Sharkey dropped us off at Rockfish Gap where Beanie and Ducky took off and I waited with White and pals as they shuttled a car 20 miles ahead to their stop point. The summer heat came on strong and having new legs in the group led to a low mileage day but it was nice easing back into the trail after such an awesome Zero-Day. Day 2 in Shenandoah, I set off on my own hoping to recoup some of the mileage. I went up to the Black Rocks summit to hop around, got a great photo of a spider guarding the tallest rock, and then took a long-cut along a blue blaze trail to see some waterfalls. I got tired of hearing all the Sunday bikers roaring along Skyline Drive so it was a welcomed change to veer off the AT and down into a valley.
Jones Falls
Lower Doyles River Falls
Upper Doyles River Falls, the best for last
As I was circling around rhe Lewis Campgrounds I stopped at an overlook to watch another sunset and then night hiked three miles to the next spring. The bugs were pretty bad in Shenandoah and since I was wearing a headlamp, the light attracted them all right into my face which was not a good time. But I did see a cool snake. The next morning I hit the 900 mile marker and then White caught back up to me. We saw some deer, had dinner at a picnic area where day-walkers would drive around the parking lot and stare, and then hammock camped nearby.
The heatwave continued on Day 4 in the Shenandoahs and we took a break at a ranger cabin. The covered porch overlooked a small patch of grass with gently swaying trees and a blue sky in the background, it was a beautiful scene to enjoy while escaping from the heat. In the afternoon we made it to the Big Meadows Wayside, a restaurant and resupply that is practically on the trail. It is one of the few nice aspects of hiking so close to Skyline Drive. I ate a 2300 calorie meal consisting of a salad, club sandwich, chili cheese fries, and a blackberry ice cream pie. We ran into Ducky and Beanie whose friend had a cabin at the lodge and invited us to crash there for the night. It was great to get a shower, do some shower laundry, and pig out on lodge food.
After falling victim to the distractions of calories at the wayside I had to make up some miles and make it to meet Billy, a friend from Baltimore, on Friday morning near Front Royal. My plan was to do two 20 mile days and then have an easy 6 miles on Friday morning as Billy fought DC traffic. Along the way I saw a baby fawn with momma, did some more climbing, mooched wifi from the Skyland Lodge, and narrowly escaped a torrential downpour as I cooked dinner in a shelter.
I wound up doing some night hiking on my way to Mountain Pass Shelter after passing through Thornton Gap and set up right next to the spring. The next morning was foggy and there were thousands of funnel spider webs carpeting the forest floor. As I was wondering what they ate and how there was enough to go around, I heard a rustle and then saw a bear climbing down a tree! Similar to last time, I took some photos and as I tried to switch to my zoom lens he moved away. I started to follow him off trail but quickly realized that was not a smart move.
I made it to the Elkwallow Wayside where I took a break to dry out my socks on the buildings condenser unit, cook lunch, and catch up with Knots and Firefly. In April 2016, I did a section hike with some friends from Compton Gap to Thornton Gap so this day of hiking was like a repeat, in reverse, but with everything being lush and green instead of brown and waiting to sprout. I remember all of the hills being MUCH taller, steeper, and more challenging but things change after hiking every day for 2.5 months. I reached Compton Gap and took the side trail to the overlook where I set up an amazing hammock hang right next to the cliffs and spent the evening watching the sunset and relaxing alone. It was a great way to end my time in the Shenandoahs.
Compton Peak Overlook at sunrise with some clouds rolling through the valley