Date: 2006-04-18
From: Rockfish Gap US 250, I-64

To: Jarman Gap Skyline Drive 96.9
Miles today: 8.0

Rockfish Gap US 250, I-64 to McCormick Gap Skyline Drive 102.1  S 3.7 MilesMcCormick Gap Skyline Drive Mile102.1 to  Beagle Gap Skyline Drive 99.5   S 1.8 Miles Beagle Gap Skyline Drive 99.5 to Jarman Gap Skyline Drive 96.9   N 2.5 MilesSplit hikes allow you to carry less and rest more and take better care of your feet. Didn't train this year so we will need to hike ourselves into shape.This starts the beginning of our 5th year on the Appalachian Trail. We actually have a plan to complete the trail in 10 years total. We need 200 miles per year for 6 more years. In our favor, we find day hiking is the best vacation and the most fun a couple can have. The downside is, we never train for the 2 week trips. The first week on the trail is very hard. After the second week we start to feel good physically. Then we go home and lose all that conditioning over the summer. Repeat that same vacation in the Fall.Yesterday was Monday April 17th, we drove from Belleville, IL to Lewisburg, West Virginia, staying overnight in a Relax Inn. We were on the road maybe 11 hours. Got up this morning late, but got on the road a little after 7:30. We had 70 miles to drive to Enterprise in Lexigton, Va, picked up our rental a little after 8:30am. Went to the Food Lion grocery for cereal and milk, ate in the parking lot, and got gas. Got on the interstate, I-81 up to Staunton, got on I-64 to Skyland Drive and Shenandoah NP. Had a nice talk with the Ranger at the entrance, he talked us into buying an annual pass for one car and a 7 day pass for the other car. We left 1 car at I-64 trail crossing, drove to Mccormack Gap and got on the trail at 11:30. We saw one backpacker come over the Stile and go by before we got on the trail. The rest of the hike we saw no one till the end, when we saw a couple out for a stroll with there dog. Went up a good hill that got to Cindy early. Saw Bloodroot and Cutleaf Toothwort wild flowers. Stopped at 12:05 to check out our feet for blisters. Terrys duct tape was not sticking to his sweaty feet. Just a short 15 minute break. A beautiful day with temps starting in the 40¢s and getting up in the 60¢s. By the time we got back to the end of the first hike it was 59 degrees. We came to the permit thing, to sign in for back country permits, at 1:10. Not long after that we could see the new entrance station. And then we're out on the Skyline Drive. Across I-64, back to our car at 1:30 pm. Got in the car came back into the park. Drove up to the minivan and then we've just been goofing off ever since then. I guess for an hour now, we've been up here; we've had lunch, laid down to take a nap. Terry's got his feet back in order. We are doing some reshuttling here and get another couple miles in on the trail. And then see how we feel and go from there. Its 2:34 pm and a beautiful day. At 2:55 pm, we started hiking at Beagle gap and we went up on top of Bear Den Mountain. They say it¢s a bald, they've got some brambles on it, and it¢s in the pines. The bad part is, they got some towers, radio towers, microwave towers, cell phone towers, and I don't know what they all are. But there are two sets of them, and they take you right by them, and even under them, which I don't like. From 3:15 to 3:25 we were up on top between the big towers. We started down hill on the other side. At 3:47 pm we came out to our car at McCormick gap. Drove back, got the other car, drove around to Jarman Gap, drop off the rental car, drive back to Beagle Gap on Skyline Drive, and now we are ready to do our last 2.5 mile hike of the day. It¢s still a beautiful day in low sixty's, and now it's breezy here in the gap, very nice. We left Beagle Gap at 4:22, and went through a field, climbed up into some pines or woods. And it wasn¢t too long and we came to a side trail. We wonder if it is a side trail to the lookout. So we went up, like two tenths or more, probably was a half mile round trip, but when we got up there we were at the summit of a Little Calf Mountain. Had some great views, came back down, kept going, and went by some big giant oak trees. Went by a nice stone fence and finally got to the summit of the Calf Mountain. Came on down fairly steeply, got to the sign for the Calf Mt shelter, and it was 0.3 miles side trail, we said forget it. Kept going, we had to cross under, not one, but two big power lines, the one just making all sorts of noise. And we came through that, came into the actual Shenandoah National Park boundary, which I didn't realize, until today, but finally in it. And then we saw the road, real close , of course we were up a little higher, I thought they were going to take us back up and over, but they didn't, they were nice. And it's been fairly gentle down. And At 5:52 we came to the fire road, took a little water break for about three minutes, and now we're walking right on out to our car at Jarman Gap, and it is 5:57pm.