Date: 2005-09-10
From: Front Royal, VA

To: Pass Mtn. Hut, Shenandoah National Park, VA
Miles today: 22.7

22.7 miles todaySleeping in a shelter ;-)))Pass Mountain HutShenandoah National Park, Va. I slept pretty good in Terrapin Station Hostel last night. I was the only one there. The Greatfull Greenpeace Guy didn't get back from work until about 11pm. He's the owner. I slept in until about 6am. I packed my stuff up and ate the rest of some donuts I bought yesterday while I was watching The Weather Channel to see what's coming up. It looks like good weather still for a few days. Greenpeace came downstairs and we got ready and went into Front Royal for breakfast. We ate at Fox's Diner and it was an ok breakfast. I needed to get to the outfitter, but they didn't open until 10am and I didn't want to wait that long. I still need a new shirt and now I need a new knife. I lost my micro-mini Swiss Army knife somewhere yesterday. Right when I really need it for protection too. :-))) I think I need a new headlamp too. I've had this one for 4 years and it's starting to act up a bit. Sounds like I'm falling apart out here, huh?? I asked Greenpeace if I could use his phone and he brought it downstairs for me. I sent in my journal entry and some emails I had answered. We talked for a while and I decided I better get moving because it was getting close to 10. I had a good stay at his hostel. He's got it coming together nicely for only being open for 3 years. I would have used his computer to order some new shoes, but the computer was down right now. Yep, I'm still wearing the same trail runner shoes I left Katahdin in about 1250 miles ago, plus they already had about 100 miles on them then. I'm wearing Asics Gel Trekkers and hopefully I can get to a computer soon and order a new pair. Hey, maybe I am falling apart out here. Nah, my shorts and my new hat are in great shape. :-))) I walked the half mile to the A.T. and got there just before 10am. I only had about a 500 foot climb up to Compton Gap and then pretty easy, flat walking for a couple miles. I had another 500 foot climb up to Compton Peak before coming back down to Jenkins Gap. I just wish that those bear that leave the really BIG piles of scat in the trail would stop it. I don't mind seeing the small piles, but it really gets a person wondering just how big a bear left some of those really BIG piles of scat in the trail. :-))) Today's hike went pretty much like this mornings hike...nice, easy ups and downs on a well graded trail. I went up 800 feet to N. Marshall Mountain, back down about 800 feet which took me by Gravel Springs Hut. I walked by there without stopping. Up 800 feet to Hogback Mountain and then down about 1200 feet to Elkwallow Gap where there is a small store with a grill. I went in and ordered a blackberry milkshake and sat down at the picnic table and enjoyed that. It's great to be able to have those kinds of goodies without feeling guilty about putting on weight. I checked email and made a phone call to a friend, then went and got a couple sodas and sat at that table and finished those off. All together, I spent about an hour there. It was about 4pm and I still had about 7 1/2 miles to go, so I headed on out. I had a small 500 foot climb, then a 300 foot climb and finally a 600 foot climb before heading back down a little to Pass Mountain Hut. I sat there and ate a cold dinner of Wheat Thins, chedder cheese and garlic summer sausage. I didn't have a knife to cut anything with. I feel so primative tonight having to take small bites of the sausage, then the cheese and finally put a couple Wheat Thins in my mouth. A knife is much nicer. :-))) It started getting dark and no one else was here, so I decided to give the shelter a try tonight. I guess I was just feeling lazy. There were some coyotes yipping while I was eating my dinner. I haven't heard any of those guys for a while. It sounded nice, but didn't last too long. I'm going to do a friend of mine by the name of John Galt a favor. He was really interested in how many deer I saw in Shenandoah back in '03, so instead of talking about each deer I see, I'm just going to keep a running count all the way through the 100 miles of Shenandoah. My count today is only 4. I am surprised that was all, but don't worry John Galt, we both know that count will rise. :-))) I didn't see any other backpackers today. I passed a few day hikers though. I passed an older day hiker and he said to me when I passed; "Are you chasing the elephants?" I haven't got a clue what he was talking about and he didn't say. I wonder if there's a new government release program I haven't heard about. :-)))