Date: 2010-06-09
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Skyland Resort
Miles today: 16.0

My 2 month anniversary on the trail! Woohoo!During the night it begins to rain, continuing till morning. I wake early to the diffused light coming through my green tent, the rain Jiffy Popping against the nylon covering. I differentiate the sounds of the lighter rain drops falling from the sky and the larger, heavier drops dripping from the trees, watching from underneath as smaller drops coalesce into larger drops on the surface of my tarp, eventually reaching a critical mass that sends them careening down the side like a comet with a dissipating tail of water. I find all of this very soothing and give myself permission to sleep in, enjoying a rare second sleep.I arrive at Big Meadows Lodge around 11:45 eager for a real sit down lunch. Big Meadows Lodge is a classic National Park lodge in every sense of the word, the interior fashioned rustically in chestnut with old wood timbers supporting the ceiling. Oversized couches adorn this comfy, roomy space looking out through a wall of glass onto the distant mountains and valley below; a cozy fire burns in the hearth despite the fact it's almost mid-June.Lunch isn't served until noon but I have other pressing business. My uncle, John V., lives in nearby Front Royal, VA and I desperately need to make contact with him to determine if we'll be able to meet and hopefully have me as his guest and slack-pack sponsor but I don't have his phone number. I make several calls before I'm able to track down his number only to have my efforts rewarded by a message left on an answering machine. My urgency to reach him at Big Meadows is predicated by the fact that once I leave this lodge I have no idea when I'll next have phone service so, in a sense, it's now or never. I head into the dining room and enjoy a delicious if not slightly pricey meal, but it feels good after 2 months of camp and fast food to order off a menu and eat at a place where they bring the food to your table. Over my warm blackberry cobbler dessert I try my uncle one more time and am delighted to hear his voice on the other end. Things are starting to come together. After bringing each other up to speed we talk logistics of meeting on the trail, at which point John offers point blank, "Do you want me to come and get you at Big Meadows?" I wasn't thinking of meeting up before tomorrow afternoon but now that it's out there it makes sense to meet up today since timing a meeting for tomorrow afternoon could be dicey, especially if the weather remains unpredictable (it rains during lunch at Big Meadows). It's only 1:00p though and I'd like to add a few more miles to my day so I suggest a meeting point 8 miles further up the trail this afternoon, an amenable idea to both of us. I set out now from Big Meadows with extra spring in my step, excited to reconnect with family I haven't seen in several years and the prospect of sleeping with roof and bed.The rain lets up as I travel toward my rendezvous and I pad silently down a damp trail which holds a bit of excitement before my meeting. I'm lost in my thoughts, body moving fluidly, when I notice movement not 5 ft. to my left, just off the trail. My mind instantly recognizes a black bear and my body doesn't break stride as 5 ft. is closer than I would like to be to a bear. The bear has his head down rooting around at the ground and senses my presence about 1-2 seconds after I'm aware of his and, taking notice, darts into the woods well before I can get to my camera. I move on, adrenaline pumping, excited by the encounter but also curious by the fact of how close we were, and how easy it is to overlook something, even a black bear, a mere few feet off the trail. The bear isn't my only encounter as I also see several more deer as well. I descend on Skyland, our rendezvous point, and have a few minutes to pick up post cards before my uncle's arrival. He arrives soon after and we exchange warm greetings before piling into the car and heading for his home in nearby Frony Royal for a delicious spaghetti and meat sauce dinner...and a roof and bed! Walk on!