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WEEK 9 - May 18 to May 24, 1981 |
May 19, 1981
This is the second straight day of rain. I spent last night at Ivy Creek Shelter with four section hikers, and making a short twelve miles today, tonight also. At least one of them is talking of quitting tomorrow. Have met three through-hikers at Hightop Shelter - the weekenders have gone to pitch their tent. The deer and other animals in the park are quite tame. It is quite easy to approach within a few feet of some of the deer. Even the rabbits allow a close approach.
May 20, 1981
Arrived at a reasonable hour at the Rocky Spring shelter to find (so far) three day hikers having a picnic. The day started cloudy but cleared about noon. Now, in the early evening, it is bright and sunny. I stopped at the Big Meadows store and bought some cookies for this evening and to stretch breakfasts. All the spring flowers that are going to bloom seem to have done so. I have seen nothing new the last few days. Only a yellow lady slipper was added to my slide collection. The resident skunk just wandered by.
May 22, 1981
Stopped at "Panorama" yesterday, had some candy bars and ran up a big phone bill by calling friends at work. Shortly afterwards I arrived at Pass Mt. shelter to find it crowded with a group of Canadians who hiked in from the road for an overnight stay. So .... on I marched to a spot near one of the cabins. There I met "The Floridians". A 23 or 24 mile hike today carried me to a point about one mile south of Linden where I have stopped rather arbitrarily right in the middle of the trail. Had a grey fox almost walk over me as it was travelling north on the trail and did not see me lying there until the very last moment. The new Floyd Wayside Shelter just north of the Shenandoah National Park is quite nice with two designated campsites, a spring, and a front porch! The Amazing Biscuitman is not far in front of me. The rainy days have convinced him to give up his quest to reach Harper's Ferry by Saturday. Since he went into Front Royal to resupply, I suspect he is at Manassas shelter, just five miles north of here. It is the first day out of the park and already I have seen signs of the continuing landowner problems - a 0.9 mile "detour" off the top of the ridge around private land.
May 23, 1981
Am presently camped at the south end of "Devil's Racecourse", having elected to cover the entire thirteen miles of paved road this afternoon. Walking paved road teaches you such interesting facts as that there are 40 telephone poles to the mile and that the phone company spaces buried cable signs at 0.1 mile intervals. Saw an eastern bluebird today on the wooded section and heard large numbers of rose breasted chats. I will esasily get to Harper's Ferry tomorrow - a Sunday and Monday is a holiday! A variant on the five Sundays a week on the AT. But it will afford a rest day, anyway.