Date: 2006-05-18
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter, Mill Creek

To: Calf Mountain Shelter, Shenandoah Nat'l Park
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I didn't take a "Zero Day" in Waynesboro. I think I'll take one inFront Royal (107.1 miles NOBO) or Harpers Ferry (160.4 miles NOBO)Time will tell...I had breakfast this morning (3 GIANT pancackes) at Weasie's Kitchen located at 130 E. Broad Street, Waynesboro (I recommend it to anyone who's passing thru). I picked up my mail drop at the Waynesboro Post Office and headed out into the Shenandoah Nat'l Park. Another milestone achieved on this "long and winding road". I've got my Shenandoah maps and I'm good to go! Bonnie sent me some more of that trailmix and I was glad to get it. I hadn't asked for it, but was very happy, and grateful that I hadn't yet resupplied because it's weighty and I try to keep my pack at a comfortable weight. I hadn't spoken with Bonnie since Mother's Day because there was no cell signal along the way. But, we did speak briefly today so she knows all's well. She asked about my weight and I told her I hadn't stepped on a scale, but I guessed I might be at 175 lbs. Not to worry, I'm paying close attention.I cut the conversation short because I had 4 more miles to travel and I could see rain threatening.Shenandoah National Park Factoids:¢Shenandoah National Park lies astride a beautiful section of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which form the eastern rampart of the Appalachian Mountains between Pennsylvania and Georgia. The Shenandoah River flows through the valley to the west, with Massanutten Mountain, 40 miles long, standing between the river's north and south forks. The rolling Piedmont country lies to the east of the park. Skyline Drive, a 105-mile road that winds along the crest of the mountains through the length of the park, provides vistas of the spectacular landscape to east and west. The park holds more than 500 miles of trails, including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Trails may follow a ridge crest, or they may lead to high places with panoramic views or to waterfalls in deep canyons. Many animals, including deer, black bears, and wild turkeys, flourish among the rich growth of an oak-hickory forest. In season, bushes and wildflowers bloom along the Drive and trails and fill the open spaces. Apple trees, stone foundations, and cemeteries are reminders of the families who once called this place home. Shenandoah National Park has many stories waiting to be told, and a world of beauty that can renew and bring peace to the spirit.Authorized May 22, 1926 and fully established December 26, 1935, the park's total acreage is 196,149, including 79,579 acres of congressionally designated Wilderness.¢Hopefully, you will get to sample some of it's beautiful vistas, flora and fauna when viewing the photos I will take and hope to share in my photo journal. Points of interest along the way today included:Rockfish Gap (1,902'), I-64 Overpass, Skyline Drive, self-registration for SNP camping permits at the park entrance station, McCormick Gap; Skyline Drive, Bear Den Mtn. (2,885'), Beagle Gap; Skyline Drive and today's destination - Calf Mtn. Shelter."The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched...They must be felt with the heart."- Helen Keller -