I slept really well last night and as soon as I wake up I jump up and start packing. The weather app says there is a strong likelihood of rain today, and I want to get an early start because bad weather always slows me down. My motivation for getting going this morning is that the trail runs by Skyland Lodge about 8 miles away, and I am hoping to sit in a nice building on a nice chair and charge my electronics while drinking a nice cup of hot tea before lunch.
The trail is a short walk from my campsite, and I jump on the trail at 7:30 am. Mist hangs in the air and fog hugs the tree canopy above. What a dreary day! I hope the sun makes an appearance and burns off some of the fog, but severe storms are forecast for this evening, so probably not.
The trail winds around the campground, which is starting to wake up. I am positively amazed at the number of camper vans represented through the campground. Some of the campers are venturing outside to make coffee under the shelter of portable canopies.
The trail veers to the northeast and leaves the campground, descending for the next two miles. The woods are eerily quiet in the early morning and so pretty. Lots of ferns dot the ground, and the woods on either side of the trail are flat and expansive. I look up to see six deer looking quietly at me from less than 30 feet away. I hear a bird and for a minute I think it's a chicken, until I realize it's a turkey gobble. I laugh at myself, scaring the deer.
After an hour I pass some rocky outcrops which are marked as views on FarOut, but all I see is fog, so I just keep moving. I really have nothing exciting to report, since I couldn't see much more than 100 feet in any direction.
The trail starts to ascend for the next mile and a half. I pass a side trail to Rock Spring Hut, but I don't stop. The good news is I am crossing so many springs that just appear from the trail that water is very plentiful and all I need to do if I want a drink of water is to hold my water bag under the flow for a minute. I screw the filter on and sip as I walk.
I do walk by a lot of tall and wide rock formations, which are really cool looking in the foggy conditions.
The eight mile hike to Skyland passes quickly, and I think of how much faster I hike when I don't dawdle on the trail and focus strictly on hiking. Just before Skyland I walk next to a series of fences and barns that I realize is a horse stable facility. I see some horses from a distance. I guess they will have a relaxing day today; I can't imagine anyone wanting to go horse riding in this yucky weather.
Ten minutes later I see Skyland Lodge. I have travelled to many places in the park over the years, but I don't recall ever visiting this area. Wouldn't you know, as soon as I walk from the woods to cross the road, the sun starts to peek out from behind the clouds and I can actually see my shadow!
When I approach the entrance to the lodge, I see several backpacks leaning against the building under the cover of the portico. I drop my pack and grab my electronics and food bag out of the top before entering the building, which resembles the lobby of a hotel. A store is to the left, a Starbucks counter to the left, and a restaurant is in front of the entrance. I spy some chairs just to the right of the Starbucks and head there, seeing a lamp illuminating the corner, which means electrical outlets!
I walk toward the space, when I recognize the four people sitting in front of the large stone fireplace in front of the restaurant. They were staying at the barn the night before last! The three men and one woman are section hiking northbound through the park. I stop to say hello, and they state they are waiting for the restaurant to open in 15 minutes.
I sit in a comfy armchair and rearrange another chair so I can prop my battery packs on the chair while they charge; my charging cable is super short in order to save weight. One of the gentlemen comes over to chat. His name is Bob and he seemed very nice when we chatted briefly in the barn. Bob tells me that two of his friends didn't enjoy the barn experience at all, and I tell him that I really liked it. I think with a little planning the farm could be another Woods Hole.
Bob is preparing for the Tour du Mont Blanc in Europe; an iconic hike that starts in Chamonix, France, and crosses into Italy and Switzerland. I did the same trip a couple years a go with my husband, so I share about our experience on that trail with Bob until the restaurant opens and Bob goes inside with his friends.
I get a large hot tea and put a dozen packets of raw sugar in the steaming water. I am going through my emails with my head down when someone sits next to me. It's Martian! He seems in great spirits this morning. He attended Wayne's church service yesterday and then Wayne and Robin gave him lunch before taking him back to Swift Run Gap yesterday. He hiked in 9 miles and stayed at the only shelter between the gap and the campground, so he has hiked 16 miles already this morning! Lol I can do that many only if I have all day.
Martian grabs some food from Starbucks and says he saw Babysteps at the last shelter, as well as Space, Z-Dog, and Heat Stroke. I am planning on stopping at Byrds Nest Hut, another 6 miles up the trail, which will be a 14 mile day for me, but if he hikes with me he will have a 22 mile day. He says he can do it, so we pack up and head up the trail.
Bob and his three hiker friends are finished with their lunch and strapping on their packs when we walk outside. I still need to get some water, so we say happy trails. The sky is drizzling and I am chilled to the bone after sitting in the warm and snug lobby. I wonder quite frequently why I am okay with giving up the creature comforts as I snap my umbrella open and strap it to my pack to walk up the hill back to the trail.
The rain picks up as Martian and I hike up a hill. We talk about Trail Days, which is in Damascus next weekend. He is asking about how one gets there from the trail this far away, and I tell him about a Facebook group where people post queries about rides. I ask if he is planning on going, and he says he is not, but is curious.
The next 2.5 miles pass quickly as we hike easily downhill. I am really cold but don't want to put on layers, so I just walk faster. We pass a couple of foggy views, but they keep improving as we hike. So far the promised thunderstorms haven't materialized.
I spy some rocks artfully arranged on the side of the trail. I take a few minutes before I realize it's the signature of the Six Pack. This is the kind of trail "graffiti" that is totally acceptable out here!
The hike from Skyland has been fairly easy until we start uphill again. The map shows we have less than 1,000 feet of gain over the next four miles, which is a piece of cake. The clouds keep moving on and the views keep improving. Maybe we will luck out and not have any rain this afternoon.
We are on a switchback when we pass a young woman resting on the side of the trail. We say hi and keep hiking until we reach the Pinnacle Picnic Area. Bob and friends are sitting around a picnic table in the sun, and I say I am ready for a little break. We take off our packs under a really nice picnic pavilion made of thick logs, a huge stone fireplace dominating the center.
Martian and I talk to the other hikers. They don't want to risk getting stuck in the next shelter in a thunderstorm, since they think it will be packed with hikers; the shelter only fits 6 people. They called Alison at Open Arms Hostel in Luray, and she is en route to pick them up. Martian and I remark about how nice this pavilion would be to camp under. I could even string my hammock up in here. But I would never do such a thing: my history of working in the park service prevents me from breaking the rules so blatantly. Plus, we wouldn't be able to set up until after dark, since the likelihood of a park employee coming by and busting us is pretty high. On the other hand, the flush toilets and running water is calling to me...
The clouds are starting to build to the west and the sky is darkening, so Martian and I say goodbye to the hikers. We probably won't see them again, so I tell Bob I hope he has a wonderful trip to the Alps. We still have two miles to get to the shelter, and we have a small climb of 400' over The Pinnacle before we arrive at the shelter.
Even with the impending weather, the views up here are expansive. I take a picture but don't stop because I would hate to get soaked at this point. I try to pick up the pace but the loose rocks underfoot make it impossible to go very fast.
I arrive at Byrds Nest right before Martian, and see the young lady who we passed earlier on the trail. She walked by Pinnacle Picnic area while we were talking to the other hikers. We say hello she offers to move over, but I tell her not to bother, since I will set up in my hammock. Her name is Scrat, and she is section hiking the Shennies.
My tarp fits a couple of trees on a slope on the hill in front of the shelter. The storm is coming in from behind the shelter, so I am protected from the wind, and there are no widow makers in the trees above. I set up the tarp low to the ground so wind and rain won't be able to sweep in from under the edges.
The wind is picking up and thunder is pealing occasionally in the distance, but so far the storm is holding off. I realize I am out of water, and Scrat tells me the water is way down the hill. Ugh, I didn't look at the comments in the app before leaving the picnic area! Otherwise, I would have filled up at one of the many spigots.
I pull on my raincoat and walk down for quite a long time. My watch says it's exactly 0.3 miles, which matches the app description. The water is so far downhill, in fact, that I can see Skyline Drive from the fat pipe that is gushing beautiful mountain water. I collect two liters, which should be more than enough for my dinner tonight and to get me to the next water source in the morning.
I am trudging up the hill when I see a delicate orange salamander that I later identify as a red-spotted newt, which is confusing because this is definitely orange and not red.
I arrive back at the shelter and hydrate my dinner and filter water just when the thunderstorm decides to make an entrance. I run over to the bear box and throw my food bag inside and run to the shelter of my tarp, saying goodnight to Scrat and Martian, who are the only shelter occupants other than the mice.
Goodnight
Todays Stats: 14.2 Miles, 2,700' gain, 2,700' loss
Trail Stats: 941 Miles, 210K gain, 211K loss
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