Date: 2015-04-27
To: SKYCOM
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

SKYCOM Update - Monday, April 27, 2015 (Day 72)This will be quick, but informative. I'm off to a conference this week and will not be able to update again until Friday, May 1. But I've got lots of news to share from the trail.I drove the pop-up to Shenandoah National Park Thursday, April 23 to meet Dad at Lewis Mountain Campground, at site 15, about 10 yards from the AT. We both arrived around 7 after he had hiked 27 miles. No typo. He flew through Shenandoah National Park (note the past tense - he's now north of Front Royal.) He's in good shape, but his shoes are falling apart. He plans to meet John Dancy today at mile 1003.5 (Snickers Gap) and go to an outfitter to get new Salomons.We ate supper and jumped in our bags - it got down to 25, with lots of wind and snow flurries. After a big breakfast, Dad got back on the trail and I attempted to find an outfitter that sold Salomons within an hour or two drive - with no luck. We met at Big Meadows for lunch, and he hiked north while I got acquainted with Skyline drive on my Fuji Altamira. What a beautiful day (blue skies, 50 degrees, and windy). When I'd had enough, I drove the truck to Jewel Point and hiked back several hundred yards before meeting up with Dad and going back to the truck. We enjoyed a great supper at the Skyland restaurant and dodged about a hundred deer on the way back to the camper.Note for the record: Dad did not slack pack on Friday. Did not even think about it.Saturday morning, we got up at 5, ate breakfast, and drove 45 minutes north back to Jewell Hollow Overlook for Dad to step off around 7:15 after a quick hug and goodbye. It was a quick trip, but I enjoyed our table fellowship, was glad to get out of hiking (I'd rather bike than hike any day!), and Dad seemed to enjoy the Snickers, Little Debbies, Clementines, and Apples I brought to stock his pack. I sent him off with four hard boiled eggs.Here's the run down from Waynesboro (861.7), the south end of Shenandoah NP, where Dad was last Tuesday, April 21:Day 67 (4/22/15) Hiked 25.8 to Doyles River Trail (887.5). Very windy.Day 68 (4/23/15) Hiked 27.8 to Lewis Mountain Campground - where I set up the pop-up on site 15 (915.3) and we had supper togetherDay 69 (4/24/15) Hiked 21.2 to Jewell Hollow Overlook - Skyline 36.4 (936.5). I met Dad for lunch with at Big Meadows Wayside (924.5) and supper at Skyland Restaurant (932), and drove him back to spend the night at Lewis Mountain CampgroundDay 70 (4/25/15) Hiked 30 to Tom Floyd Shelter (966.5) to catch up with the Hiking Vikings in the fog and rain, from 7:15a, when I dropped him off at Jewell Hollow Overlook, to 8p. Day 71 (4/26/15 Sunday) Hiked 24.5 to camp at 990, just north of Ashby Gap (phone con confirmation)Day 72 (4/27/15) Hike 13.5 to Snickers Gap - VA 7 & 679 (1003.5) to meet John Dancy and get new shoes.Did you catch Day 70?On Saturday, April 25, Lucky hiked 30 miles in 12 hours, 45 minutes, to enjoy a reunion with the Hiking Vikings. Then they hiked another 24.5 miles together yesterday (Sunday).For the math challenged, I'll break it down: in the five days from Wednesday morning, April 22, to Sunday evening, April 26, Lucky hiked 128.3 miles.That's 25.6 miles a day, friends. And that's why I rode my bike on Friday.