Date: 2006-05-23
From: Skyland Lodge - Skyline Drive

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

Talked with Sean, Jim and Curt last night and I¢m glad to know all¢s well.Also had a great dinner and delicious BIG dessert. Sat in the Skyland lounge and listened to a folk singer, local English teacher. At 10:00 PM (very late for me) I went to bed and began a very restless sleep resulting from the constant hum/vibration of a ceiling fan left on in an adjacent room. A considerable tarrif spent for little to no sleep!I heard from Adam Frederick and he may be able to hike with me for a couple of days beginning the Tues. after Memorial Day (May 30th) as we¢ll be separated by only 20 miles (cakewalk)!It was cold, cold cold this morning and I didn¢t get on the trail ¢til 9:15 ¢ 9:30 after eating a huge breakfast of pancakes. Yes, it is ¢all about the food¢ and, when I get the chance to put on the feed bag, I take full advantage.Called Bonnie from what I think was the Pinnacles Picnic Ground about 4 miles from Skyland Service Road. Elevation 3,350 feet. The road makes a loop around the picnic area; the A.T. parallels the west side of the loop, about 15 feet from the pavement.   There are pit toilets, picnic tables, fireplaces and several drinking fountains scattered around the picnic area. Within the loop is a sheltered pavilion with tables and fireplaces, so you can have a picnic in the rain. I told her I wasn¢t certain of my final resting spot today, but it turned out to be Pass Mountain Hut. A short mileage trail day for me covering only 10.7 miles.Some points of interest today:The Pinnacle (3,730¢)Byrds Nest #3 Picnic Shelter I met a father and his 2 college age daughters: Graham, Stephanie and Ashley. They were about 100 yds. behind me coming into Byrds Nest. And, they encountered a bear on the trail. I missed ¢Yogi¢ by 10 mins! They got a great photo and will send it along to Bonnie for downloading to my journal photos.Marys RockA rugged summit, elevation 3,515, from which you can see The Pinnacle and Stony Man. There are only four points in the Park that offer a 360-degree view. This is one of them. Nobody knows how Mary¢s Rock got its name. But there are many legends: Legend: Francis Thornton brought his beautiful young bride, the former Mary Savage, to the summit of this mountain to show her the vastness of his lands. He presented the lands to her, and they christened this summit.In some accounts, the bride was the former Mary Taliferro, or Mary Taliafero; but in all versions she was young and beautiful. One historian says that Francis and Mary climbed to this viewpoint every year, on their wedding anniversary. Another says they spent their wedding night here.Fact: Francis Thornton married his cousin, Frances Gregory (whose mother was Mildred Washington, aunt of George Washington.) Their children were John, William, and Mary. That wipes out the beautiful-young-bride stories, but daughter Mary has legends of her own. Legend: Francis Thornton brought his daughter Mary to this summit, to show her the land she would inherit. Fact: Mary inherited a great deal of land from her father, but none of it can be seen from here. Legend: Mary Thornton, as a small child, climbed to this point alone, and returned with a bear cub under each arm. Legend: A semi-beautiful mountain girl named Mary (not Thornton) lived in Thornton Gap. She fell in love with a handsome stranger, who lived with her for a while and then moved on, promising to return. Every day Mary climbed this rock, hoping to see her lover returning, until she finally gave up and jumped off. (This story has been told in many languages, in many different versions. One is called "Madam Butterfly". Thornton Gap Thornton Gap, a wind gap located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, was one of the passages through the Blue Ridge Mountains between the Shenandoah Valley and the Piedmont region of Virginia used by General Stonewall Jackson (born Thomas Jonathan Jackson) to move his famous ¢foot cavalry¢ troops during the Civil War.   His intimate knowledge of the passes and railroad tunnels along the Blue Ridge accounted for the rapidity with which he successfully moved his troops outwitting and confounding Union leadership.History:   The gap is named for Francis Thornton, who about 1740 bought land and built a mansion in the Piedmont nearby. Thornton owned most of the hollow to the east, as well as the "F.T. Valley" between Sperryville and Old Rag. His mansion, Montpelier, is still standing and has columns much like Mount Vernon. Geology: Thornton Gap lies between Pass Mountain to the north and Marys Rock to the south. A geologic fault passes through the gap, separating the lava flows of the Catoctin formation from granodiorite of the Pedlar formation. Marys Rock, 1,200 feet above the gap, is granodiorite, and towers over the much younger lava flows on Pass Mountain. The mountains south of the fault were thrust high above those to the north. Lesson over..."Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself."   - Chinese Proverb -