Date: 2004-07-05
From: Near Riprap Trail in Shenandoah National Park, VA

To: A Rampage of Extermination?
Miles today: 10.9

On my second day in Shenandoah National Park, the Appalachian Trail and the Skyline Drive continued to run parallel to each other along the same ridgeline. The trail rarely strayed far from the parkway and crossed it frequently.There were greater numbers of day hikers encountered; many of them used the Appalachian Trail as means of accessing other trails.In spite of the close proximity of the Skyline Drive, the trail retains an illusionary feeling of wildness. I spotted a turkey walking along the trail. Later, off to my right, a large animal rushed away from a thicket as I approached; I think it was a bear. There have been frequent sightings of bears by other hikers.I ate lunch at a shelter located down slope from the trail. Here is how my visit to the shelter contrasted with the visit of a family on a day hike.At a spring fed stream near the shelter, I gave myself a sponge bath. My feet and especially my toes were caked in mud from having hiked yesterday in sandals and socks. After that thunderstorm, the trail had become muddy. (I am no longer using neoprene socks). The skin of my body was accumulating dried up salt from perspiration.I rinsed the socks that had been worn yesterday with the sandals. The socks were saturated with mud. My hiking shirt and bandana, both which absorb large amounts of sweat, were also rinsed. I set up a clothes line and hung these items out to dry while I ate lunch.During this break, I studied my trail handbook to identify the locations of campgrounds and concession stands along the Skyline Drive. My strategy is to buy meals at some of these establishments and carry less food in my backpack.A Japanese American family arrived; they were two parents and three children. A girl was holding a butterfly net. I said hello and directed them around my clothesline to the path leading to the spring. They returned from the spring after having refilled a plastic water jug. Ice cubes rattled inside the jug. We briefly conversed and they moved on.What a difference it was between their carefree visit to this shelter and my laborious maintenance session.Since entering Virginia, there have been hardly any mice in the shelters. Other hikers have confirmed this observation. I have been unable to determine the reason for the absence of these rodents, but I have a theory about it. Around the same time I entered this state; a thru hiker I am acquainted with increased his pace of travel and has been hiking ahead of me. Each night, he places four mouse traps inside a shelter. My theory is that this hiker¢this extermination man¢is killing the mice in the shelters of Virginia. Hopefully, his rampage of extermination will continue all the way up the Appalachian Trail to Maine. The rodent populations at these shelters will soon recover, but I will be long gone by then.Like yesterday, the trail passed few viewpoints. Day hikers have informed me that it is necessary to hike on other trails to reach most of the scenic overlooks.The Appalachian Trail did offer one notable viewpoint called Blackrock. There, I climbed a multitude of exposed rocks and enjoyed the view. Off in the distance, dark clouds were evident amid rumblings of thunder. I resumed hiking with an all too familiar sense of apprehension that I would soon be getting soaked.As the storm approached, I walked along the trail and peered into the woods for a spot where I could make camp and erect my tarp. The forest was inundated with thick brush and brambles. To camp in those conditions was out of the question.I came upon a wooden post where the Appalachian Trail intersected with another trail. A note had been placed on the post. I read the note; it was a message from Knuckles which stated that she was camping up ahead in a public campground. The note identified her site number.Both the Appalachian Trail and the other path led to the campground. I consulted my AT handbook to determine which trail to follow. I decided to follow the Appalachian Trail to where it reaches the campground. In the meantime, the thunderstorm was bearing down on me. Just before it struck, I changed into my sandals and took shelter under a tree with a thick canopy of leaves. It rained hard for only a few minutes and the sky cleared.I resumed hiking and then stopped when I noticed a spot that appeared familiar. Oops! I was traveling south again. The mix up had occurred at the intersection of trails where the note had been left. While reading my handbook, I had shuffled about and changed my position in relation to the intersection of the trails. When I walked again, still apprehensive about the gathering storm, I had backtracked. The mishap cost me one mile of wasted hiking.The brush and brambles disappeared and I passed a grassy spot near a ledge in the woods. There, I erected my hammock and tarp.I then hiked to the nearby public campground to visit Knuckles and JP. Another hiker had informed me that yesterday, JP had chosen to continue hiking rather than returning to Waynesboro to recover from an ailment.I carried my backpack and gear through the campground, leaving behind only my hammock and tarp. With bears in the area, it is risky leaving gear unattended.Several hikers showed up at the camp site of Knuckles and JP; they included Swedish and his brother, Sardine (back hiking after a temporary absence), Brittany and Mark.Brittany has been given the trail name, Peanuts. Mark is now called Skidmark, a reference to his underwear.We started a campfire, ate our suppers, and hung out. Knuckles is nursing a sprained ankle, but JP has recovered from whatever had been ailing him.With darkness approaching, I said goodbye to everyone and returned to my hammock in the woods. While getting ready to enter it, my bare foot stepped upon a rusty strand of barbed wire that was imbedded in the ground. I wiped the wound with a gauze pad and washed it with hydrogen peroxide. I hope it does not become infected.The stars are viewable tonight. I hope the clear sky is a harbinger of a nice day tomorrow.