Samwise Hikes the Appalachian Trail! - Trail Journal -
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June 17, Bear Den Mtn. - mile 847.6

I hope this mountain is not so named because of many resident bears..... I just completed the worst bear - bagging job of my life & my food is so easily reachable that any bear could get it if it wanted to. To encourage my fears, I also saw a young bear about a mile or so back on the trail. I think my jaw nearly hit the ground! I just looked up ahead on the trail - & there was a bear walking across it. I was downwind from him, so I'm sure that's why he didn't notice me, but even still, it was quite a surprise.

  The rest of the day has been both tough & rewarding. The really tough part was getting up this morning to put on dripping wet clothes! I should have hung them out last night, but I thought it would continue to rain. That was also a dumb reason not to, because they certainly couldn't get any wetter, even if it had rained. At any rate, they were still literally wringing wet this morning & I was most unhappy putting them back on. I was very happy that the weather had cleared, though. I actually got up around midnight to answer nature's call & spent several minutes out there admiring the starry sky & looking at all the lights in the valley below. It was really, really beautiful. And the sunshine & clear skies today were even more beautiful! It took me til noon to dry out & by then, the sweat was beginning to re-wet everything. Always a losing battle, I guess.

The trail this morning had also been relocated some time after the maps & guide books were printed, so it was a very aggravating experience. I thought the shelter was only 4.5 miles; instead it was 6.5. I thought the terrain into Rockfish Gap would be gradual downhill; instead it was 4 miles of gradual uphill.

But I did get in Rockfish Gap around 1:30 & trudged my way half a mile up the hill to a hotel where my mail drop waited. To my delight, they also had a restaurant in the hotel so I had a fabulous bacon cheeseburger with fries while I wrote post cards & read my mail. Then I found a rather deserted corner of an entrance-way & packed all my supplies into my backpack, which now feels like it weighs a ton! I hate resupplying for more than about 3 days. The food is great - but boy it is heavy!

Well, my tent is pitched tonight right next to a bunch of satellite dishes & radio towers. Despite the persistent hum from all this equipment, it's a very nice spot. The view from up here is spectacular! I can see for miles in every direction & I can see Waynesboro's lights starting to glow down in the valley. I'm even feeling real confident about these clear skies & I'm leaving the fly off for now. We're supposed to still be in the time for meteor showers so if I can pry my eyes open in the middle of the night, I hope to see a few shooting by.

A deer just sauntered by my tent grazing on the grass I'm pitched on. How cool! I also saw an Indigo Bunting today for the first time - what a beautiful bird! It is a small bird, but is the brightest shade of blue you have ever imagined.

I am so excited to be entering Shenandoah tomorrow. Already I'm basically there, as I had to get my back country permit at Rockfish Gap, which is also where Skyline Drive begins. But I won't cross the border until tomorrow. It struck me tonight that it's time to start thinking ahead, too. Ever since I left Springer, I've been looking forward to Virginia, & especially Shenandoah since this is "home". But the trail doesn't end here! It's time to think ahead now, but I'm sure going to enjoy the week that I'm here.