Date: 2008-06-30
From: Front Royal

To: Bear's Den, VA
Miles today: 0.0

A quick note to say "hi".Am in Front Royal Va. about 50 miles from the famous Harper's Ferry. I just finished the Shenandoah.The ususal gang formed at the first shelter just outside of Wayne's World for the "EASY/FLAT/BEAUTFUL" walk thru the park. The usual gang includes Punchline & Tag; Satchel; Downtown Venus (named for her Tennis Skills); the Architect; scatter; the 3 Canadian girls; Y2K (so named because he is eating food that was stored for the Y2K disaster that never happened); Achilles; Castaway & Kickit. Others that were there the day before are Flip & Flop, Blackberry (who passed a kidney stone back in Parisburg not too far back) & Forge; and Sunny (of the Hippy Chick gang (which is a rather small gang now and somewhere in the distant behind)The first full day covered 27 miles - with packs fully loaded with food stuff.Achilles, Y2K, and I did the 27 miles - most of the others stopped 7 miles short. Day 2 was Achilles, Y2K and me stopping at a very 20 miles - so much for the FLAT day walk thru the shennies. I managed to keep up because I got out before 6am.Day 3 was the same... except that I hiked on the Parkway and stopped at every overlook - taking lots of time to enjoy the day. I saw more of Va during that day than I have seen during the entire month.Day 4 was back into the wood... Taking lots of time to enjoy the morning at Mary's Rock. I encountered a bear on the switch back downward. The bear saw me first and took off, poor thing must have had to run a mile before he could get off of the trail (the hillside was pretty steep). A thunder storm AND rather flat feet made it a short 14 miles day.Day 5 was going to be a repeat of 3 except that a thru-hiker and wife stopped and offered me a ride to Front Royal. I rode in the back of the truck for 14 miles and stopped outside of town at the last shelter. My feet have rebelled against the long long days in the boots. My toes function, but have no feeling on the bottoms of the feet. The usual A.T. symptom caused by too much plodding and not enough of toe -walking up hills.Y2K and Achilles both went into town directly. Downtown Venus came to the shelter at 8pm. We came into town together and managed a free breakfast thanks to Robert's mom, Cathy. Robert happened to be getting back onto the trail today after a few days off at home and is headed to Harper's Ferry where his lives. Downtown Venus and Robert started at Springer on the say day, staying at the same shelter on the first night but hadn't seen each other too often since. And after 1,000 miles, they get to meet again. Small world or maybe just a short trail...Anyhows, I have almost reached the mid-way point. I'm thinking that a bicycle trip home is my next big adventure. Venus is thinking that her journey may be over on July 14 and is thinking bicycle too.I am planning several short-15-mile-feet-resting days between here and the Bear's Den hostel. Hopefully I will still have time to do something out of the ordinary for July 4. Robert's Mom has offered to take me in for a night once I arrive nearer her place north of Harper's Ferry. A weeks rest is what I need - I am tried.Also, The night that Y2K and I camped after the T-storm, a deer walked off with one of hiking poles. After 1300 miles of using two sticks, having just the one really throws the brain off. I'll try using none for a few days. However, poles make a difference on the knees when going downhill - which does happen, though not often enough!Section hikers are usually traveling south and there's a sure-enough good reason for that.Punchline & Tag