Date: 2003-05-24
From: US 250, Rockfish Gap-Waynesboro

To: 1 mile past Turk Gap
Miles today: 12.4

For a gal trying to dry out, funny that I took two hot showers in less than 24 hours. Hot water! Will I ever take it for granted again?The city of Waynesboro, VA tries to be a hiker-friendly town. The Trail dumps you at a helpful Visitor's Center, where they pour hot coffee into you and give you a list of shuttlers who will take you into town and back to the Trailhead. I've made a decision. It's not raining, the sun is trying to crack out, I feel rested. I want to be away. I call the gentlemanly Mr. Snell again.Before he arrives, I place a few items in the hotel's hiker box - a bottle of Gold Bond Foot Powder, no longer needed now that I have found shoes that fit; a half-filled can of denatured alcohol Notes and I split; some personal items.I can't recall if I've explained the hiker box yet, so forgive me if I have. Let's say a hiker buys a three-pack of razors to get one. He might put the other two in the hiker box. While he does that, he spots some BandAids and a roll of duct tape in there. He takes what he needs, then replaces the roll.It is quite an efficient and useful system of sharing among hikers. There is often a lot of useless stuff one must pick through, but so what? Often enough, just what you need is right there.Though the sun is glimmering weakly in Waynesboro, when we get to the mountain it is cloudy. My heart sinks, I must confess. There have been so many cloudy, cold, wet days. The sunshine lifted my spirits.But, it's NOT RAINING! The cloud ceiling seems to be lifting too, so maybe we'll finally get some views, however hazy. I am optimistic.The Shenandoahs are a thin, wild strip of mountains. Below lies the civilized world. Wildlife is protected, and somewhat tamer than normal. That includes bears, of which there are many here in the Shennies. I'm told I may well have a sighting in the Park. We are warned to bear bag, or use the bear poles.The Appalachian Trail and the paved Skyline Drive criss-cross each other several times a day. There are waysides to feed all these motorists, and that suits me just fine - food I didn't have to carry in to this reclaimed backcountry! We'll be in The Park for about 100 miles.Man! It feels great to be out alone on the Trail again. Notes has gone on, plans a 20-mile day. I have no such ambitions. I am thinking maybe a lollygagging seven miles up to the first shelter. The rain has held us all in close quarters, so I value the time now by myself.The poison ivy is lush in the lowlands, and I skirt it best as possible. I come to a mountaintop bald, with a weird assemblage of radio towers. To the side is a grouping of tractor seats, sprayed green. A break spot for tower employees? Beats me.The sun is growing stronger, and at one point I actually put my sunglasses on. I am liking this. I climb up the ridges, and cross over Skyline Drive. The mountain laurel up here is much pinker, very vivid. The wet rains have sprouted a bumper crop of spiderwort, and it appears in light blue, purple, pink, lavender, cobalt and more shades.Many of the rocks are drying out. This is good news for my tender, rock-beaten ankles and feet. Some of the moss-slicked ones are still like ice, but another day of this and they too will be dry. The awful rock treadways south of Waynesboro are also gone here.At Calf Mtn. Shelter, I cook up the heaviest items in my pack: mashed potatoes, gravy and a 7-ounce pouch of turkey, followed by some mint cookies. I think I got rid of 14 ounces right there.The company is good and it is tempting to stay, but the sun is shining in such a lovely manner! I am restless. Stay or go?I haven't gotten easy in my mind yet about the plentiful Shenandoah bears, but I hate to waste the gorgeous late afternoon when I could be on a ridge basking in the sunshine.At 4:30 pm, I pack up my supper pot and leave to camp somewhere a few miles ahead. I plan to amble until I feel like stopping, no agenda in mind. I hike another five miles or so and stop about 7 pm on a lovely ridge. The sinking sun casts sideways shafts of light on my tent. I find a good limb and hang my food bag.It's out of my hands now. Hope the evening brings peace - no bears, no rain. I pass a campground tomorow, so perhaps there will be a phone and I can send this.