Date: 2006-11-18
From: Blackburn Center Hostel - Blackburn Center, Va

To: Manassass Gap, Va
Miles today: 19.6

Today was another one of those full days, where it seems like you squeeze two full days out of 24 hours.I slept terrible last night in the bunkhouse at Blackburn Center. The reason was because I was sleeping on wood, so I tossed and turned all night. I'm used to sleeping on nice, soft ground, or as I'm sure some "friends" would point out about this year...a mattress. :-)))I always try to do things out here each year that I haven't done before and staying at Blackburn Center was one of those things I've missed doing in previous years. I've walked down the steep side trail to see it before, but then walked on.I ate 1 1/2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, then packed all my stuff up into my backpack.I was meeting Marsha at Bear's Den later this morning, so I was up and walking at first light.As I was climbing the steps, I could see the morning pink of the sky with Blackburn in the foreground, so I stopped and took a couple pictures...hope they turn out as nicely as it looked.I got up on the ridge and started walking south on the AT by 6:45am.It was right at freezing, so it felt nice to be walking and warming up.I watched the sun come up over the distant mountains through the leafless trees along this ridge. That's a view that's hard to beat.It wasn't long after I started walking along the ridge that I heard a turkey gobbling, then about ten minutes later I scared up a deer that ran off.Two miles into my walk, I got to within about 20 yards of two deer before they took off running. I whistled and one of the deer stopped and watched me to see what I was up to.I was walking along about half a mile before Sand Spring and saw a hammock stretched next to the Trail.It was Roni From Isreal.I knew he was coming into Blackburn Center today, but I didn't think I'd see him because I was only walking about 8 miles to Bear's Den.I sat down on a rock and we talked for about 15 minutes. Turns out he's getting off Trail at Harper's Ferry and heading home for now.I would have stayed longer, but I didn't want to be late meeting up with Marsha, so I walked on.I saw three more deer just as I started the climb out of the notch at Sand Spring.I was walking along and saw a guy walking towards me. He was a scout master for the boy scouts that were tented at Blackburn Center last night. His trail name is Hike Natzi. We talked about 5 minutes before I walked on.It wasn't too much longer and a grouse sprang up just 3 feet to my left and flew right in front of me. I probably could have caught her bare handed if it hadn't startled me so much. :-)))I made two more small climbs of about 400 feet each before I got to Snicker's Gap. I crossed that road, then made the final climb to Bear's Den.I didn't see Marsha's car yet, so I went inside and checked my email, then went upstairs and talked to Queen Diva for a while.Queen Diva got hungry and she made her lunch. She also made me a sausage sandwich from the sausage Chief brought up last week.Marsha showed up and Queen Diva and her realized that they have met a couple times before.We all talked for a while, then when Marsha asked what I'd like to do, I said I thought I had enough time to slack almost 12 miles from Manassass Gap back to Ashby Gap by the time it got dark out.I told Queen Diva I would be back tonight and she asked what I'd like for dinner. I reminded her she had promised me some pan fried chicken when I got here, but she said she made it for me last week.I told her that I had heard there was an imposter walking about a week ahead of me, claiming to be Stumpknocker and maybe it was him that got the pan fried chicken, but it most certainly wasn't me. ;-)))She didn't buy that story, but she said that she WOULD make pan fried chicken for dinner. I love Queen Diva!!!! :-)))Marsha drove me over to Manassass Gap and dropped me off at 1:45pm and I started walking north, back to Ashby Gap.It was about a 1,300 foot climb to the summit of that bump.I saw blood on some rocks where a deer had been dragged out of the woods...I'm back in Va in hunting season.I was walking along at my old pace that I used to walk, feeling pretty good. The knee has been feeling much better for the last couple days and my plantar fasciitis wasn't bothering me too much.I came up to two hikers walking my way. I had met the girl somewhere before, so I asked their trail names. It was Commando '06 and Fireman '06 who where out for the weekend.I walked on because I had lots of miles to cover with just over three hours until it would be dark.I saw a deer take off running, then I walked by Manassass Gap Shelter without stopping.I saw two hunters in the Trail when I rounded a corner. One had his rifle aimed to the left of the Trail, so I stopped, expecting to hear a shot.He didn't shoot and when he brought the rifle back down, I walked on by them.I kept walking at a good pace and in about 20 minutes, I caught up to two more hunters who were walking my way.They asked me how far I'd walked and when I told them from Manassass Gap, they were impressed. ;-)))I walked on, very happy to have on my blaze orange.I walked by the side trail to Dick's Dome Shelter without stopping, then just before I got to a spring about a mile later, I saw two more hunters.They were dragging a 6 point buck up the hill. I stopped and talked to them for a minute, then walked on.I soon came up to their rifles propped up against a tree. I guess they have been walking their gear ahead, then going back and dragging the deer. They seemed tired. :-)))I walked on and saw a guy in a tree stand, just off the Trail. I waved my blaze orange hat at him, then saw another guy in a tree stand just 100 yards away. I felt like I was in a war zone.I kept walking and was really glad when I walked into Sky Meadows State Park and saw the "No Hunting" sign.That was another 600 foot climb, then I started descending about 1,000 feet to Ashby Gap.I saw one deer first, then two deer, then two more deer. Those are the smart ones....in the "No Hunting" zone. :-)))The sun had set about 25 minutes before I got to Ashby Gap, but it was still light enough to walk without my headlamp.Marsha was there waiting on me and handed me a bottle of water. That was the first water I drank in twelve miles.We drove back to Bear's Den and I went right in and took a shower to get ready for PAN FRIED CHICKEN!!!!I called Hokey Pokey and made arrangements to walk with him for three days after Thanksgiving and I called Mike Evens to see about stopping there, but he's leaving for Releigh tomorrow.I also made reservations at Skyland in Shenandoah for Tuesday night. That's another thing that I've never done along the AT, but I've always wanted to see what it was like.Marsha and I figued out where I'll be at on Wednesday about noon, so she can pick me up and drop me off at my truck which is in Waynesboro.There will be two other hikers with her when she picks me up, so it will be a packed car for about an hour.I get to go to Goosebump and Rainbow Slick's for Thanksgiving, then pick up Hokey Pokey on Friday to walk in Shenandoah for a few days.Hokey Pokey will then drive my truck to his house in Roanoke which is 20 miles from where I'll finish my walk this year....once again, things always work out on the Trail. :-)))Queen Diva said dinner would be ready soon, so we headed upstairs.I can't believe how good pan fried chicken smells. My eyes almost rolled into the back of my head when I walked up there and smelled it. :-)))We had Queen Diva's famous green beans, even more famous mashed potatoes and giblet gravy, red applesauce and PAN FRIED CHICKEN!!!Queen Diva said grace, then the room got quiet as the talking stopped and the eating commenced. :-)))Queen Diva interupted me while I was enjoying the meal and said; "Stumpknocker, do you realize that you moan when you eat?"Ooops, my secret is out...I like to eat PAN FRIED CHICKEN!!! :-)))I ate one plate full, then another plate full and was looking at the leftovers, but I was too full to eat anymore. :-(((I did have just enough room to sqqueeze in a little piece of berry pie with whipped topping though. :-)))We sat around talking until it was way past hiker midnight, so I thanked Queen Diva and gave her a big hug for making such a wonderful meal again, then headed down to the bunkroom.I love days like this. I'm sure it was at least 48 hours long. :-)))Oh yeah, just two days left until my final decision on The Leaf Catching Game....get your final counts in.