Date: 2003-07-08
From: Manassas Gap Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Another restless night...I don't know why. I was in my tent, and well away from the shelter. I was having some aching in my legs, but I think it was more mind racing. I keep hoping that after a day of hiking I'll be too tired to think at night, but it doesn't always work out that way. I ended up taking a flexeril, and drifted off to sleep sometime after 1:00. When I woke up at 7:15, I wasn't sure what had woken me. Then I heard it again...thunder. I thought about getting my things together and saving my tent from a soaking, then I thought about how warm and comfy I felt in my sleeping bag and I snuggled back to sleep. When I woke up again, Randy had already removed his tent from the site, and Gerri was getting hers taken down. It was spitting rain. I started packing up, but by the time I got out of my tent, it had started to pour...I couldn't save the tent, so I took the rest of my stuff and hightailed it to the shelter. I could get the tent later, when the shower !passed through. I ate poptarts for breakfast, and we sat to wait out the rain. At 9:30, I gave up and headed out into it to take my tent down. We packed up, and by the time we were ready to go, the rain had abated. Yay! We had planned to do 18 miles, to get part of the dreaded "Rollercoaster" (a 13 mile stretch that boasts 10 ascents and descents) out of the way. The first 13 miles of the day would be relatively easy, with the last 5 miles containing 4 ascents and 3 descents. I was feeling a little out of it due to lack of sleep and leftover effects of the flexeril. We started out really strong, and got to Dick's Dome shelter in less than 2 1/2 hours. The shelter is very odd-looking...it is hexagonally shaped...not your typical shelter space. We were all really hungry at this point, so we ate lunch instead of a snack, then moved on. The day seemed to get suddenly hotter and more humid at that point, and it became more of a chore to hike. When the temperature get!s above 90, I seem to just pour buckets of sweat. I swear I spend more time mopping my brow than hiking. We took our next break at a cool spot on the Trail, then headed to Rod Hollow Shelter to have one last break before we started the Rollercoaster. When we got to the entrance trail to Rod Hollow, Randy said he wouldn't mind stopping for the night...I was psyched. I have been experiencing aches in my feet and legs for the past couple of weeks...certainly due to the need for new boots. I sometimes feel like I'm starting my hike all over again....new aches and pains every day...I should be over this already! The day ended up being gorgeous, despite the heat. There was one corridor of Trail that we hiked through that felt like a private garden...very beautiful. At the shelter there is a Trail shower...cold water coming out of a pipe. If you're brave, you can sit down and dowse yourself...if you're a wimp like me, you can wash the mud off your legs and run back to the campfire. We met Nancy and Kelly, section hikers who are super cool, and Snot Rocket and Iceberg Slim also showed up for the night. Pasta Express for dinner, with rehydrated zucchini and super sharp cheddar added in...yum! Then a relatively early night so we can get our butts in gear for 18 miles tomorrow... Good night!