Date: 2011-05-22
To: Gnats-Snakes & Coyote?OH MY
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday I did a test run of a hike that I will be leading at the End of June with the Allentown Hiking Club. (See Allentown Hiking Club Website Schedule if interested) I started at Reservoir Rd Parking area just South of the Windsor Furnace Shelter and hiked to Rt 309. It was a little over 20 miles and had two decent up hills. I am sure feeling it today. My knees held up well, but my left ankle is yelling at me. (The hike with the AHC will be 17 miles to the Allentown Shelter then the other 4 miles the next day.)The trail had some muddy sections due to all the rain over the past few days, but it was an excellent day to hike! Partly Cloudy with the sun shinning and a slight breeze accenting the mild temperatures. What a difference in the wild life from even a month ago. There were plenty of chipmunks and birds as well as insects. The humidity from the previous rains did bring out plenty of gnats and flies when stopped. After a stop at the pinnacle, I was leaving and quickly back-stepped after almost crossing paths with a big black snake. I say black snake because it was a snake and it was black. I do not know the actual type of snake that it was, but snapped a pic and will put it in the photo section. (maybe a rat snake?). It was pretty long 5+? and then started to coil up some after I approached it. While leaving that snake I crossed paths with a small garden? snake near the large pile of stones near the pinnacle. This one was a small light colored snake with stripes running the length of it.The previous uphill to Pulpit Rock was nothing compared to the uphill after Eckville Shelter. This ascent past Hawk Mtn trail was trying. It may be the extra pounds that I have accumulated over the past months, but I noticed myself stopping much more than I remember. It showed me how out of shape that I am. After that climb, it still had an ascent to Dans Pulpit.While walking the section after Dan's Pulpit, but before Balanced Rock I immediately stopped after hearing 'snorting'. I have heard this a few years before from a bear encounter down in Shennandoah National Park. I knew that it must be from a bigger animal that was sniffing it's surroundings (me?). I withdrew my camera and turned it on to get a picture before it ran off or mauled me. After hearing movement, I saw an animal grayish in color and smaller than a bear clear past some trees. We locked eyes. Now I am not expert on animals, but this appeared to be a wolf to me. After talking to others about the encounter, I have been told that Coyotes are still prevalent in the area. I will say best case scenario, it was a wild dog or mix. The only reason I think it may not have been a wolf or coyote is that it looked very healthy. It wasn't mangy, gaunt or thin looking. I believe that it was as surprised to see me, a human, as I was to see it. By this time, I had forgotten about my camera in my hand and hastily decided it best to turn and walk calmly away. As soon as I did this, I heard movement and turned my head to see if it was attacking or retreating. Luckily it was trotting off away from me. This encounter got me thinking about carrying pepper spray and I will be looking around for a good compact spray to have on my person. Without spray, I would only have my hiking sticks or a nearby rock to fend off any animal attack.I hiked on to Allentown Shelter and was considering staying there, but had made good enough time to make it out to the parking lot at Blue Mt Summit Restaurant Parking area at 309. The driving force was thoughts of a Cold Pint (or two) and order of Delicious Garlic Hot wings. They were as good as I remembered! I had done a little over 20 miles in less than 10 hours. Even with the uphills slowing me down, I had made up for it during the flats and kept a 2 mph pace average throughout the day. I just need to condition a little more so that my body can adapt and adjust to these kind of days and not just be abused by them like it is now.