Date: 2020-07-20
From: Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro)

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: clear sky

I was awake for awhile in the middle of the night, so I turned over a few times this morning before dragging myself out of bed. Not sure if my zero day rested me or drained my energy. I downed nearly a half gallon of OJ I'd bought yesterday. I guess my body needed something. What it didn't crave was a big breakfast, so I finished off a leftover breakfast biscuit from the four-person family breakfast deal I'd gotten yesterday morning.Cora dropped me back at Rockfish Gap and I headed into Shenandoah National Park, self-registering my backcountry permit at a kiosk on the park boundary along the trail. I almost immediately passed an older and very friendly section hiker intending to hike the 100+ miles of the park, aiming for the first shelter seven miles in. The miles passed slowly as the trail rolled up and down over very dry terrain. Never very steep. But for the heat it would have been quite easy. With the heat, it was an effort, and I tried to get lost in my thoughts to help the time pass. On Bears Den Mountain's open summit there is a radio tower, and the faded remnants of a circle of tractor seats someone installed decades ago. I've been here three times in the last three years and each time more are falling apart. As I headed downhill I spied a solar charger in the middle of the trail. Did the owner go south or north? It looked like it hadn't been there long, and I hadn't passed any southbounders, but with this dry weather who can tell. I put it in my pocket to deliver to the next shelter. Minutes later a dayhiker approached climbing the mountain. He had just a trekking pole and a water bottle. I exchanged pleasantries and was about to move on when he asked, oh by the way, had I seen a solar charger? I happily reunited him with the device, which had landed face up and gotten a good charge in the sun. He turned out to be section hiking, a young guy just out of college from northern Virginia. Started at Three Ridges and "walking home" as he said. He too stopped at the first shelter. Since the shelter was a ways off trail I sat on a boulder in the shade and ate lunch. I had a warm soda I'd packed out and some of the tea I'd filled my bottles with. But I didn't think to get water since it was well off trail. That was a mistake, as I realized several miles later that I was in a twelve mile waterless stretch. I had to make my last quart of tea last. If was mid-afternoon, the hottest time of day, and the sweat poured off my forehead during even mild climbs, or any exertion in an exposed area. When I took out my phone to consult the guide the sweat dripped liberally onto the screen to the point I was afraid I'd damage it.But I kept on, just more slowly to conserve energy and water. There were no real views or good spots to rest. Even the overlook on Skyline Drive was impeded by shrubs and young trees, as if the park had no plans to maintain the views.At Blackrock Gap I crossed a major milestone: I've now hiked every bit of the AT northbound. Although I'd already completed it as a section hiker, this last forty miles I had sectioned southbound. It was more convenient to leave my car at Reed's Gap and hike south from Blackrock Gap. But now I've completed this last bit northbound. A meaningless achievement perhaps, but I needed a distraction from the heat. I let out a Yawp as I crossed Skyline Drive at the gap.Around 6:30 I reached Blackrock Hut. There were already three people tenting or hammocking, the biggest shelter crowd I've encountered since the Smokies. I still had the shelter itself to myself.Neel is a fortyish high school teacher from Millersville, Pennsylvania who teaches agriculture and grows flowers for farmers markets. He's hiking south from Harpers Ferry to Waynesboro. Kathy "Next Tree" is an older black woman, retired, who drove seventeen hours from her home in Oklahoma. She couldn't find a shuttle driver so she's just been hiking from her car up to the shelter. I gave her Stanimals number, I'm sure they'll help her out. She's hammocking but is afraid her untested tarp may not be stormworthy, and made plans to retreat to the shelter if it fails. Both of them have hiked a good chunk of the AT. There is also Steve, a sixty-something businessman from Georgetown in DC, hiking the park northbound to escape being cooped up in the city.Neel was talking about walking up to Blackrock Mountain's summit this evening to see a comet - first I've heard of it. But then thunder rumbled in the west and clouds slowly rolled toward us. Looks like the comet show will have to wait.