Date: 2018-05-23
From:  Stealth Site - Mile 901.8

To: Big Meadows Lodge
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: overcast clouds

After the rain stopped last night some drier air moved in and the wind picked up. This allowed our tent to completely dry, making for a good start to the day. In the middle of the night we draped our wet clothes over a line that I had strung between two trees. The result was that we only had to put damp (vs wet) clothes back on this morning; another reason to feel good about the day. The final boost came when we walked out of our stealth site and across the trail, where we caught a great morning view from an open ledge. Now we were ready to hike. Big Meadows Lodge and Campground were about 23 miles up the trail. If all went well, we hoped to make it there, leaving us just under 18 miles to Thornton Gap the next day. The air was cooler, drier and breezier this morning so we had a fighting chance of making it.The first order of business was a long ascent up Hightop Mountain, which offered an amazing view at the summit. A hiker named Tang was also enjoying the view. He was hiking with Josh, who has a really cool dog named Murdock. Anyway, Tang has not seen any bears yet and was anxious that he would miss out. I told him that we hadn¢t seen one yet either, but that we done a lot of hiking in the SNP and felt that he had an excellent chance of seeing one. I added that it would probably happen when he least expected it, like while crossing Skyline drive. Not long after Which Way and I parted ways and started down the mountain, there it was, at mile 907. The hairy beast was on the trail and he was headed directly towards us! Now all of the other bears we had seen in these parts were of the black variety, but this one was brown. What, a grizzly in the SNP?!?! We slowed, but the animal kept huffing up the hill in our direction. I told Which Way to stay behind me. When it got a little closer I noticed something really odd about this fury creature. It had on a pair of cammo shorts and a day pack! We stood to the side as the overly tanned, extra hairy, and bare (or is it bear) chested man passed us by. WW commented that that was another unfortunate image would not soon escape her mind.Swift Run Gap sits to the north of Hightop, where Skyline Drive intersects with U.S. Hwy 33, marking the line between the South and Central District of the SNP. Just as we came out of the woods to cross Skyline Drive and walk over US 33, I looked to my right. For real this time, a big mama bear and her two newborn cubs were about 200 yards up the road, meandering their way in our direction. I took a picture and was hoping they would venture closer so that I could get a better picture and a video. Unfortunately, a vehicle came past me and drove right up to the three bears, causing the mama to usher her cubs into the woods. There was yet another bear sighting at the end of the hike. This time it was a small bear casually crossing the path. I figured this was its first year on its own, but thought it best to hang back for a moment to make sure mama wasn¢t close by. The best shot I could get was the ¢rear¢ view. Even though, it was definitely better than the full frontal view of the ¢grizzly.¢ The bears were not the only wildlife to be seen today. The deer, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and birds all made appearances at various points along the way. One deer casually crossed the trail just 15 yards ahead. I didn¢t have time to get my camera out before it sauntered into the woods, so I whistled to see if it would stop. She did and I got my picture. On a mission to make it to Big Meadows before dark, there was not much time to linger along the trail, much of which we had previously hiked. The path went right by the Lewis Mountain Campground. It was so tempting to stop for a cold sandwich or to try to yogi a hotdog from a camper...must keep moving! For the most part the hiking was very easy. One 2-3 mile stretch was so soft and sloping gently downward that I likened it to walking on a moving sidewalk. That said, there was another stretch that had about 4¢ of water and mud that couldn¢t be avoided. I took one misstep that led to my entire shoe being submerged in muck. Even though I tried walking through some clear running water in an attempt to clean my shoes, my feet were still covered in mud when I removed my shoes that night. One other rough patch came while hiking through a short stretch of rocks below Bearfence Mountain. A blue blaze trail connects with the A.T. here to make a short loop that includes a really cool rock scramble up and over the cliffs above Bearfence. There is also a great panoramic view at the top. With easy access from Skyline Drive, the Bearfence Loop was always one of our favorites to take guests and friends. No time for that today though. Gotta keep moving.We had a d decision to make at Big Meadows¢campground or lodge? I deferred to Which Way to decide. Of course, we ended up in the lodge. Fortunately there was enough time to shower up before dinner. Washing off the filth that has accumulated on our bodies since Waynesboro took more than a minute. Still, we were sitting at the Big Meadows Restaurant before sunset. The bbq rib dinner and Blackberry desserts (Ice Cream Pie for me and Ice Cream Sundae for Which Way) were a perfect ending to a long day of hiking. Peace & Blessings - Next StepElevation Data:Ascent - 4,555Descent - 3,580Grade - 6.8Weather:Day - 72 / Sunny Night - 57/ ClearOver the Horizon: Harpers Ferry, WVPeace & Blessings - Next StepElevation Data:Ascent - 4,555Descent - 3,580Grade - 6.8Weather:Day - 72 / Sunny Night - 57/ ClearOver the Horizon: Harpers Ferry, WV