Date: 2006-06-21
From: Humpback Mountain

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 120.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Thursday 15 June        Shenandoah National Park        15 MilesI am excited today I will begin my journey in Shenandoah National Park. I cross Rock Fish Gap, stopping at the poorly stocked store where I buy some snacks and head into SNP. I stealth camp on a ridge just past the registration station. So far the park is much like the rest of Virginia.Friday 16 June                Black Rock Hut                18 MilesBEAR! While hiking near Saw Mill Run I see my first Bear in the wood. I was walking up a hill and the bear saw me first. It ran panic stricken into the wood. I am less than 100 feet away and get a really good look at this black muscled creature that seems to flow down the side of the mountain. She is beautiful. I decide she must be a she. I name her Barta. She stops about 150 feet away and poses for me, showing me her worst side and she glances over her shoulder and slowly walks away from me.Saturday 17 June        Pinefield Gap                        13 Miles BEAR!Again I am walking up a hill. (I walk more quietly going up hill.) when I startle a bear. He has been turning over rocks looking for good stuff to eat. I see him at the same time he sees me and he jumps into the air and runs down the hill crashing head long through the brush and small trees. He is so scared that instead of running away from me he is running parallel to the trail and he never gets more than 150 feet away. He stops running and is facing me. I try to get a picture but it is hard to get the digital camera out and focused as he continues walking away. I notice that this bear is bigger than yesterday¢s bear and has a brown face. He is not as pretty. I name him Barth. I hope he gets to meet Barta. They would make a good bear couple.Sunday 18 June        Pocosin                         19 MilesBOBCAT!?!?!?Yup! I saw a bobcat today. I was walking on the trail and along the trail ahead I see something coming towards me. I stand still. The animal, I think it is a fox at first continues until less than 100 feet away sees me. Since I am standing still he is unsure what to do. It stops, eyes me, and jumps in the air doing a 180¢ turn running away north bound. He is gone. I didn¢t know there were bobcats in SNP. COOL!Monday 19 June        Skyland                        18 MilesOUCH!My foot still hurts. 18 miles is a lot and today I covered some of the highest ground in SNP. It is beautiful but I am distracted by a sore foot that is worse at night. It is hard to tell if I am getting better but I am doing a respectable number of miles!Tuesday 20 June        Hogback Mountain                21 MilesRATTLESNAKE!While climbing Pass Mountain I come on a Black Rattlesnake. He is huge. I put my hiking pole down for a picture, and then shoo him off the trail with my other pole. He is annoyed and give me a classic strike (I am a safe distance away!) and a rattle with his tale. VERY COOL!TWO BEARS!My blood pressure is still elevated from the rattlesnake encounter when moments later still climbing Pass Mountain I hear a sound I can¢t identify. I slow down. It sound like someone is pulling the bark off of a tree. I slow down more, and there less than 30¢ away is a big bear ripping apart a down tree. Well this isn¢t good. The bear doesn¢t even know I am there. I say in a clear voice. ¢Hello BEAR!¢ She stands up. She is big. Standing she is as tall or nearly as tall and I am. She is looking the wrong way. She still doesn¢t know I am there. ¢Hello BEAR!¢, she turns 90¢ still looking the wrong way, I must be invisible. I take my hiking poles and I tap them on a nearby tree. Just then a cub appears out of nowhere and scampers about 8¢ up a tree next to the mother. Now I know why the female won¢t run. She is protecting her baby. Whoops. This is a bad thing. Watching the mother I back away northbound, she watches me until I am out of sight. The hair on her head ruffled like an angry dog. I feel much better when I can no longer see mom or the baby. WAY COOL!Another BOBCAT!Yup. Did you know that Bobcats look like they are running down hill. They have big hind ends and legs. This is the first time I have ever seen bobcats in the wild. I checked with a park ranger and indeed there are bobcats in the park. They are rare. I am lucky.Wednesday 21 June        Front Royal                        16 MilesToday is my last day in the park. I spend the morning hiking with Pokey. She is having trouble with Shin spints and has slowed down. I had not seen her since Knot Maul Shelter in the middle of May. As she and I hike together (she is slightly ahead of me) we spook out anotherBEAR! He runs into the woods and together we watch him disappear in the thick brush. What a great hike in the park. It almost makes it worth paying my federal income taxes.OH by the way. Today is 06/21, the longest day of the year, the start of summer and most importantly HIKE NAKED DAY!Yes, I did, Censored Film to Follow. PS: You will be glad I have been so good on my diet when you see the picture!