6/10/14
Day: 65
Starting: Waynesboro, VA 857.8
Ending: Blackrock Hut 878.5
Total: 20.7
After completing our normal in town chores which usually includes laundry, grocery shopping, showering, and overeating, we were back on the trail. We were excited about this portion of the trip because we would soon be entering Shenandoah National Park. We have heard that this section of the trail is relatively easier than the rest of Virginia. The park also has waysides throughout. Waysides are restaurants and small grocery stores located within .5 miles of the trail. We were looking forward to getting some of our meals from the waysides this week which meant we didn't have to carry as much food ourselves.
We were picked up by our shuttle driver who was another Waynesboro trail angel and charged us nothing to get back to the trail. Waynesboro has been by far the friendliest hiker town we have experienced when it comes to getting a shuttle. We really appreciated the hospitality because shuttle costs can add up quickly.
Within a few miles of being on the trail that morning we entered Shenandoah National Park. This section of the trail was very similar to the area between Daleville and Waynesboro in that it also crosses over the same road multiple times a day. I think on the first day we crossed Skyline Drive 10 times! Its definitely a different experience hiking all day and constantly hearing cars and motorcycles driving by.
We had some afternoon rain showers about one hour before we got to camp. Luckily, it passed quickly and we didn't get soaked. We got to the hut around 6:15 and were surprised by the large number of thru hikers that were already there. Our hiking the week before was relatively quiet and we even had nights where we were the only ones at the shelter. Thankfully, there were still a few open campsites available and we were able to set up camp and call it a night.
Day: 66
Starting: Blackrock Hut 878.5
Ending: Hightop Hut: 899.9
Total: 21.4
We got up and on the trail by 8:30 this morning. As the weather starts to get warmer, we are going to have to start to get an earlier start in the morning. We were planning on experiencing our first wayside for lunch that day so we were motivated to make good time. We crossed Skyline again around 10am and decided to take a quick stretch break by the road. While we were sitting there a woman stopped and asked if we were hungry. Our answer to that question is always YES! She was planning on doing trail magic at a gap about 10 miles ahead on the trail but she opened her trunk and pulled out two sandwiches for us. She had thru hiked a few years prior and loved coming back out to this area to do trail magic. It was a great break and truly appreciated!
We got to the wayside around noon and had a great lunch. We both had burgers and fries and we each had to try the blackberry ice cream we had heard so much about.
Shortly after we got back on the trail it started to rain. We knew we had storms in the forecast all week so we expected to get wet on the trail. It was a constant rain but we could hear thunder in the distance so we were motivated to get to camp. We hiked a lot quicker than normal to make it to camp before the storm started. The hut was pretty crowded when we got there and the only available campsite was on uneven ground. This isn't ideal when you know you are going to get rained on. We were able to stay mostly dry in the tent but our ground cover and the bottom of the tent got soaked. Luckily, my parents were picking us up in two days so we would be able to dry everything out when they got here.
Day: 67
Starting: Hightop Hut: 899.9
Ending: Big Meadow Campground: 920.3
Total: 20.4
Our shoes and clothes were wet from the storms the night before so we were happy to start hiking to get a chance to dry out! The morning was pretty uneventful. We did see quite a few deer during this section of the trail. The deer are very tame and don't seem easily phased by people. It was pretty surprising how close they actually let you get before they run away.
Right before lunch it started to rain again! We were able to find a small cabin with a big covered porch for lunch. We had a longer than expected lunch trying to wait out the storm. It passed around 2 and we were back on the trail.
We were planning on eating at a wayside again for dinner tonight. Due to the longer than expected lunch, we knew we might not make it to the wayside in time before they close the restaurant. We decided to hike an extra mile to go to the nearby lodge. We were covered in mud and spent about 20 minutes outside the lodge trying to do the best we could to clean up. The food was great and we were excited to be eating real food!
We reserved a spot at the campground that night which was pretty close to the lodge restaurant. Mike didn't really like the idea of "fake camping" but I was happy to have a real bathroom with running water close by.
Day: 68
Starting: Big Meadows Campground: 920.3
Ending: Fishers Gap: 921.9
Total: 1.8
The rain finally cleared up and we woke up to clear skies! We hiked back up to the lodge for breakfast. We were both excited to finally have some great weather and to be able to eat in a restaurant again. My parents were on their way to spend the weekend with us and we only had 2 miles to hike to our pick up spot. We were very excited to have a few days to rest. We finished breakfast and enjoyed the views from the back porch of the lodge for a bit before we went back to the campsite to pack everything up.
On our way back to camp we decided to take the AT back instead of cutting through the lodge like we did the night before. We like to make sure we don't cut any portions of the trail and we knew we wouldn't be coming back this way. It was a pretty funny feeling to be hiking on the trail with our camp shoes on and coffee in our hands. We actually ran into another thru hiker that we had met a few days earlier. He was a little confused when he passed us but thought it was pretty funny when we explained what we were doing.
My parents picked us up at 11 and we drove to the house they had rented for the weekend in Luray, VA. It was a really cute house with a big back deck overlooking the woods and a stream. It was very secluded from the road and a great setting for a relaxing weekend.
We showered and headed into town to do laundry and eat. Luray was having a blues band playing in the town pavilion that night so we decided to come back for that later in the day.
The band was a lot of fun and there were a lot of people there enjoying the show. We got pizza from a local restaurant after the concert and called it an early night. We were pretty tired and looking forward to sleeping in a real bed again!
Day: 69
Zero day in Luray, Va
We didn't really have specific plans for the day and when we found out we were only 90 miles outside of Washington DC we decides to make a day trip out of it. Your perspective on mileage certainly changes when there is a car involved.
The weather was perfect and we decided to take a tour on a double decker bus through the city. It was great to get to see the sites of DC without having to actually walk. It was our zero day after all.
We had lunch at a seafood restaurant in Georgetown and got back to the house by 7. We packed a lot of activities into one day so I was happy for a chance to relax back at the house! We really enjoyed our trip into the city.
Day: 70
Starting: Fishers Gap, 921.9
Mom and dad on the trail!
Trail selfie
Shenandoah bear
Ending: Skyland Resort: 928.2
Total Miles: 6.3
My parents dropped us off back at the trail around 11. We even took a few pictures with them on the trail! It was great to get to see them. I was very thankful they decided to visit us.
We were pretty tired starting our hike again. It's usually hard getting back on after a zero. I think all our sightseeing from the day before was catching up with us. We got to Skyland Resort around 3 and decided to call it a day. We got a cabin for the night and called it a day!
Day: 71
Starting: Skyland Resort: 928.2
Ending: Range View Cabin: 947.2
Total Miles: 19
We got a pretty early start from Skyland and were on the trail by 8:30. We had a good day of hiking. The skies were finally starting to clear and we could start to see some of the great overlooks of the Shenandoah Valley.
One thing we have noticed since being in the park is the increase in the number of ticks! We knew we would have to deal with them during the hike but I didn't think they would be this bad. Mike is a tick magnet and I am constantly on the lookout to make sure he hasn't picked any up. During one break, he picked 5 ticks off in about 2 minutes!
We have also been able to see a lot of bears during this section of the trail. They are a lot like the deer in that they seem pretty used to humans. We passed within about 10 feet of one bear who was on the side of the trail. The bear didn't budge as we walked by.
We stopped at the last wayside of the trip for dinner that night. We had dinner with Desert Fox. A former thru hiker that had done the AT in 09 and the PCT in 12. He was a really nice guy and it was very interesting to hear about the differences betweent the two trails. He said in his opinion the AT is the more difficult of the two.
As we were finishing up dinner the sky started to get dark and you could hear thunder in the distance. We had about a mile hike to go to make it to our campsite. Luckily, we made it before the storm started. I was staring to set up camp while Mike went to get water. He came back and said there was a section hiker who had rented a nearby park cabin and has invited us to stay there for the night of we wanted to. It didn't take us long to say yes, especially since we knew we were getting more storms that night.
The cabin was a bit nicer than the standard trail shelters. It still didn't have electricity or running water but we were greatful for a chance to be out of the rain. Desert Fox and another section hiker stayed in the cabin as well. We sat on the porch for a while and talked about our hiking experiences. The conversation mostly centered around gear and bug bites. Once the storm started we headed inside to our dry bunks!
Day: 72
Roller coaster profile
Bear's Den hostel
Bears den grounds
1,000 miles!!!
Blackburn Center
Hiker feed!
The food was amazing!
Shenandoah River in the background.
A poster up at the ATC
Starting: Range View Cabin: 947.2
Ending: Jim & Molly Denton Shelter: 970.8
Total Miles: 23.6
Today was a big day because we were finally leaving the park! We were excited to cross another big milestone off our list.
It was a pretty uneventful day of hiking. We were able to put a good amount of miles in and make it to one of the best shelters on the trail for the night. This shelter had a huge porch with a swing and a solar shower!
We were exhausted by the time we got to camp. The weather is starting to really heat up and hiking in 90+ degree temperatures really zaps your energy. We got to bed early with plans to get on the trail as early as possible the next day.
I think the heat was getting to us!
Day: 73
Starting: Jim & Molly Denton Shelter: 970.8
Ending: Rod Hollow Shelter: 989.2
Total: 18.4
We got up and were on the trail by 7:15! We rain into a trail maintenance volunteer about 10 minutes into our hike and he told us it was going to be another hot day with temperatures in the high 90s. I keep telling myself this is helping to prepare us for when it really starts to heat up in July and August!
We had some pretty easy terrain and were actually able to make it to lunch around noon. Usually when we are trying to get closed to 20 miles in we have lunch around 2. It's amazing how getting an early start to the day will help.
We finished pretty early today and got into camp about 5:30. Again, this is about 2 hours earlier than we usually get in. We were happy to be out of the heat and done for the day.
Day: 74
Starting: Rod Hollow Shelter: 989.2
Ending: Blackburn Trail Center: 1007.1
Total: 17.9
Today was a great day full of unexpected trail magic!! It had stormed the night before and finally cooled off. We were greatful for the cooler temperatures to start our day. We were starting off our hike with the "roller coaster" a 13 mile stretch of the trail filled with tightly packed with ten ascents and descents. To me, the roller coaster should have just been called Georgia. It was filled with hills and rocks, very similar to the terrain we have already experienced.
About 5 miles into the roller coaster we hit a group of people setting up for trail magic. We were happy to stop and help finish setting up. They had thru hiked in '12 and had been doing trail magic in that spot for the last 3 days. It was amazing! They were grilling hamburgers and hot dogs and has tons of other snacks as well.
Trail magic set up
While we were sitting there, another thru hiker couple showed up. We get pretty excited when we meet other couples around our age who are also thru hiking. We are definitely in the minority on the trail. There names were Trippy and Cowboy and they had stated at Springer about a week after us. They were from PA and were excited to be getting close to home.
The group running the trail magic offered to drive our packs 6 miles up the road to a nearby hostel to allow us to slackpack. We happily accepted. It was nice to get a big chunk of the roller coaster done without weight on our backs!
We got to the hostel around 1 and had lunch in their yard. The hostel is actually owned and run by the ATC. It was a beautiful old home and the grounds were so pretty. It was definitely not like your average hostel.
Shortly after lunch we hit a HUGE milestone. We crossed the 1,000 mile mark. Luckily, we were hiking with Race Walker (another thru hiker we met the night before) at the time and he was able to take our picture for us. About two miles after that we also hit the VA/WV state line. We knew we wouldn't be totally done with VA until the next day, but it still felt really good hitting that state line!
State line!
We made it to the Blackburn center for the night. This is another shelter run by the ATC. It also has campgrounds and a caretakers house on the property. The place was amazing and there was a local farm hosting a hiker feed there for the night. We were able to eat and hang out on the porch of the caretakers house. The food was so good, it was great to be able to eat fresh vegetables straight from the farm. The family that runs the farm were so nice and they been played music while we ate.
We went to be that night feeling pretty greatful for all the generosity we had experienced that day.
Day: 75
Starting: Blackburn Trail Center: 1007.1
Ending: Harper's Ferry, WV: 1018.9
Total: 11.8
We were excited to get on the trail today! We knew we only had 12 miles to get the Harper's Ferry. This is where the ATC is headquartered and is considered the psychological half way point on the trail. You also get to register with the ATC and find out what number you are at that point. We hiked some of the morning with Cowboy and Tripy which made the time go by a lot faster.
We made it to the ATC by 1 after finally crossing out of Virginia for the last time! We found out we were number 687 and 688 for this season. We didn't register at the beginning of our hike so we aren't exactly sure where we were to begin with. We were able to look at the pictures of the other hikers who had come through before us. It was great to see the faces of people we hadn't seen in a while!
After we left the ATC we had lunch with Trippy and Cowboy at a local pizza place. It was great to get to know them better. I hope we will be seeing them again on the trial. We got to the hotel around 3 and stayed in and relaxed for the rest of the evening.
Day:76
Zero in Harper's Ferry
Today was a very relaxing zero! We had a few errands to run in the morning which includes resupplying and getting Mike new shoes but we mostly spent the day in bed relaxing and watching movies. It was the perfect zero in my opinion.
We are back on the trail Sunday!!
We will try to do a better job of updating more frequently. I know this was a loooong update! Thanks for following along with us on our journey!
Happy Trails!
Z & Gia
Loving the beard!
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