Day 70: Shenandoah National Park

Hiked 20.5 miles, tenting at Blackrock shelter.

Today after packing up and leaving the hostel we headed over to Weazie's for breakfast.  There we ran into some of The Tribe.  They camped at the YMCA last night instead of staying at the hostel.  We also ran into Avocado, Red Knees and Roadrunner there.  I had to get to the post office before leaving town (I sure as heck wasn't going to carry all that extra Verizon junk from my new phone with me) and it didn't open until 9, so I stayed in town a little longer while the other three hitched back to Rockfish Gap.  After the post office I too headed back that way.  Just like yesterday I barely stuck my thumb out and two cars simultaneously pulled over to offer me a lift.  I chose the closer one.

I think someone was a little confused or drunk when they put up the detour signs...

Crossing over the state road at Rockfish Gap

When I reached the gap, Monk, Toast and Rusty Ramps were just being dropped off by Santa's Helper.  He offered me a soda to go.  I started chatting with them and Old Boy strolled into the gap.  I was really confused because I thought he was ahead of us, but apparently he got off for a few days to visit family.

Half a mile from the gap, I hit a kiosk on the side of the trail.  Today we entered Shenandoah National Park and everyone had to stop at the kiosk and fill out a thru hiker permit.  Much easier than the Smokies, but you do have to give an estimated itinerary for this one which is a pain.  I just looked up the shelters that were about 20 miles apart, close enough.

View from McCormick Gap

Near the summit of Bears Den Mountain

A few of the antennas on Bears Den Mountain

A view from the summit of Bears Den Mountain

The terrain today was super easy.  I had been pessimistic because a southbound section hiker had told us this was a tough section.  It was a little rocky in a few places but a hard day?  I don't think so.  Although I think we definitely have a warped view somewhat.  I see day hikers struggling up hills and often until that point I hadn't even noticed I was on an incline.  I guess I'm in decent hiking shape after 850 miles.

Headed down towards Beagle Gap

Looking left from the above photo

Someone made an AT symbol on the ground on top of Calf Mountain

We didn't have a ton of views today, but I got a couple this morning.  Bears Den and Little Calf mountains were both goods for that.  Bears Den mountain had a ton of radio towers on top, I counted 12.  I moved along today and finally caught up to Srocket, Why Not and Dip'n'sip at Sawmill Gap Overlook, our final view for the day.  We all stopped there for lunch and while eating were passed by Lady and Homebrew.  Lady is having trouble with both shin splints and her heels and was hurting pretty bad today.  A lot of people that we've talked to recently are having shin splint issues, I am wondering if it has something to do with the trail being more hard packed and rocky.  Maybe people are just starting to push harder now, I'm not sure.

Panorama from Little Calf Mountain

View from Sawmill Gap

Sawmill Gap Overlook

The rest of the day was spent hiking a ridge line enclosed by the green tunnel.  The mountain laurels started blooming like crazy in the last few days and the trail today was packed with them.  Over the course of the day we crossed Skyline Drive 9 times.  This is the same road as the Blue Ridge Parkway but is renamed as it enters the park.  The park is only about 100 miles long, but supposedly over the course of hiking through it we cross Skyline Drive 42 times.  So we spend a lot of time paralleling and crossing it.

Mountain Laurel on the side of the trail

Closeup of Mountain Laurel flowers

The shelter is respectable here, but I'm tired of being eaten alive at night, so I'm tenting on moderately flat ground instead.  The area is packed since there is very limited stealth camping opportunities in the park that we've seen so far.  Roadrunner found a bag of chocolate chips in a hiker box and was passing them around tonight.  He was very popular.

Roadrunner is a sad panda

Next to Roadrunner is the bear bag contraption used in the park

Entertaining story for the evening: The shelters in the Shenandoah park have these unique bear poles to hang your food on.  Roadrunner was hanging his bag up and the clasp broke and his bag came crashing down and split right down the middle.  He managed to at least contain his food using duct tape and had to hang his entire pack on the pole.