Date: 2015-05-13
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: few clouds

Big day today! I did not sleep very well last night as the temperatures dipped down to the low 40s. I bet it was warmer back home.We began the day slowly. The terrain was easy, though we had a somewhat steep and sustained climb during which a group of 27 senior citizens marched past us. The Trail was full of other day hikers too - who would have thought that Wednesday morning was a popular hiking time? We caught up to the bolting crowd and a woman offered us a bag of strawberries. Nice!Then, it finally happened: we left the Shenandoah National Park!!! It felt as we had been there forever. A lone turkey flapped its wings as we crossed the SNP border, saying goodbye, I think. We have now entered the Northern Virginia section, the final 40-ish mile stretch in Virginia. We arrived at the Jim and Molly Denton Shelter and it was empty. This particular shelter is spacious, clean and has a nice seating area with wooden benches. We had it to ourselves!So, here is the SHENANDOAH SUMMARY:- Terrain is overall quite mild. The Trail is superbly maintained (done so by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, so thank you!) though, I'll say it again, it is not flat. The Shenandoah's are quite hilly and the climbs are short but can be steep. There is very little elevation gain/loss.- The shelters (or "huts" as they seemed to be called here) are awkwardly spaced. For this reason, many hikers have completed the 96 miles in 5 days or less (!) From what I understand, some hikers didn't really enjoy the Shenandoahs because they went through them so fast and didn't take the time to appreciate them. As I had mentioned before, Shrugs and I were constrained to limit our daily milage so as to not put so much stress on my ankle. I feel my issue was the mirror opposite to the one of the super fast hikers, that is, we spent so long in the SNP that it became monotonous, dragging on without the end in sight. The SNP was therefore, from a psychological perspective, one of the hardest sections of the AT (this was of course a direct result of my injury; had I been in full health, my opinion of the SNP would have differed).- We were very lucky that the weather was great - generally sunny and warm, though there were a few very cold nights that made me yearn for my winter bag.- TONS of wildlife here. Many birds too. If we had crossed into the Shenandoahs only a couple of weeks later, the whole Trail would have ressembled a green tunnel. The leaves are not fully developped so we can still peek through the branches and see birds. We saw countless deer, bunnies, turkeys and a fat racoon. - Many insects too. I enjoyed having multiple butterflies flutter past me, adding an enchanted feel to the forest. The flies and gnats however were not so agreeable.- No bears, though a few hikers have spotted one. After conducting a very partial and informal survey, I summarized that the number of hikers who have actually seen a bear are still in the minority. I don't know why, but the question "Have you seen any bears?" is always one of the first to be asked by curious day/section hikers. There are other animals, you know! I have begun responding to this particular question with "NAH MAN, BUT I SAW A BUNNY, SHIT WAS CASH!"- The Skyline Drive and the waysides. The Trail parallels the Skyline Drive during the entirety of the SNP. It is midly annoying to have the road in view so often and especially to hear cars zooming by. However, this makes the SNP especially accessible, which is evidenced by the huge number of day and section hikers visiting the park (the tame terrain also contributes to the park's popularity no doubt). I have never seen any families or small children hiking until arriving here (but seriously though, hiking with young children seems like the lamest thing ever). The waysides and camp stores are useful but the food they sell is grossly overpriced.- The SNP has very little viewpoints EXCEPT near the Skyline Drive. We met a southbounder right out of Damascus who hiked through the Shenandoahs in February. The Trail was often covered in a thick blanket of snow so he would often hike along the road instead. He said it was much more scenic and enjoyable that way. - Therefore, if you really want a positive SNP experience, take your car and ride along the Skyline Drive. You'll have all the nice views with no inconveniences. A section hiker we met even saw a bear crossing the road as he was driving down - so you can even see the elusive bear without having to hike!- Axon