Shenandoah, Day 3

Once again, past the tick test. In fact, there were very few bugs out today. Maybe it had something to do with the less than ideal weather. What do bugs do when it's rainy, stay inside and play cards?

Much better day today, MUCH. Just when I was about to give up the wildlife count, tally up 4 turkeys and 4 deer (2 doe and 2 deer, the last one had really big antellors too!) Also, the biggest plus today was the bounty. I had 3 blackberries, and an apple. At first I thought the blackberries were raspberries, because they were red, but then I saw the rest which were actually ripe. I would have missed them too, if it weren't for the thorny branch that got tuck in my hair and almost ripped it out. I think the apples were Granny Smith, but I'm not sure they small and green, so they could have been any other type that just wasn't ripe yet. It was tart like a granny though.
[pic2]

My feet look like I just stepped out of an hour long bath, or just went scuba diving. The boots are waterproof, but when you socks are wet, and your feet are sweating, and it's raining that much, your feet are bound to get wet. Speaking of my boots, they picked up an annoying trend today. The insole likes to bunch up when you are walking, particularly downhill. Instead of being nice and ergonomic, like this [pic3], they are squished like this [pic4]. Not very comfortable.

Other pluses today., I made it to Loft Mtn about 4 PM, so I dried clothes in the dryer and took a shower. The shower was nice, but what was the best was warm, dry clothes.

I ran into my first backpacker today. Sunday I talked with a guy and his kid (jut move to Charlottesville from Chicago, originally from Dallas though. No accent.) Monday nobody. Today I saw a few hikers, but didn't talk to anybody until I was drying my clothes. They had all driven up with families, so they weren't doing to much. They were all impressed when they heard I just got off the trail. I didn't lie to them, I told them I was just doing the Shenandoah stretch of it. But just the same, there's a world of difference between setting out and coming back 8 days later and 100 miles further along, than just parking your car, walking around a bit, then getting back in your car.

I'm only about 3 1/2 miles south of where I wanted to be today, (I'm just north of Ivy Creek. I wanted to be at Pinefield Hut). That means I caught up quite a bit (and dried my clothes!). With better weather (which I hear there should be(, I may be able to catch up tomorrow. Looks like I made about 16 miles today. I tried to go further, but I just got tired (probably because I only had one meal yesterday--rain sucks). I stopped about 5:30, it 10 of 8 now and there's still plenty of light. I guess weather and body permitting, 7:30 looks like a good stopping time.

I think I am going to treat myself if I happened to be near one of the cabins. I think the closest one I'll be near is at Big Pine. If I'm there, and it's time to stop hiking for the day, I think a real bed would be deserved.

Oh yeah, I was completely out of water by the time I finally got to a spring today. I even had to take rainwater from my tent just to make it that far.

No real soreness today, other than from leaning over to write this.

I'm probably violating park rules again--I'm only about 15 ft from the path, but I guess that's better than yesterday when I was that close to the road.

I don't feel like getting out of then tent now, but I'll have to remember to take my allergy stuff tomorrow night.

I forgot to mention my dreams. Last night--this one's weird--I dreamt I was eating potato chips. I don't know, maybe it was a sign. So today while I was drying my clothes, I bought potato chips.

Suggestions for future backpacking trips. Fifty pounds is too much. I could ditch the shovel for sure (I haven't even had to use it yet, thanks to a privy along the way). I already ditched the frying pan, but I could probably get away with only one pot too. I'm mixed about extra shoes. They really are nice when your boots are wet, but they add a lot of weight, and my new boots are comfortable enough, even in camp. Not two cameras. Only one if at all. I think I've determined that not only do you have to have really good weather, but most of the good views are on side trips, which I don't have time for on this trip. (It goes without saying, but the camera has to be disposable, i.e. light). No cotton. Jeans and sweatshirts take way too long to dry. So do shirts. Find biker clothing or hiking clothing. I don't think it exists, but there should be some kind of hiking shirt. Padded heavily on the shoulders and hips and then everywhere else--and of course not made out of cotton. Keep the books to a minimum. Lighter sleeping bag. Lighter tent. And lighter pack.

I am losing light now, so I'll plan my trip tomorrow, maybe read and go to bed. 'night.