Date: 2003-07-28
From: Pinnacle Peak Picnic Area

To: Luray, Va.
Miles today: 5.2

Date: 7.28.03Starting Location:Pinnacle Peak Picnic AreaDestination: Luray, Va.Mileage: 5.2   The day started very early, as I was totally paranoid all night longandcouldn't sleep! That business about our tent site being vaguely, sort-of,possibly illegal had me worried that a park ranger was going to come makeuspack up and move! So the second the sky started to lighten up thismorning,I started packing up! I got everything stowed away in record time, all thewhile calling, "Buuummmpkiiinnnn.....wake up..". When I finally rousedher,I could feel her faint exasperation at me, but paranoia is a strongemotion!:) We had no sooner packed up and started cooking breakfast when a parkemployee came to take care of the bathrooms and trash. Whewwww! That wasclose! :)   The hike into town was short, but demanded every bit of my attention. Itwas incredibly rocky, and I don't think my eyes left my feet for the nextthree hours. The one thing I did notice, however, was the smell. Actually,I should say "smells". The mountains have a particular smell that, whilechanging subtley from day to day, never really changes. The foundation ofthe odor is a mixture of hummus, trees, decay, earth, and animals. Theyallmix to form a richness that is always in the air. The rain makes itsweeter,and the the wind makes it a little wilder, but it is always the same.   On top of this is the immediate smell of your surroundings. The plantsclosest to you, the animal that was just there...mixed with the climate ofthe moment, these provide the subtle differences that separate the milesfrom one another. The odor that made this mornings hike special was theheavy scent of apricot. It comes from the waist high, brilliant greenfernsthat have lined the floor of the forest on and off for the last twomonths.When you pick up a leaf and smell it, nothing special jumps out at you. Butwhen you walk through fields of them....the smell of ripe, fresh apricotsfills the air. It is sweet and cloying, and if the perfume makers couldbottle it, they would make a fortune! On days like this, I tend to follow my nose down the trail more thananything else. This is when I can feel the line between human and animalblurring significantly. The smell of a dead animal, the faint whiff of amidnight skunk visit, or the musky leavings of a bear....they each make meunconsciously raise me head and sniff as if I were searching for danger.Thefirst time it happened, I laughed self-consciencsly and reminded myselfthatI was a sophisticated city girl. Now, though, I don't even notice, as thishas become an everyday part of my ever-expanding outdoor awareness.   Our hike ended with a two-mile, 1500 foot descent to the highway.Smileyfaces drawn in the soil greeted me as I walked down...gifts from my sweethiking partner. A quick phone call to a local trail angel and we foundourselves racing down the highway. A hot shower, laundry and some trailfood is in our near future. I can't wait! :)Love, Anna aka Mud Buttwww.trailjournals.com------------------------------Local access to PocketMail mobilee-mail now available in Europe, NorthAmerica & Australia http://www.pocketmail.com