Date: 2013-05-29
From: US 250/Blue Ridge Pkwy, VA

To: Blackrock Hut, mi 878.0
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: overcast clouds

After a good night's rest at the Quality Inn with Heart Rock, whom I don't believe slept, packing early into the morning, I walked down a flight of steps to the lower level dining area, to gorge on a complementary continental breakfast. The continental breakfast at this motel and others, have included waffles, cereal, toast, oatmeal, yogurt, hot chocolate, coffee, and juices. Half and Half and Hakuna Matada were both in the dining area already gorging on the food before they had checked in. We enjoyed breakfast together along with Heart Rock and Lucky Strike. It was here, that we provided a little trail angel offering to our dear hiking friends Half and Half and Hakuna Matada. I furnished them a soda can stove as promised, to replace the MSR pocket rocket they had been using. They also were carrying a titanium Triad alcohol stove which they found did not work, cooking for two hungry people. I assured them that this stove I fabricated and tested would cook a delicious meal for two hungry hikers. Heart Rock handed them a bag full of pasta and tunafish to try out on the new stove. They were both very thankful! We hugged goodbye, knowing that we wouldn't likely see each other again. Half n Half and Hakuna Matada had planned to spend two zero days at the Quality Inn waiting for a friend to arrive from Europe (likely Austria, where they were from). After that, they would slow down significantly to hike for about a month with their friend. Pool Cats and myself hopped into Heart Rocks rental jeep and were shuttled by Heart Rock to the south entrance of the Shenandoah National Park (SNP). Heart Rock brought along a disposable styrofoam ice chest full of citrus sodas on ice. Pool Cats carried it across Blue Ridge Pkwy and placed it behind the guardrail where the AT climbs up the embankment. We gave Heart Rock a final hug good bye and headed north across the bridge over US250, into the SNP. The AT vanished into the dense forest a short distance up the road (which now became Skyline through the park). We signed in at the thru hiker kiosk a short distance up the trail, each filling out a permit to enter the park.   We gave ourselves about a week to get across the approximate 100 miles. Shortly beyond the kiosk, as we ascended the ridge into the park, we passed an older couple, M-80 and Trooper (husband and wife respectively), along with canine companion. Dogs were not allowed in the SNP, however, M-80 was diabetic and claimed the dog would alert him of low blood sugar levels. M-80 appeared to be carrying the brunt of the weight, with a front and back pack. He said he was carrying 8 Liters of water for themselves and the dog. That in itself must have weighed close to 20 lbs! Pool Cats and I hiked 20.5 miles in a half day, making it to the Blackrock Hut shelter by dusk. The shelters for some reason are called "huts" in the SNP. This was not the case for the Smokies. We searched the slopes behind the shelter and each managed to find a tent pad to set up on. We joined etch-a-sketch, gray cloud, May, and others around the stone masonry fire pit to eat supper. By dark fall, M-80 and Trooper arrived. There were no spots left to pitch a tent, and they had one of those 3 person-palaces to set up. The canine, whom I recall was called Willow, slept in the middle between them. They managed to squeeze everything into a small area perhaps 50-ft away from my tent. After consuming my 1/2 lb of pasta, I hung my food on the "bear pole" adjacent to the hut. May and her friend had to use the conventional pulley system to hoist their 45+lb food bag. The bag was practically the size of my whole pack. I pondered on why, since the SNP was well know by hikers to be a "disneyland" with smooth roller-coaster trail and markets/diners every 7-10 miles through the park. Some people did not mind the weight as much as I did.