I wake up this morning once again to the pitter patter of raindrops on the tarp. Darn, I was hoping this rain would have moved out while I was sleeping last night. I slept surprisingly well last night. Sitting up, I survey the area surrounding my hammock, hoping it didn't flood during the night. My pack is where I left it, and the much puddles are neither no worse nor better than when I fell asleep.
I start to put on my shoes and I see the fattest, longest yellow slug ever inside my hiking shoe. Gross! I am so glad I looked before I put my shoe on. That could have been one disgusting mess! I grimace as I pick the slug out of my shoes. I can't stand slugs. The are so slimy and soft. I throw the offensive thing in the brush.
I get up and start the slow process of packing up my belongings without getting everything more wet and muddy than they already are. I am picking slugs off everything that wasn't suspended on a tree last night! They are on the ground pad, the umbrella, my backpack, and even the pee rag I used in the middle of the night. Ugh!
I take down the hammock first, putting the down top quilt into the stuff sack. Unfortunately, the stuff sack that I use to store my hammock and down inside my pack is heavy with moisture from the humidity. Thankfully I have an extra Walmart shopping bag in my pack, so I wrap my down top quilt In the shopping bag before I put it in the wet stuff sack. I will have to devise a better way to keep my things dry.
The hammock, quilts, and pillow go in first, in the bottom of the pack where I won't need them again until tonight. Then, in no particular order, I throw in my stove, electronics bag, and camp clothes bag. On top, I put my food, since I may need it during the day. I already pulled out my food for today and put that in my waist pack, where I can access it easily while hiking.
Right before I put away my tarp, I put on my wet and cold hiking clothes and then my rain gear with a couple quick intakes of breathe. The rain is starting to end as I finish packing, but I'm chilly enough that the rain gear will provide a vapor barrier to conserve my body heat.
I hop back onto the trail, drinking my breakfast shake as I hike. I immediately come across a long, winding strip of the same little lumber bridges that I busted my butt on yesterday. I choose to walk in the ankle deep water beside them, not wanting to take a chance on falling again.
I then enter the roller coaster which is a series of PUDs, or Pointless Up and Downs, for the next 10 mile. The good news is the biggest one of them is only about 600 feet in elevation, but I will be doing about 3,000 feet of these PUDs until I get to Bears Den hostel.
I meet a gentleman walking in the opposite direction as I am ducking under a big branch covered in poison ivy that has fallen over the trail. He is hiking with the biggest German Shepherd I've ever seen in my life. The gentleman is very nice, and his dog lay on the side of the trail as we talk. He states he's the trail maintainer for this section. He is out here checking the trail for maintenance issues after the storm and asks me if about hazards between the shelter and here. I point out the poison ivy and mention that there is a tree down on the last hill also covered in poison ivy. He says he will call someone who lives nearby who can get right on it. We say goodbye and I start to climb my third PUD of the day.
As I descend the latest PUD, I encounter a gentleman is section hiking southbound. His name is Viking and he is hiking from Duncannon, PA down to Shenandoah. He lost his cell phone somewhere in Pennsylvania, but via true trail magic, someone found it and mailed it to his wife, who will bring it to him at some point. In the meantime, he is having to navigate the trail the old-fashioned way by map, and is only able to communicate with home when he gets in town. We say good bye and I get ready for the next hill.
I'm gathering a cup of water at a time on the thousands of streams I'm crossing today. At least one thing I won't have to worry about today is the availablilty of water. All of the little rivulets that are marked on FarOut as ephemeral streams are not only loaded with water, they've all spilled over their banks. I'm walking in ankle deep water at least every mile. At least I don't have to carry my umbrella.
I am super excited to reach the 1,000 mile mark today, only four miles after leaving my camp. I stop to take a couple pictures with the sign, and the sun tries to make a brief appearance.
I am on hill number seven or eight by early afternoon. The day is getting muggy from the humidity, and I take off all my extra clothes, warmed by the exertion of the climbing. I feel really sluggish today, and stop to rest several times on hills that I should be able to power right up. Maybe the rain yesterday really sucked the energy from me.
I take advantages of the pauses to strip seed pods from the mature sweet cicely plants, munching on the licorice tasting snack as I hike. I am not a fan whatsoever of licorice, but the light flavor of the plants isn't off putting to my taste buds.
After what feels like an eternity, i reach the blue blaze that leads to Bear's Den. The hostel is super cool, made out of stone and replete with turrets, it looks like a small castle.
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| Sweet Cicely, or Osmorhiza |
I have climbed up and down seven of the rollercoaster's hills when I near a raging torrent. It's so loud that I turn off my audiobook, since I can't hear it at all. I survey the stream as I near, and I have no idea how I should cross. The stream isn't wide at all, but the rocks are completely covered with water, and the stream is flowing fast in the narrow little chasm.
The best way to cross a swift stream is to face uphill and walk sideways across the stream with the hiking poles out in front for stability. I find a place in front of a downed tree that looks less turbid than the rest of the stream. As I walk to the spot, I see footprints on the disturbed soil of the stream bank, which tells me I am not the only hiker to think this is the best crossing spot.
I step carefully into the water, slowly advancing my hiking pole before taking each step, which allows me to judge the depth before I set my foot down. I am facing upstream so the water to flows past me without knocking me off balance, using my poles and feet to maintain three points of contact with the stream bed. I cross the stream quickly and without incident, but I hope that's the last one.
I now only have two miles and 700 ft of elevation gain before I reach Bear's Den Hostel. I was hoping to do 17 miles today, but there is no way on Earth I can hike that far. I am so utterly exhausted and winded going up the hill. I also have a little headache that was gnawing this morning, but getting progressively more noticeable. I must be coming down with something, because normally a hill like this wouldn't slow me down so dramatically. My diet is dialed in and I've been sleeping really well, so I am checking those boxes. Additionally, I'm very well hydrated, thanks to all the water. My pack isn't unusually heavy. But my body is demanding rest.
I received a text earlier from Babysteps. She is taking a zero at Bear's Den. Maybe it's a sign for me to stop as well. I am at least going to stop there and take a break. Everything I own is saturated and I really stink, so maybe I can take a shower and do laundry before heading out.
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A sign on the front door says it's closed until 5:00 p.m. but that the hostel is open in the back to hikers. I walk around back and a cryptic message on the door reads that the code is the mileage between two nearby shelters. I pull out my app and calculate the mileage and enter the code to open the door.
The interior is dim and a man is sitting on the sofa. I think I interrupted his movie. I say hello and we introduce each other. His name is Too Fast and he is section hiking feom Rockfish Gap to Harpers Ferry with his preteen daughter. He says that Babysteps is asleep in the back bunk room. I asked him about laundry and showers, but he informs me that the laundry doesn't open until the upstairs opens up at 5:00 p.m.
I am uncertain about what to do. If I'm going to get up the trail, I don't want to wait 2 and 1/2 hours for the hostel to open. I could take a shower, but then I just have to put on all my disgusting clothes again . On the other hand, I really don't think I can go any farther today.
I am outside debating what to do when I realize the sun is starting to peek from behind the clouds. I think I'll take everything out of my pack and lay it out. I call home and talk to my daughter. One of the reasons I want to get up the trail is because she was thinking of driving out here and hiking into Harpers Ferry with me. If she cancels then I have no reason to hike any further because I won't have to meet her any specific time in the morning.
She answers the phone and we talk for a little while about the situation. She says she's not interested in hiking in the rain and with the chance of rain tomorrow she elects to stay home.
With her deciding to remain home tomorrow, my decision to stay here is much easier. I inform the hostel manager that I will be taking a bunk. She gives me the quick hostel tour and tells me I can pay when I go upstairs to do my laundry after 5:00 p.m.. in the meantime I can take a shower, and she informs me that I am welcome to lay out my belongings outside anywhere I see fit.
I purge my pack of its contents. I have things draped everywhere and hang my tarp up between two trees to dry. I think my pack will weigh at least a pound less tomorrow!
While I am stringing everything up, Babysteps emerges from the bunk room. I give her a hug and we catch up. She is taking a zero day today and relaxing. I can't wait to do the same, but first I want to get out of these disgusting clothes. I grab some loaner clothes from a shelf and hit the shower.
I strip down to get in the shower, and that's when I see a huge rash on the left side of my chest. I have not taken off or changed my clothes in 2 days, so I didn't see the rash before. It's the same place I pulled a tick off of me south of Shenandoah three weeks ago. I know about rescue dosing with Doxycycline to prevent a primary Lyme disease infection, and I kick myself that I didn't bring any with me on that trip.
All of a sudden I realized that the fatigue and the headache are most likely the results of the tick bite. I don't know if it's Lyme or some other tick related illness, but that would certainly explain my symptoms. I don't have a fever or joint pain, thank goodness, so I plan to go to a doctor as soon as I get to Harper's Ferry.
The shower recharges me and i gather my belongings which are strewn about the lawn before going upstairs with Babysteps. We each purchase pizza and a soda, and with my bunk, shower, and laundry, I only spend $42. What a steal!
The hostel is owned by the ATC, and we have free run of the facilities until 9 pm, which is quiet time. Babysteps and I sit at the huge dining table with Too Fast and his daughter and we talk over dinner, which we cooked in the kitchen.
Afterwards, Babysteps and the girl play chess in the living room. Another gentleman whom I have not met is reading his iPad in front of the fireplace. I finish up my laundry and start getting ready for bed. I am the first one out by 8:30 p.m.
Today's Stats: 10 miles, 3,100 feet gain, 2,881 feet loss
Trail Stats: 1006 miles, 222K feet gain, 227K feet loss
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