Date: 2005-05-14
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: few clouds

Miles hiked today : 21.220.4 AT miles + 0.8 miles of side trailI woke up this morning at 7:00 a.m., packed, ate breakfast, and was hiking at 8:00 a.m. I'd found out that I wasn't actually in Shenandoah National Park yet, as I had stayed 1.0 mile south of Jarman Gap, the southern boundary of the park. I arrived at Jarman Gap at 8:30 a.m., pleased to be entering Shenandoah National Park on my 2 month trail anniversary. On a side note, the shelters in Shenandoah National Park are called huts, though they have no more variation than the other AT shelters. The fact that I had stayed at Calf Mountain Shelter last night is what drew my attention to the actual location of the southern boundary of Shenandoah National Park.I wasn't feeling very motivated this morning and actually felt a little down. The people I'd been hiking with for over 500 miles since Erwin, TN were not around and the thought that I still had so much trail to cover was overwhelming. Despite this, I continued on, arriving at Turk Gap at 9:50 a.m.Taking a break at Turk Gap was Dad's Grin. He's an older gentleman, an ultra-marathoner, and an all around nice guy. Until a couple days ago, I hadn't seen him since Watauga Lake Shelter in TN, some 455 miles ago. I didn't stop at Turk Gap, though 10 minutes later, I took a 10 minute break and sat on a log to enjoy a snack. Dad's Grin passed me during my break, after which I caught up to him and we chatted for a bit, which lifted my spirits. While talking with him, I found out that he'd been a day behind our group for the last month.I was hiking a bit faster than Dad's Grin, so before long, I was by myself again. It was very warm out and I was feeling good, though today's section of trail had been dry, so I was rationing water. I took a 10 minute snack break at 12:10 p.m., which was 2 hours after the end of my last break. I've found that if I take a break every 2 hours, it gives me something to look forward to between shelters, especially if there are no significant landmarks to watch for.After my break, I continued on, reaching Blackrock Hut at 1:20 p.m., which meant I'd covered 13.5 miles in 5.0 hours, not including my breaks. It hadn't seemed like I was moving that fast, though I've often heard that the miles in Shenandoah National Park are easy. I stayed for lunch until 3:00 p.m. and read while eating. As I left, I noted the temperature was in the low 80s and definitely felt the heat as I climbed 447 feet over 0.8 mile to the summit of Blackrock Mountain.Blackrock Mountain used to be a cliff until one side sheared off and crumbled into thousands of medium sized rocks, which now decorate the hillside. It was possible to scramble up 50 feet or so to the top of the rock pile, though I'd earlier read warnings of rattlesnakes in the Blackrock rock pile, so I decided to skip it and keep moving.I reached the side trail to Dundo Group Campground, the 15.7 mile mark, at 4:00 p.m. Dundo Group Campground is also roughly the 40% completion mark of the AT. This morning, I had considered staying here, as it was a free campsite, though it was early enough that I could still get some more miles in.0.8 mile later, just after Browns Gap, I ran into Dad's Grin and Doc taking a break. I asked what their plans were and learned that they were considering either camping at a spring down the Doyles River Trail or at the Loft Mountain Campground. I'd also considered the Doyles River Trail spring, though when they told me that a ranger had told them the Loft Mountain Campground was closed, I was pleased. This meant that I could probably camp there wthout having to pay the $16 fee. I told them that I was headed to the campground, though they expressed concern about the water being shut off at there. I was willing to take the risk, as I had adequate water remaining from lunch at Blackrock Hut. They also expressed concern about the clouds building up and the occasional distant rumbling of thunder. I couldn't dismiss that concern as easily, but set out anyway, eager to reach my destination for the day.The thunder became more frequent as I hiked on and I reached Loft Mountain Campground at 5:30 p.m. I was very pleased to see the dozens of grassy campsites available to choose from. I walked over to the water spigot and was equally pleased to find that the water was turned on. The doors to the restrooms, however, were locked, which was no big surprise.The sky overhead was quickly turning dark and I caught a glimpse of lightning, so I quickly pitched my tent. Just as I pushed the last tent stake into the ground, at 5:48 p.m., the rain began to fall. I hadn't had time to prepare my sleeping pad or sleeping bag, so I dove for cover, taking my sleeping pad with me. I quickly grabbed a book to read, put the cover on my pack and zipped up my rainfly. I inflated my sleeping pad, maneuvered onto it in my tiny enclosure, and read until the rain, lightning, and thunder stopped at 6:23 p.m.Although I could still hear thunder in the distance, I figured it was safe to emerge and tie up my food bag and to get my sleeping bag. I decided that I'd eat a cold dinner tonight and returned to my tent to read while eating some snacks.I read until 8:00 p.m. and began journaling. My earlier feelng of being down has dissipated and I'm camping alone for the third time this trip, which I'm fine with. When camping alone, it's always kind of spooky, however, to wonder who or what is on the other side of mere millimeters of tent fabric.Bedtime at 9:40 p.m.