Date: 2014-05-29
From: pass mountain hut

To: front royal hostel
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Well, it was still raining this morning so everything was still soaked. This was my first morning having to pack up everything soaked. Putting on soaked britches and shoes is not the best thing. Since it was raining there was no point putting on dry clothes. I ate a quick breakfast of granola bars and packed up quick to get our long day underway. We got going by 7:15 with thoughts of breakfast at the first wayside 7.5 miles away. The family had told us of the great breakfast the day before they ate at the previous wayside. I was soo looking forward to pancakes. Soon into the hike we passed the family so since i was leading i got to break the spiderwebs crossing the trail. Not always good being lead dog. There was nothing to see from the fog and rain. At one point i got out my trail guide to try and figure out where we were and how far to the food. While trying to jam my guide back in my hipbelt pocket i heard a stick break over to the right. I looked for movement, there was none. I took a step and heard another noise so i stopped, nothing. So i started again and heard noise again off in the woods. I looked one more time and gave up. Usually its a squirrel or a bird but the branch breaking made me think it was bigger. I caught up to capt. he asked what i was doing. I told him of the noise but saw nothing. Thats when we heard noise but still saw nothing. Just a few minutes later i was looking down the trail with captain in front of me and saw something. Thats when cap turned to me, pointed and said bobcat, bobcat! As i saw the tall, highly muscled rear of the tan creature disappear into the sticks i said that was way way bigger than a bobcat. I can honestly say we saw a mountain lion today. Crazy how the muscle definition was, very impressive. I would have loved a longer look or have my camera out and ready. It was packed into my pack to keep it dry. Doesnt that figure? I doubt i would have ever been able to get a pic. I cant believe i saw a mt lion, i never would have thought i would have been that lucky. So we got to the wayside and ordered food. Big letdown. There was little choice and the only place to sit was outside, in the rain. This was not the breakfast i hoped for. I got my food as i saw the son of the family coming into the parking lot. I made a line straight for him and asked if he had seen anything out of the ordinary. He said he saw something catlike and asked what i saw. He had seen the same thing as we did. Thats crazy, i was glad that he got to see it too. We ate under a roof overhang to stay dry, not ideal. It started to rain harder so we hung out there for a bit chatting with the whole family of section hikers. Finally with fifteen miles to go we finished the last of our coffee and headed back out. The last big climb for a while was hogsback mtn but it wasnt too steep so we strpped right along up it. Passing overlooks only gave us views of fog today. After seeing so many good views on this trip im ok with missing a few, bad weather happens. On north marshall mt they are trying to introduce peregrin falcons and we got to see one! Really cool. There was an intern college student sitting nearby observing and monitoring the birds, we had a good chat about them. I hope the falcons like it there and they stay. Finally, later in the hike i spyed a scarlet tanager, the third i have seen on the trip. Once again i was bummed that my camera was in my pack but i would be so sad if it got wet. Then finally after a long day of wet everything we got to the hostel. Its in the basement of a guys house. He has a bathroom, bunkroom, and laundry for us to use. Oh he has food too, soda, pizza, ice cream, and candy. Its one of the best hostels i have stayed at and mike seems like a cool guy, hes a hiker too. Showered, fed, and wet things drying im going to eat something else. What a day. Cool how the trail keeps you wondering how it could get better, and it always does.