food we can as well as resupply options!Today we hit the Lewis Mtn Campground/Cabins resupply store for some ice cream sandwiches, gatorade, carrot cake, and nutrition bars at about 4pm. Mmmmm.But the big goal was Big Meadows. We wouldn't make the 7pm Wayside Grill so we had no choice but to Dine in style at the REAL DEAL - The Lodge Restaurant at Big Meadows. Classy and quality food. They're open til 9. But we're starved.We took at break after about our 3rd real climb today, Hazeltop @1830 hours.We were 4.5 miles away from awesome food. We usually now average 2.5mph reliabely. Used to be only 2mph. We often push 3mph for 1 or 2 hours. Occassionally if it's easy terrain we can do betta. I have on day hikes done 4 or 4.5mph by running the last mile or two with a light pack. Similarly coming into town with ideal graded downhill switchbacks and soft terrain (NO ROCKS!) I've made great time. But today we achieved the unthinkable!We CRANKED 4.5 miles in 1 hour flat!!!! NO RUNNING. NO extended downhill. Moderate climbs. We just hiked mega fast and SUSTAINED. We couldn't beleive it ourselves. Pushing HARD the full hour. At one point I almost passed out, got wicked lightheaded, but instead kept hiking and chowed 600calories of nutrition bars without lettin up. AMAZING what food will do to motivate a hiker!Checked into our campsite on site since we didn't think we wanted to finish out the 33 mile day we contemplated, pitched the tarp, changed clothes and went to dinna. Prime Rib for me, Trout for Guthook. Potatoes, Veggies, Salad, a beer, Black Raspberry Ice Cream Pie with Merrangue $60 but it was worth it!Today we passed 900 miles! [909.9 miles]4/21 18.8 milesToday I split with Guthook and bailed early hoping to get off in Luray and catch a Saturday nite church service, and either get back on the trail tonite or tomorrow mornin and catch up to him.By 8am it was sunny and gettin warm already. uggh.Several climbs today.Stopped for breakfast at the Skland Service Rd Pollock Dining Room. 8 miles by 10am! Waffle with Blackberry Syrup, coffee, OJ, corned beef hash. Mmmmmm. Pricy but awesome. GREAT view overlooking the valley.Hit the road. several climbs eventually up to Mary's Rock, nice view and then the horrendous 2 mile descent over rocky terrain to the road.Arrived at Thorton Gap my exit point to town of Luray, VA by 1500. Had to hitch 8miles into town for church by 1700hours. Took forever to get a ride. Finally a service worker gave me a ride. Made town by 4pm. Hit LAME outfitter store, mixed up directions to church (wrong end of road-poor map) & hit cheezy resupply store a block from church, and squeeked in for 5pm mass.Got a ride from churchgoer back to the trail and hit the trail by 1815. Made it to the Pass Mtn Hut (Shelter) by 1830. Done. Whew! I pulled it off. Guthook was here and said he saw a bear at the road crossing! Bummer I missed it.So we again used the bear poles provided for our foodbags.That nite while I slept with my sleeping bag sinched up around my face, a mouse ran across my forehead. Mice are very common in the shelters and we usually hang our foodbags even in the shelter so they don't naw into them. I've had them run across my chest before but this was ridiculous! Yikes!!4/22 23.6 milesEarly start at 0715. 7.4 miles by 0945. Today we hit the Elkwallow Wayside for breakfast. Just a grill. Quite disappointing after our last deluxe meals!!Breakfast sandwiches, hashbrowns, OJ, gatorade and finally the last opportunity to enjoy the local specialty, Blackberry Milkshake which was awesome!!!SO FULL. tuff to get moving after that. AND it got REALLY warm while we ate breakfast. Climbed to the 80's while we climbed. HOT!! HUMID. saps your energy.Water supplies are slim pickin. All the streambeds are dried up except the ones listed in the guidebook which are far between.By mid afternoon we were very parched and making our water last despite climbs.Reached a small spring filled up and took a break. So tired and rocky all around no place to rest. We actually laid out in the middle of the trail removing our shoes (a frequent necessity on long days) to let our very tired dogs rest!FINALLY made the shelter Tom Floyd Wayside which is just outside the Shenandoahsby 1900 hours. A very long day indeed. We were very beat. Then Tito showed up!!!We'd heard from a section hiker he wasn't far behind us.I started March 1st with Tito, stayin in the same hostel, riding in the same shuttle to Springer Mountain. This is the 2nd time I've seen him since the day I started! Last time I was in Damascus when he rolled in. And technically he hadn't caught up since we had "left town" already and slackpacked back in. So we were actually almost 40 miles ahead. But he'd been pluggin along and takin no zeros. so he caught up! Great to see him again. He's a very funny bastard. And cool as hell to hang with.We reminissed and caught up on the 3 of our adventures today and recently.The water source here sucked bigtime. Long walk down steep hill. So Guthook says. We decided we were set for tonite and would chance it tomorrow.so much for the Shenandoahs.4/2326.4 milesAfter a miserable humid day in the 80's I decided to hit the trail early.This is quite typical of thru hikers. Although we like the company we each act very independently.I hit the trail @0615 to beat the heat. Wasn't planning to stop at Front Royal but Guthook and I both badly need new trail shoes. Planning on buyin them in Harper's Ferry. Assuming they have decent selection. If not I'm screwed as the sides are torn and quickly falling apart.As I hiked I also reallized I never got the other 2 nites meals I need. Hmmm..Decided to try to hitch into Front Royal (9 miles!) resupply hit the outfitter to see if they have trailrunners I could buy and somehow get back to the trail to hike the 24 miles in the heat. So much for beatin the heat, aye?Lucked out, a cab pulled in just as I arrived. So I jumped in with another section hiker (getting an $82 ride to be dropped off far away and hike 7 days back to his car).Dropped me right at the gear store. Which wasn't quite open yet-10am. It was only 8am! So he told me where I could get pancakes just up the road.After he left I looked around inside the store through the window and then I noticed the sign: CLOSED MONDAYS! DAMN! It was monday. Just spent $10 with tip, I'm 9 miles off the trail and no outfitter.Grabbed Breakfast-Blueberry pancakes, Scrapple [you don't wanna know], OJ, Coffee and hit the road. Resupplied at a convenience store and eventually caught another ride back to the trailhead. [sound familiar?!]It was HOT AS HELL. 84degrees humid. Climbs. Damn. Kickin myself for gettin off. oh well. I wasted 2 hours off the trail. Even if Guthook & Tito left an hour after me they must be ?? 1 or 2 hours ahead of me by now.I did the best I could in the heat. But it sucked.Finally got to an accurate mileage point. Confirmed. If I hussled I could get to a roadcrossing where I could call in an order to a restaurant 0.9 miles down the road and they would deliver it to the trailhead. Then I had only 3.6miles to go to the shelter. But I'd have to fly.I pushed hard and made the roadway ahead of schedule by 1830 hours. Perfect. They close at 1900 hours. 2 bars on my cell. But I couldn't make the damn call. It wouldn not go through. After 15 minutes of frustration I finally gave up and started the now LONG 3.6 miles to the shelter, quite crushed. And not motivated.Finally got to the shelter and only Tito was there. He said Guthook bailed to the restaurant! That Bastard! Typically we wouldn't walk that far off the trail adding double that mileage to get back to the trail.Eventually he showed up. Apparently he hitched to the restaurant then blew it off and got a ride to a supermarket for resupply.Another typical independent day on the trail. Tito told his stories of today.Sadly this would be our last nite with Tito as we were gettin off at Bear's Den Hostel tomorrow nite while he had to push on and was gettin of at Harper's Ferry for good. Annual Summer job River Rafting Guide,etc. in Colorado.All our feet are very sore. Hope they recover overnite. As always.Blisters, ruff spots, sore spots.Hope the new shoes help, but we all know it's the hi miles. Anything over 20 takes its tole.Bedtime. Hope no mice get us!FedEx