The plan today it's to get as close to front royal as the weather will allow! The timing of the afternoon thunderstorms is the key. It's already cloudy this morning... Worst case scenario is to go only 13 miles to gravel springs hut and have 14 miles to do tomorrow, best case is to go 23 miles to the hostel and only have 4 miles into town tomorrow..I like the sound of option number 2! My family is picking me up tomorrow and I want to have an easy walk, allowing time and energy to enjoy our day together! (3 nephews to keep up with)...
I leave camp about 7am..i did set up my tent in the shelter last night..there were lots of insects crawling and flying around..I had no interest in interacting with them. And it did rain last night ..i didn't want to deal with a wet tent this morning. Yeah, I know I'm backpacking, but I have gear and I'm not scared to use it to increase my comfort and safety in the great outdoors. That's what gear is for, right?
My anticipated highlight of today was to be (another) stop at a wayside. My intention was to finally get a milkshake. I arrived at the wayside at 10am...early enough to get something from the breakfast menu! After a bacon, egg and cheese bagel with a chocolate shake, I was on my way!...I saw 2 adult whitetail deer with NO fear of hikers..they just stood there, less than 15 feet away, looking at me....I also saw 2 big rabbits.
These, with the far away bear and several black snakes, fulfill my "wildlife encounter" check off list for the Shenandoah national park. I will admit to singing aloud with an occasional extra loud "woo-hoo" thrown in for good measure..all to give fair warning to the fauna of my approach. Today i added an extra layer of fauna-alarming strategy: loud classical music. I figured out how to use my bandanna to hammock my phone at the upper edge of my sports bra while simultaneously keeping the screen protected from my sweaty chest...as I plodded down the last mile of trail...assuring that no more creatures would be added to my "seen"list....
I made it to the terrapin hostel at 530pm, my feet just shy of abandoning the rest of my body out of sheer contempt....all I can do is apologize with promises of massage and gentle stretches following the warm shower and moisturizing....
I ate the last of my delicious trail food, polished of a pint of carrot cake ice cream (not my first choice in ice cream flavors...not nearly enough chocolate) then hit the bunks for a restless night of the rotisserie chicken bed dance....I can never get comfortable on an air mattress, which is what was available...and it had a helmet sized lump off to one side, which threatened to toss me off the side of my top bunk, 6ft down to the concrete floor...I deflated the mattress enough that I didn't feel like it was trying to hurl me off the cliff...
My last Good night on the trail before meeting up with family here, then going to the grand canyon with more family! I'm sure it's anticipation that kept me rolling all night!
Pics: sign for the hostel; mike, the owner; the bunk room
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