Date: 2006-10-10
From: Blackburn Training Center, App Trail Road

To: Snickers Gap, Va 7
Miles today: 7.3

10/10/2006   Snickers Gap, Va 7 to Blackburn Training Center, App Trail RoadS 7.3 MilesToday is Tuesday October tenth. So we spend another night at the Budget Inn at Ranson, West Virginia. We get up and we met everybody at the Snickers gap at nine o'clock. We all went up to Blackburn training center and got on the trail there at 9:40. After talking to the caretaker and being totally confused on where the trail was. What else can I say; it's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful day. It got a little warm later in the afternoon. You climb up and you get on AT after a couple tenths. And then it was just fantastic, everybody loved it, just ridge walking and flat and no boulders and that went on for quite a while. And then finally there'd be some boulders every now and then, and took us down to the creek. We had lunch right it noon, at some big boulders and stayed there for like thirty five minutes. And then continued on and I think the last time I saw David, was after lunch. And then we finally come to the Devils Racecourse which was a just a big long area of boulders in a stream like fashion. We walked on an old road next to it for a while before we finally crossed it. Then we started up and that was the beginning of the Roller Coasters. And we came to Crescent Rock After a little while and it was very nice place. Tim and Dick and Terry and I sat there for about twenty minutes admiring the scenery and just enjoying life. And there were a couple of gals that were rappeling. The ropes were up there by us and they were rappeling down below. And we passed a few people today. One time a backpacker, going south, young guy. After that, things started getting really hard, because of the roller coaster( hills), and both Dick and I were hurting, I think pretty good. We took some rest, finally Terry took off up the trail and Tim went up there, and so just Dick and I going on at a slow pace. And then I finally kept going, and Tim waited for Dick. And we got to another outcropping, where you could look out, and Terry was there waiting for me. I told him to go on to the car with the David, I'd be along. So finally, Dick and Tim showed up and then I left, and made the last mile or so by myself. I came out about 3:15 pm. Terry and Dave were relaxing having a soda. And Dick and Tim, there was like another twenty minutes before they came out. We sat around for a while talking, and finally Terry and I took off, and took some back roads back over to CharlesTown. Got to motel and by the time we get cleaned up, David showed up and he took his shower. Dick and Tim, who talked to a local guy on trail. He says, "you gotta go to Shepherdstown and the Bavarian Inn. It¢s just fantastic". So we headed off, and just after we get started, I got a call from Dick and they had just got to their campground, so they were going to be half hour to an hour late. So we kept on going, we parked the car downtown Shepherdstown, walked a couple blocks. That's a neat interesting old town with a college. Then finally we went to the Bavarian Inn and went down into the Rathskeller. David tried to warn us, and he was right, it was very pricey. So Terry and I kind of just ordered one entree and a salad, but the beers also were a little pricey. So it was a little expensive. Sat around for a couple hours, between eating and talking to everybody. And then when we left, I decided to go back a different way, when I got turned around from the beginning, and we got out on the back road and lost. Saw the moon out there close to the horizon and couldn¢t figure out what direction I was going. Or if the moon was rising or setting. Finally we made a complete circle, so then we headed off in the right direction. We got back to the room and I'm now watching for my favorite show, Boston Legal.