People started stirring around 6. Some made it out very quickly, which I now realize is because they skip breakfast or eat something prepackaged in 15 seconds. I was on the trail before 8. The trail is fairly easy with slight inclines, occasional great views, sections that feel like a country lane way surrounded by hedgerows, and more typical forest sections. Today the trail crossed the Virginia Skyline drive a half dozen times.
I stopped at the Campground Store mainly to check it out as a source for supplies. It didn’t have much that I would use.
An hour or so later I got to the first wayside, which is a store plus fast food restaurant on the Skyline, and ordered a Beyond Meat burger, fries and raspberry milkshake for about $40 Canadian. I ate with Josef, from Valencia Spain. He had been at Black Rot Hut the bight before. I made the mistake of speaking Spanish to him, then he told me they speak Catalan in Valencia and I got a lesson in the linguistic imperialism the Spanish impose on Catalan speakers. In theory eating at the waysides means we don’t have carry as much food. In practice it’s too expensive and with too few food options to work for me.
In the afternoon I ran into three volunteers with chainsaws who were walking south looking for bmfallen trees across the trail. I told them about one that was covered in poison ivy vines, but couldn’t remember where I’d seen it.
I got to Hightop hut around 6. Ine section hiker was in the shelter. One was tenting. Josef arrived later and is beside me in the hut. TwobEsses and company are tenting because they think they’ll be warmer. It was a chilly day today and is supposed to be pretty cold tonight.
I have two scheduling challenges now. I need to get to Front Royal for Tuesday morning when the phone repair store will be open to fix my phone, but that means I need to slow down my mileage. And I need to find a hostel I want to stop at at least five business days ahead so the manufacturer of my backpack can mail me a replacement one, since mine has developed a non repairable tear on the waist strap. I’m too pooped to figure this out tonight. Will try tomorrow.
Mile 885.8 to mile 907.3 = 21.5 miles
A young buck with budding antlers
I made a 900 mile marker at the right spot
This one was a hundred yards too far north
A volunteer crew out looking for fallen trees to cut away from the trail
Your wildlife photos are fantastic! Love that young bucks new antlers. I also am enjoying the photos of people, the volunteers especially.