Sunday, May 24--mile 897.6
Cousins Matt and Caroline dropped me off back in Waynesboro, where the rest of my group had spent the night and were waiting to get shuttled back up the trail. After a big ordeal where we tried to figure out how to best attach 5 backpacks to the roof of the car so they wouldn't fall off while driving, we headed out. The first day out of town is always hard, and we were all moving pretty slowly. The 12:30 pm start time didn't help us too much, either. We ended up only going 11 miles, and we camped by a ranger station (an act we're not entirely sure was legal. shh, don't tell). It was a little bit creepy, with an old bear transport cage and a few dog cages surrounding our tents. The dog cages served as a good spot for bear bagging for the night, though!
The Shenandoahs are an interesting place to hike. Fairly frequently, you run into camp stores and waysides where you can stop in and get snacks or cold drinks (read: beer) partway through the day. This was one of those days. We ended up taking a long break at a camp store in order to refuel before hiking the rest of our 25 mile day. This was my longest day yet at that point, so I ended up being pretty exhausted by the end of it. We decided on big miles so that we would only be 2 miles away from another lodge and restaurant in the morning. A big breakfast was on all of our minds.
After getting to camp, we went to get water from a nearby stream and made a little (read: big) bear friend. He was about 30 yards downstream, and he could not have cared less that we were there. Most black bears will scare pretty easily, but throughout the Shenandoahs, they tend to be a bit more accustomed to people and will stand their ground more. We decided that bearbagging definitely had to happen. Nobody got a visit in the night from our new friend, though, so all was well.
Tuesday, May 26--mile 938.5
We hiked those two miles in the morning to Big Meadows Lodge and sat down for a very large breakfast and about 2 gallons of coffee each. After this special treat, we hiked on until lunchtime, when we ran into another lodge. Let me tell you, it is very difficult to pass up REAL food along the trail, so into Skyland we went. Getting a full day of hiking in with two meals at restaurants is kind of a weird feeling that you don't get to experience anywhere along the trail other than in the Shenandoahs, so despite the weirdness, we indulged.
We all went to a shelter that night, and since it was supposed to storm, I was actually considering sleeping in the shelter instead of my tent--something I NEVER do. However, as I was getting into my sleeping bag, about three mice started running all around the shelter, and it was game over for me. Not even my pocket shot of whiskey that I packed in helped to calm me down, and I rushed out to set up my tent for the night. I will take a soaking wet tent over mice running around my face any day of the week.
I hiked out from the shelter in the morning with Hip (aka Dirty Mike), and we went a couple of miles in before deciding to actually go off-trail to an overlook. Most of the time, thru-hikers pass up these views, even if they're only .1 or .2 off-trail, because we want to get our miles in for the day without doing anything extra. This time, however, the tiny extra bit was TOTALLY WORTH IT, because the views were incredible. It was early enough in the morning that the sun hadn't cleared the fog from the valley beneath us yet, and it just felt like we were on top of the world. It made me realize that I need to slow down more and take the time to enjoy views like these.
We passed another wayside in the afternoon, and even though I told myself I wouldn't, I ate lunch there anyways. Like I said, it is so hard to pass up real food when you get the chance, but it never fails to make me feel less than wonderful when hiking on afterwards. Mistakes were made.
Despite the afternoon hike being miserable due to my lack of self-control around food, the evening made up for it with the decision to camp by a beautiful overlook. We ate dinner looking out over the view and drank beer and ate Poptarts while the sun set, in true hiker trash fashion. It was quite lovely.
Thursday, May 28--mile 984.6
This was my first marathon day! Hip and I made good time in the morning and caught a quick hitch into nearby Front Royal to resupply for the next couple days. There was a grocery store right on the outskirts of town, and we actually managed to make it a quick in-n-out visit, which never happens when I go to town. We were quite proud of ourselves.
Around lunchtime, we made it to a shelter that actually had a solar shower! This was the point at which I realized I am a true thru-hiker, because I passed on this opportunity. I knew I was going to be hiking 5 or 10 more miles that day, so I didn't quite see the point in showering. It appears that I have officially reached the point of having zero standards about anything, especially about how covered in dirt I may be.
Papalu, Squabbler and I hiked the remaining 10 miles past that shelter to complete my marathon! I don't believe I have ever been as physically exhausted as I was that night. I was basically a zombie for the last 5 miles, but I really wanted to get them in! I was proud of myself for pushing through, despite my desire to stop short.
Friday, May 29--mile 1010.9
Because one marathon day wasn't enough, I decided to do a second in a row. But let's make things a little more interesting, shall we? This day's hike was completed entirely in my Tevas. Since it's started getting hotter, I've actually been getting blisters from my boots, so I figured I'd try something a bit different. This may have been a mistake. The blisters from my boots are doing fine, but now I have a whole new set of blisters from my sandals. Backpacking is fun and never hard work and it never hurts at all.
I was especially proud of myself for this day, because half of it was the dreaded Roller Coaster--13.5 miles of tightly packed ascents and descents. On a day as hot and humid as this one was, it was particularly miserable. One little bonus in the middle of this hell, however, was the 1,000 mile mark!! Every 100 mile mark is a cool milestone, but 1,000 felt especially amazing. I don't know if you realize this, but 1,000 miles is a lot of miles. The more you know.
Saturday, May 30--mile 1022.8
Otherwise known as the day that I reached the unofficial halfway point of the AT!! Salmon ended up also being at the Blackburn Center the night before, so together we ate oatmeal and drank coffee that Trailboss provided us in the morning before heading out. Did I mention that Trailboss is the nicest man ever? After hiking for a couple of hours, we ran into some delicious trail magic! The parents of another thru-hiker we know came down from Ohio to visit and decided to provide some magic while they were around. We stuffed our faces with brats, cookies, chips, and Powerade before making our way to Harpers Ferry. The last few miles into town are always the slowest, but we finally made it to the ATC Headquarters! Salmon and I hung around the headquarters and waited for the rest of the guys to show up.
My brother Michael lives in DC, so he came in for the afternoon to visit (and feed) me! A couple of hours later, my wonderful professor/mentor/friend Heather, who used to teach at OU but now lives in West Virginia, also came to visit! This was a super fun treat for me. Thank you SO MUCH for coming to see me, Heather!! We all ate dinner together and ran into just about every hiker that I know in Harpers Ferry, INCLUDING KYLIE!!! I didn't think I was going to get to see her, but as we were wrapping up at dinner, I looked over the balcony and saw her walking down the street. I very rudely interrupted whatever conversation we were having in order to run to the side and yell down to her. It was very Romeo and Juliet of us. It was a lovely evening of reunions and socialization. Michael and I drove to DC for the night so I could shower for hours and sleep in a decent bed. It was a great day to celebrate making it (basically) halfway!
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