Date: 2015-06-06
From: Lewis Mountain Campground, VA

To: Byrd's Nest #3 Hut, VA
Miles today: 23.2

A night of tossing and turning due to a combination of reasons: sweltering heat from the wood stove, Moosehead's cabin-shaking snores, and then cold from the opening of windows and door in relief of the heat. We quickly packed up, thanked Mongoose for his generosity, and were on the trail by 8:30am with ~23 miles to cover.Covering ground quickly through Booten's Gap, over Hazeltop, through Milam Gap, we finally breaked at a cemetery to read some of the names and dates on the headstones. We noticed several prominent names which share their names with several of the gaps and mountains in the surrounding area. We spoke with a ridgerunner as she passed by leading a group of park visitors. She provided directions to the wayside we were seeking as well as suggesting we give thought into becoming ridgerunners in the future with the expected boom in trail popularity starting next year.Half an hour later we rolled into the Big Meadows wayside, sitting opposite a huge open meadow lined with trees on the far side. Despite no rain in the forecast, gray clouds hung low over the meadow as we entered for lunch. Over the next hour Moosehead, Burnsides, and I would enjoy a lunch consisting of 12 pieces of fried chicken, 6 buttery biscuits, and healthy servings of mashed potatoes with gravy and coleslaw ($30 total which we'd split) as well as side salads for Burnsides and I and a bowl of chili for Moosehead. I'd compliment my meal with several Pepsi's and the others would enjoy milkshakes. We also enjoyed a basket of fries that we snagged off a table once its occupants left. During this time a table of 2 couples enjoying the Shenandoah's via motorcycles approached us with questions about our adventures so far. One kind lady took our picture as we ate, requested our emails, and plans to send the picture to each of us. As she left she returned and dropped off a sheet of 10 stamps for us to use in future mailings. It was greatly appreciated. Also during our lunch a young man shooting for a local newspaper grabbed a picture of us scarfing down our large portion of food and said he'd be sure to send us a copy should the paper decide to use the picture. It's always nice when people show genuine interest in our undertaking and we enjoy answering any of their questions.We hobbled back outside into the now sunny skies fully aware of the fact that ~15 miles were still to be covered and it was already 1:30pm. We decided there's be no talking the rest of the afternoon as we'd each find our own rhythms and knock out some miles. Burnsides was soon in the distance while Moosehead and I leapfrogged one another. What we thought would be a sluggish afternoon ended up being solid as our bodies surged ahead with all the energy from our feast.Through Fisher's Gap, Franklin Cliffs, and the Crescent Rock Overlook, Moosehead would finally catch me at the Skyland Stables, enjoying a $2 Pepsi from a vending machine as i watched several horses standing in their stables. The lady who runs the stables said we were welcome to visit with the horses so we spent around 20 minutes rotating through the stables loving on each one. Midnight and Strawberry were a bit feisty, but were only playing hard to get.Moosehead and I would continie and we'd spend the remainder of the afternoon talking as we pushed along. We even saw another lone deer hobbling along the trail within ~20ft of us as it nursed a rear leg injury before finally taking to the woods. Past the Skyland Resort and the Little Stony Man Cliffs, we'd break at the Stony Man Overlook, offering one of the best views of both the Shenandoah's as well as Virginia. Sitting atop a high cliff of rock outcroppings, we listened to music as the sun slowly began setting over the fertile valley below, dotted with endless farms, and a row of 4-5 ridges extending towards the western horizon some 40-50 miles away.Continuing on into a picnic area, we found Burnsides who had been waiting for an hour as he face-timed with his girlfriend. We took another break as we considered just camping there, but finally decided to continue to the shelter another ~2 miles further. Climbing up and over The Pinnacle, we dropped into the next valley where the Byrd's Nest #3 Hut rests. Happy to find a large hut deserted, we spread out our gear on the sleeping platform and ate dinner. As we ate, 4 deer would appear from the nearby woods, calmly approaching to within ~10-20ft of us, nibbling on grass as they silently passed by. It was a pretty neat experience - deer that are use to harmless visitors instead of gun-toting hunters.As we settled into our spots for the evening, 3 hikers would stroll in around 9:00pm, forcing us to condense our belongings and shift our positions. We'd obviously hope and expect no less had we been in their shoes, but it was a bit of a bummer no longer having it to ourselves. They're a good group of people, though, and are already nearing sleep so I can't complain. The night brings a steady breeze of cool air so it may very well be another night of me bundled in a ball, but I'll make it. Our current pace has us exiting the Shenandoah's in 2 days and then it's on to Harper's Ferry a few days later.Here's to fried chicken and mashed potatoes, Virginia valley's, and American Pharaoh reminding us why we all fall in love with horse racing each year starting every first Saturday of May.