Date: 2018-05-20
From: Rock Point 

To: Rock Fish Gap - Waynesboro
Miles today: 15.6

After some pretty heavy rain last night, we were happy to wake up to a dry tent. The wind took care of the water on the fly and the rocks beneath the tent kept the footprint pretty dry. It was also nice to wake up to sunny skies. We enjoyed a nice view with our breakfast on Rock Point and were hiking by 7:00.Picking up right where we left off yesterday, we plodded our way over and around slippery rocks for the first couple of miles. The trail was still under water in places and it didn¢t take long for us to give up on keeping our feet dry. That said, we at least enjoyed some great views today, including a scenic early morning walk along Cedar Cliffs. Usually Which Way is out front, but I took the lead early this morning in hopes of sneaking up on some wildlife. It didn¢t take long before we had our first sighting. As we approached the Blue Ridge Parkway at Dripping Rock, I heard a thump thump sound and the a screech. When we reached the BRP, there was were repeated f-bombs being dropped, reminding me of a one-tuned song bird. Then I spotted three young yahoos¢wildlife¢parked on the side of the trail getting ready for a hike. Perhaps the hike will expand their horizons and their vocabulary. The only notable climb of the day was over Humpback Mountain. It was in our review mirror by 10:00, but not before we caught a great view of the area surrounding the Wintergreen Resort. The remainder of the hike consisted of more splishing and splashing over water covered trail and a wade through Mill Creek. However, the trail surface improved over the course of the hike. Passing by an old family cemetery and cabin ruins kept it interesting.We did not see a single NOBO all day. However, we did pass ¢Jumpmaster¢ and ¢Grins a Little¢ coming from the opposite direction. We had not seen them since Tray Mountain, GA. I did not recognize who it was until we were past them and WW said something about it. I did notice that his chest strap was still riding high and she just grinned when I said hello. The hike ended at Rockfish Gap, where we were greeted by a mother (Cindy) and daughter (Marney) trail angel team. They were handing out refreshments. Marney has aspirations of hiking the A.T. after she graduates from college. We worked our way across the BRP and US Route 250 to a hot dog stand. No further details needed. A SOBO named Mini Haha and her friend happened to be at the stand with a car. They were kind enough to give us a ride to Waynesboro, where we resupplied and holed up at the Quality Inn for the night. After we were all cleaned up, Dave and his lovey wife Claudia came by the hotel to pick us up and take us to dinner. We ate at the Green Leaf. The food was delicious and the company was better. Dave is an avid bike rider and had lots of great stories about his adventures. Dave also insisted on picking up the tab. There is no apparent end to his generosity.Back at it tomorrow. Rain in the forecast...splish, splash!Peace & Blessings - Next StepElevation Data:Ascent - 2,580Descent - 3,400Grade - 7.2Weather:Day - 80 / Sunny Night - 68 / Partly CloudyOver the Horizon: Shenandoah National Park