Date: 2015-05-30
From: Black Horse Gap

To: Stealth Camp on Fork Mountain
Miles today: 16.3

Today was the beginning of the Blue Ridge Parkway.I got up early and was checked out by I think a young raccoon while peeing. Not something you get to say every day (thankfully). Fortunately the raccoon stayed up the tree and no irate mama raccoon appeared. It is warm enough now in the morning that I don't really need tea, so I started hiking at 6:45. I really should break that record one of these days!The early part of the hike today crossed the parkway several times, always at an overlook. Because it was still early there wasn't a lot of traffic so crossing was no issue. Aside from cars and especially motor cycles I also saw a few cyclists. Again, as it has been all along in Virginia, water was an issue today. I had plenty to get me to the first water source, which was the Bobblett Gap shelter 5 miles away. But it also was .2 off the trail, down the mountain. No reliable source was listed for the next ten miles after the shelter though, and the days are definitely hot and fairly humid, so water is crucial.As it turned out, the unreliable source 2 miles further was flowing. Doh!After the gap with the unreliable source, we climbed up Cove mountain where I had lunch on a rock somewhere. When I got back up, my back hurt, which made absolutely zero sense. So I was going pretty slow for a bit and got passed by Gunner, who was planning lunch at the next shelter. That shelter is the only one so far that doesn't have water, at all. Apparently it does have a first rate privy, at least there were a lot of comments in the register to that effect.Gunner, McFly and I were all bemoaning how hard Virginia has been so far, despite its reputation for being one of the easier states where you can do high mileage. I can only assume that reputation comes Shenandoah NP, because so far Virginia has been tough. And if you weren't doing 20-25 mile days before, you won't be doing them in this stretch all of a sudden either.We did have a swimming hole to look forward to, after our little mope session at Cove mountain shelter. It was only 3 miles away and when I got there three hikers I didn't know said the water was perfect. That it was, and I waded in and sat on a rock soaking my feet for a good while. I didn't actually swim because I didn't want to walk around in a wet bra the rest of the day.I had initially thought to camp at the swimming hole but it was next to a road and the camp spots weren't very nice anyway. But the shelter was almost 4 miles away which was more than I was interested in. Gunner found a stealth spot in Guthook 1.6 miles in. Of course it did mean that we had to climb those 1.6 miles as it is on top of the mountain. McFly, after much deliberation, went in search of another spot a little bit further down.When I unpacked my pack, I found a stray gas canister where it doesn't belong. I am pretty sure it was the cause of the mysterious back pain. Tomorrow we go back down to 1200 feet and then in a series of climbs way back up to 4000 feet. It's going to be a tough day. Better start early while it's still cool. Or rather, not hot Open map in new windowWant to add a map to your journal?