Date: 2015-06-06
From: Dripping Rock

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 14.4

Today I found that after ten weeks of intensive hiking, I still can't keep up with Gary. Oy!But first there was a leisurely visit to Starbucks, followed by an equally leisurely visit to Weasie's, a local diner where the restroom was reached by going outside and coming back in a different way. A first for me, but the blueberry pancakes were good. And I couldn't finish it all, so lunch for tomorrow is taken care of too!After breakfast we went back to the room and got ready to hike. Gunner had very graciously offered to drop us off and pick us up, since we weren't ending at the same point we started, which made the logistics that much easier. We were on the trail before 8:30.The first portion was uphill, though nothing too steep or strenuous. It got the blood flowing though! And I didn't yet fall too far behind Gary. There was a side trail to Humpback Mountain that we decided to take since we like views. It was also a fairly short distance from a parking lot, so there were a bunch of other people about, but it was still fun. It also added half a mile to our overall distance but since it's not the AT, it doesn't count.After Humpback Mountain came a very long but very easy downhill before we got to another overlook. This one faced east, which doesn't seem to be as common. We had lunch there (I had leftover mashed potatoes and ribs from dinner last night which I had to eat with my hands because I forgot to take my spoon out of the food bag. It is a glamorous existence here on the trail!).We had made excellent time so far and were hoping to be able to frolic at a waterfall and swimming hole at Paul C Wolfe shelter, but we never found them. So onwards we went, resulting in us getting to Rockfish Gap an hour and a half earlier than originally planned. I had already given Gunner a heads up about it (he was coming an hour earlier than the agreed time from the morning) and there was a popcorn food truck that also had cold Cokes, so the wait was no problem. While we were waiting, we received two or three offers for rides into town. Waynesboro likes hikers and so we like Waynesboro!When Gunner pulled up, he was also dropping off Good Enough, who was going for a late start into Shenandoah NP. And while we were doing introductions, Double Back pulled up because she was meeting Star Crunch and the Traveling Circus. It so funny how you keep running into people.After we got back to town and I got my resupply for the next section through Shenandoah NP taken care of, Gary and I went to Blue Mountain Brewery and had dinner there on the patio. The weather today was lovely and it was great to sit outside there for a couple of hours. There are a lot breweries, cideries (is that a word?) and of course wineries in this area, plus it is just really pretty with the mountains everywhere.We stopped into town because for some reason Gary isn't ready to go to bed at hiker midnight (8pm) and ran into Oscar Mike and Gunner, so that was fun. I organized my food bag (I may not have too much food, for once) and tomorrow after breakfast Gary will drop me off at Rockfish Gap before driving back home.It's been a very nice couple of days of relaxing and hiking and eating (a lot!) an drinking and now it's time to go back to the trail. I hope to be in Front Royal in a week and Gary will come meet me for dinner. After that it's only a few more days to the psychological halfway point at Harpers Ferry.Yoda had to take a few zeros to let her feet heal and is starting at Dripping Rock tomorrow. I have no doubt she'll catch up to me in a couple of days, so that will be fun!Shenandoah here we come!Open map in new windowWant to add a map to your journal?