Date: 2018-05-31
From: Whiskey Hollow Shelter (Dick's Dome)

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.3

DAY 86It rained, and rained hard last night which made a mess of our tent. Dirt splashed all up the side and all over everything in the vestibule on my side. My crocs, pack cover, cookset and poles looked like they have been dragged through the mud. Mary had a "slight" panic attack last night after being cooped up in the wet, stifling tent with the stench of our shoes and clothing. She felt like she couldn't breath and needed to go outside. (Mary here, I felt like I wanted to run out of the tent, barefoot, and just run, run, run) Of course it was pouring at the time, so she toughed it out and eventually managed to get back to sleep. I know exactly what she is talking about because the same thing happened to me a couple weeks back. Again it was when it was warm, rainy, and everything was buttoned up. I needed to keep opening the screen and getting some fresh air in.We picked up a wet, muddy tent and went down to the shelter to have breakfast. Apparently mice and bugs were not bad in the shelter last night, and everyone there slept ok. Maybe we should have stayed in the shelter, but we really don't like shelters much. The weather settled in, and our plan was to make Bears Den Hostel so we would have a dry night and be able to make Harpers Ferry by Saturday to get my shoes. It was raining, so we put our pack covers on and paced ourselves, trying to work in some stretch breaks.Papa Dale (No Filter) and Brenda (Plus 1) left before us trying to get an early start as they were going to do the 18 to Bears Den as well. The trail was overgrown and very muddy. It was too warm to hike in rain gear, so shorts/skirt, + t-shirts it was as we trudged through the mud and soaking wet overgrown trail.We made Rod Hollow shelter for lunch just as Papa Dale and Brenda were finishing their lunch and starting to leave. We ate, got water, and Mary soaked her feet and then we took off back down the trail, soon entering the "Roller Coaster". The Roller Coaster is 13.5 miles of short steep ups and downs that aren't as muddy, but pretty rocky. We were a ways into the Roller Coaster when we came across "Homeward" doing some trail magic. Hot dogs, chips, water and cookies were just what we needed as we were getting tired and still had 6 miles to go. Izzy arrived just before us and Baloo came in shortly after us. Homeward knew we were coming because someone else left a cooler of trail magic just below which was empty. So he would hear the hikers open and slam the cooler as they hoped for some trail magic. Homeward said he hoped Baloo would finish up the hot dogs because a thunderstorm was coming and if the hot dogs were gone he could pack up and head home.We hustled up the trail with renewed energy hoping to beat the weather. That hope didn't last long, as we reached the 1,000 mile mark the sky darkened and the rain started again. There wasn't much time to celebrate, just a quick shout from Izzy and a good feeling that we had made another milestone. Soon the skies opened up and it poured buckets. Thunder & lightning all around, a couple times too close for comfort!As we approached the next shelter we were already soaked to the bone and we were afraid if we stopped we would get too cold. The Roller Coaster was now more of a "Water Coaster". We soldiered on up the next hill, now hiking in sometimes ankle deep water cascading down the trail. Our previously muddy shoes were now washed clean and would squish water out with every step.After about 1/2 hour it let up and was just a light rain and the storm was just rumbling in the distance. We didn't let up much, as it seemed another storm may hit us as well. When we came to the creek crossing it was now raging with about half of the rocks for rock hopping under water. It wasn't an issue of keeping our feet dry, just a matter of getting across safely. We steadied ourselves with each step, and slowly made our way over. Baloo had just crossed ahead of us and waited to make sure we crossed safely, and gave Mary some advice on where to step.It was still a long rocky climb up to the Bears Den Hostel (the kind of trail Mary "loves"), but we eventually made it to hear a guy leaving in a minivan say "If you plan on staying you better go inside and take a number, that place is packed!" When we went inside we found not only was it the usual group of hikers, but also the large group of 17 Mennonite hikers we had been playing leap frog with the last couple of days. When I inquired about bunks the caretaker said he might have one bunk left. When he found out we were a couple he put us down in the intern room which was a small room with a double bed. It worked out better for us as we had a room to ourselves and it didn't smell as much like hiker as the bunkhouse.We were concerned to learn that Papa Dale & Brenda weren't here yet as they had been ahead of us all day and we didn't pass them. Turns out they went to the last shelter during the storm and then had to struggle with the water crossing that now had no rocks showing. They ended up shimmying over a log to cross. Both were wet and tired when they arrived. Izzy gave up her bunk and slept on the couch and they had one more bunk as well so both had a place to sleep inside. Two other hikers who arrived earlier hoping to get two bunks and then give them to Papa Dale & Brenda were also eventually able to get bunks as the caretaker realized some hikers must have moved around and he had more bunks available then he thought.We cooked our pizza, and ate our pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and started planning our hike for tomorrow. Our feet are really sore from hiking in wet shoes and socks all day. Our plan is to do a normal day of 15 miles and then a short 5 on Saturday to get to the post office by 12:00, or possibly slack the whole 20 miles tomorrow, we haven't decided yet.The caretaker took over the laundry tonight since the hostel was so full, so we now have clean clothes and socks to start the day tomorrow. Our tent is hanging in a storage room to dry and our shoes are also drying out in the same room.