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Day 053
Friday June 17, 2016 Start Mile 842.2 - Reeds Gap [2650 ft] End Mile 861.3 - Waynesboro [1917 ft] 19.1 Miles --- Warm and muggy in the tent this morning. Packed up under the outdoor bar pavilion and played on the wifi. Hiker breakfast wasn't until 9:45am and then we all got a ride back to the trail in the company truck. Started hiking just before 11am with Foxy, Giggles, and Cake. Had my second fall of the trail on the wet rocks. It was a pretty fast hike into town, although it wasn't until late in the afternoon with the late start. We called some trail angels at the gap to get a ride into town. I caught a ride with Beef Jerky while Cake, Giggles, and Foxy called a guy who only had space for three. The plan was to meet Roadrunner and Braveheart at the Chinese buffet. I had no problem getting there, but they had trouble, although they eventually arrived with a Lumberjack in tow. Spent two hours eating at the amazing buffet, then we wandered into a street fair, where much time was spent looking for quarters. Split a room with Cake at the Quality Inn, and I'm considering zeroing tomorrow with everyone. |
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Day 054
Saturday June 18, 2016
Start Mile 861.3 - Waynesboro [1917 ft]
End Mile 861.3 - Waynesboro [1917 ft]
0.0 Miles (Fourth Zero Day)
12th Shower
9th Laundry
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Zero day in Waynesboro. Coffee shop trip after breakfast with Roadrunner, Cake, and Giggles with some intense crosswording action. Then doing some laundry after Roadrunner left with her family. Afterwards to the movies with Cake, Giggles, Liquor, Foxy, and Braveheart to see Finding Dory, which was a delightful movie. A slow afternoon to resupply, and back to the Chinese buffet for another two hours, this time with one less Roadrunner and two more Gaia and Bear Bait. Then back to the Quality Inn and splitting a room with Giggles.
Saturday June 18, 2016
Start Mile 861.3 - Waynesboro [1917 ft]
End Mile 861.3 - Waynesboro [1917 ft]
0.0 Miles (Fourth Zero Day)
12th Shower
9th Laundry
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Zero day in Waynesboro. Coffee shop trip after breakfast with Roadrunner, Cake, and Giggles with some intense crosswording action. Then doing some laundry after Roadrunner left with her family. Afterwards to the movies with Cake, Giggles, Liquor, Foxy, and Braveheart to see Finding Dory, which was a delightful movie. A slow afternoon to resupply, and back to the Chinese buffet for another two hours, this time with one less Roadrunner and two more Gaia and Bear Bait. Then back to the Quality Inn and splitting a room with Giggles.
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Day 055
Sunday June 19, 2016 Start Mile 861.3 - Waynesboro [1917 ft] End Mile 882.0 - Blackrock Hut [2743 ft] 20.7 Miles 13th Shower --- Managed to sleep in until 7:15am, which was fantastic. Then breakfast and packing. Giggles is also ready to hit the trail, but nobody else is close to ready. We caught a ride back to the trail and started hiking by 10am. Some trail magic along the way, but relatively straight forward until a quarter mile before the hut where I saw a mama bear with three small cubs off in the distance. Hanging out in the hut, when we hear a bit of a commotion where the side trail to the hut breaks off from the trail. The mother bear and cubs have decided that the middle of the side trail is a great place to hang out, so Gaia, Cake, and Cranberry are stuck on the other side waiting for them to leave, yelling at the bears to no avail. Eventually, Bearclaw figures out what is going on, runs back to his tent to grab the sword he is apparently hiking with, and then rushes off to help scare the bears away, which ultimately happens. And later Bear Bait and Lumberjack make it in without any bear issues. |
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Day 056
Monday June 20, 2016 Start Mile 882.0 - Blackrock Hut [2743 ft] End Mile 903.4 - Hightop Hut [3183 ft] 21.4 Miles --- A few people were getting up when I left camp. Pretty easy going all day. Got into the hut around 3 and spent a lot of time just listening to music and relaxing. Figured that everyone else would keep on going to the next shelter. Gaia arrived around 6:30pm and it turns out that everyone is just hiking slow today. Lumberjack, Smeagol, Cake, Giggles, and Heavy D all eventually arrived. Much laughter was had at the table. |
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Day 057
Tuesday June 21, 2016 Start Mile 903.4 - Hightop Hut [3183 ft] End Mile 931.7 - Skyland Resort [3747 ft] 28.3 Miles 14th Shower --- Everyone was getting up early in hopes of making a Triple Crown of Food. Quickly out of camp with Lumberjack but then we were emasculated when Gaia, Giggles, and Cake quickly all caught up. We had a nice breakfast from a delightful family renting a cabin just off of the trail. Giggles and I took a small side trail to an overlook and then a disappointing rock scramble. Then off to a Wayside for lunch, where I had the blackberry shake. By late afternoon, Giggles and I noticed that we were basically night hiking and a huge bank of dark clouds was coming right for us. Which turned into a downpour with a bit of hail. After walking through the wet, we got to Skyland Resort and a beer in the Tap Room with the Virginia Creepers. Cake appeared and then Gaia and Lumberjack got the rooming situation figured out. A quick shower and then the dinner to finish the Triple Crown of Food. Eventually Bear Bait reappeared, after hiking a 30 yesterday and having the craziest of days today. |
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Day 058
Wednesday June 22, 2016 Start Mile 931.7 - Skyland Resort [3747 ft] End Mile 955.7 - Gravel Springs Hut [2639 ft] 24.0 Miles 15th Shower --- A very lazy morning in the room, with everyone staying in bed and complaining about hurt bodies. We eventually packed out and left the Resort by noon. At the picnic area we met up with Cake's friend Caroline who was picking her up off the trail to head to a wedding. During the picnic, we realized that if we hurried, we could get to the next Wayside for dinner before it closed at 7pm, which we succeeded in. Hiking through the darkness into the next shelter, where we arrived around 10pm. |
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Day 059
Thursday June 23, 2016 Start Mile 955.7 - Gravel Springs Hut [2639 ft] End Mile 974.3 - Jim & Molly Denton Shelter [1326 ft] 18.6 Miles --- Rainy morning, just trying to sleep in hoping that the rain will stop. We eventually took off, looking forward to a quick resupply in Front Royal. Giggles, Bear Bait, and I missed the shuttle into town by 10 minutes. Luckily there was trail magic at the road and Chet was also shuttling hikers in and out of town. Giggles decided to stay in town to deal with shin splints and Lumberjack and Gaia are somewhere in town. Headed back on trail and to the next shelter with Bear Bait. Nice looking shelter with a great bench and porch. Some other hikers, Brother Blood, Duchess, Old Spice, as well as a group of high schoolers here. |
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Day 060
Friday June 24, 2016 Start Mile 974.3 - Jim & Molly Denton Shelter [1326 ft] End Mile 992.7 - Rod Hollow Shelter [891 ft] 18.4 Miles --- The plan was to wait until 8am to start hiking to see if Gaia and Lumberjack would reappear from town. Relaxing easy hike today, getting into the shelter at 4. Not the nicest shelter. Tomorrow is the infamous 'Roller Coaster' and then will be Harpers Ferry. |
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Day 061
Saturday June 25, 2016 Start Mile 992.7 - Rod Hollow Shelter [891 ft] End Mile 1010.6 - Blackburn Trail Center [1650 ft] 17.9 Miles --- A little bit of a late morning and then starting the 'Roller Coaster' with Bear Bait. It turns out that the 'Roller Coaster' is just a badly routed, not well made bit of trail. Not hard at all, just annoying. At Snicker's Gap we saw a sign about a Thanksgiving Dinner for hikers at the Blackburn Trail Center, so the plan became swing by there for food and then to the next shelter. A few hours chilling at the Blackburn Trail Center when Giggles of all people hikes in on a serious runner's high. And later joined by Gaia and Lumberjack. A fantastic dinner with ice cream for desert and lots of leftover green beans. We all crashed the porch that night. |
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Day 062
Sunday June 26, 2016 Start Mile 1010.6 - Blackburn Trail Center [1650 ft] End Mile 1023.1 - Harpers Ferry [274 ft] 12.5 Miles 16th Shower --- Early up on the porch, but a while until everyone was ready to go. Went with Bear Bait and Giggles up the longer side trail back to the AT. No sign of Gaia and Lumberjack from the shorter trail, so we began the march to Harpers. So many rocks and day hikers. Finally over the bridge and then up the side trail to the ATC. I headed to a hotel to pick up a mail drop, then down to the old town for food, and back to the motel for the night with Bear Bait and Giggles. Dinner with Gaia's parents and a ride from the hotel's manager to a Walmart for a resupply. |
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Day 063
Monday June 27, 2016 Start Mile 1023.1 - Harpers Ferry [274 ft] End Mile 1029.4 - Ed Garvey Shelter [1083 ft] 6.3 Miles 10th Laundry 17th Shower --- Kind of slept in this morning. Had mimosas with breakfast while watching YouTube. We used an entire bottle of Permethrin on all of our stuff, then had ice cream and ciders while waiting for it to dry. We finally vacated the hotel, stopped by the Post Office, the ATC office again, and eventually left Harpers Ferry around 2pm. A short hike, mostly on the flat tow path, to the next shelter. |
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Day 064
Tuesday June 28, 2016 Start Mile 1029.4 - Ed Garvey Shelter [1083 ft] End Mile 1054.2 - Ensign Cowall Shelter [1384 ft] 24.8 Miles --- Late start to the day. Mentally in a bad place all day long. Trail magic at the Washington Monument (the one in Maryland, completed in 1827, not the one in the District of Columbia, completed in 1885). Crossed over I-70 in the rain. |
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Day 065
Wednesday June 29, 2016 Start Mile 1054.2 - Ensign Cowall Shelter [1384 ft] End Mile 1072.3 - Tumbling Run Shelters [1082 ft] 18.1 Miles --- Another late start, but soon made it to Pen Mar Park where there was trail magic from a church group. Three miles past the park and then a hitch into town from a friendly local. Lots of food purchased and then hanging out at the Sheetz for snacks and wifi. To get back to the trail, Giggles, Bear Bait, and I got a ride from two good-'ol-boys who were on their way to some fishin' and had already started drinking a bit. They almost took off not realizing that Bear Bait hadn't hopped in the truck yet. |