Date: 2003-05-28
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

I can't believe I didn't mention this yesterday...! I passed the 900 mile mark yesterday! Woo-hoo! Actually, it's not a big deal to me for some reason. I mean, I'm still thankful and amazed at every mile, but I have some other milestones on my mind: the 1000 mile mark which is near Harpers Ferry; and the halfway mark, roughly 80 miles north of there. It's still almost unbelievable that I've hiked this far, and yet, I know... I knew... I could.This morning was kinda strange. There were about seven of us from the shelter that didn't get up and going very early. As a matter of fact, we didn't stir much until 8:30! Usually, that's when the last person leaves, but not this morning. It was foggy and lightly raining earlier, so I think that kept some of us in our bags longer. It was a bit chilly too. Most of us were thinking about going to the Big Meadows Wayside, about 7 miles north, for lunch, then stopping at the next shelter, about 5 miles farther. That's what I did today. The cheeseburger and fries were yummy, once again, and I thought about going farther than the shelter, but the weather was supposed to be crappy still. It actually cleared up a lot and since shortly after lunchtime, the sun was mostly out. I stopped at the shelter, along with a lot of the same people as last night: thruhikers Siesta, Paparazzi, Hotdog, ridgerunner Kellen, and section-hikers Ray and Jason, and Randy. Also joining us are! thruhikers Mule and B-rock, but B-rock is tenting. Five others are tenting too. A bunch of us might all be at the same hut tomorrow night too.The huts are from 8 to 13 miles apart here in Shenandoah, which makes for a short day, or a long day, but not in between. So, Hotdog and I have done short days and long days. If the weather permits, I wouldn't mind tenting. After all, I'm not carrying those 3 pounds for my health!Today, I saw my first wild turkey. It walked across the trail well in front of me, in no hurry really. I'm still hoping to see a bear. A lot of people have been writing in the registers that they've seen bears recently. I say it's my turn. Of course, with the rainy weather, my camera has been tucked safely in my pack, so I probably won't get a picture of it. Still, I want to see one.It's been fun hiking with, or at least staying at the same place as a large group of people, including the section-hikers. It's just neat to meet all these different people, from very different places, that come out here for common reasons. A lot of the people I meet, I'd never talk to off the trail, because we're so "different" in other hobbies or jobs, or even beliefs, but out here, we share something in common: a desire to 'brave the elements' and hike through nature. I like stopping to talk to all hikers I come across, no matter how long their hike. Today at the Wayside, a gentleman was asking Hotdog and I about our hike and said he wished he had his camera so he could take a picture of us. Amazing! He's 81 years old and doesn't think he'll get around to hiking the AT. I told him to go for it. :-) Another hiker got "adopted" by a family at the Wayside and they bought his lunch and offered a place to stay and/or shuttle from some of the nearby gaps. How cool is that?? We thruhikers are lucky that people think this is so amazing that they offer these services. I got a comment the other day, and I'm not sure how I should take it. An older lady said "You look too young to be out here. You should be working." I think she meant it as a compliment, and when I told her I saved up my money to do this, she seemed to think it was okay.I will never regret doing this, no matter where I finish the hike. It's been the best thing I've ever done, and the hardest too. It doesn't seem to get any easier. Each day presents its difficulties, and its rewards. So far the rewards outweigh the difficulties. A few minutes of sunshine can erase the bad mood brought on by days of rain. It lets me know that the sun is still there, trying to find me. Some days have their humor too. Like this morning, when a septic service truck backed down a service road to empty the privy. After pumping it out, the truck was unable to go back up the hill because of the mud and slick conditions. They tried and tried, but couldn't get back up the hill. Finally, they quit trying, called for help on the radio, and walked out. Those of us still at the shelter, which was a lot of us, found it quite entertaining, and I wondered what other hikers arriving for the night would think if the truck was still there. I'd hope the privy was in usable condition, and not worry about the truck!