| July 01, 2005 |
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Leaving the shelter at 8:10am with 2 miles
to hike to the Skyline Drive at Demas Gap where I'm going to be
meeting Will Peake. I got thee about 9am and Will arrive
around 10:30am. Carl and the Dutchman waited with me.
They needed a ride to Front Royal. So Will wound up taking all
of us to Front Royal, the 2 of them so they could get a ride on into
Harpers Ferry. He took me to the Post Office to get my mail
drop. We looked around for a little looking for where the
trail came out into town. We stopped A burger King, I got Will
and myself some lunch and ate it on the go! He drove me back
up to the Oak Wallow Grill. I got thing sorted out and
repacked and now on my way. It's a 3:10pm. heading toward
Gravel Springs Hut, hopefully I'll make it before the rain comes in! |
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Leaving from the Grill I ad a bit of a
steep climb, the trail is smooth so far. I see a mother bear
and her 2 cubs. She stood up and wondered what we were
doing, I was clicking my poles and she went off to the side. Total
of 8 bears so far. |
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The humidity was terrible this afternoon.
Luckily the trail so far has been easy. I've has a couple of
real steeps, but they have been short. |
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Passing Skyline Drive at Rattlesnake Point Overlook
3,105 feet. I within 1,200 feet of Matthews Camp Ground.
That was mile post 121.9 |
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You better believe I'm in rattlesnake
country, just one big rock pile after another on both sides of the
trail. I hiking of grass, shrubs, and low undergrowth under
it, A good place for a lot of different kinds of snakes to live. |
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It's really rocky, but grassy in this area.
A good place for deer, and anything that eats a lot of grass.
A place of tall ferns and fly poison mixed together along side the
trail. |
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I didn't think ferns has an odor. but when
they are in mosses like these ferns are, and different kinds mixed
together, they do have a odor. You can smell it as you walk
through. |
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Coming in Little Mountain Hog View area
and just crossed the Skyline Drive. This area is wide open.
It's got a large tree canopy, no undergrowth, except grasses and
ferns. Absolutely beautiful! |
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The sky is beautiful blue, but you can also
see some thunder storms brewing off in the valley. |
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The bear have really worked the fungus on
the tree. They have clawed it to pieces and there is nothing
left. I didn't stop very long to get some water and rest.
The flies and moths ear you up |
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I'm in a trail of ankle busters going up
the Little Hogs Back Mt. It has a lot of laurel still in bloom
and silver maple growing in between. I've seen a lot of birch
trees, scrub oaks as well as locus trees. |
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Another log in the trail that has been claw
to pieces. A lot of bear in this area and a lot of droppings
in the trail too. They use this trail as a path of least
resistance to wherever they want to go. |
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I have 1.2 miles to Gavel Springs Hut where I'm going to stay for
the night. The last 2 miles that I've hikes were like walking
in a park. It looks like I'm going to be the only one in the
shelter tonight. 6:20pm. Laid out my bed, got my supper
and took a dundoo bath in the spring. Makes you feel better
though. Talk to you tomorrow! |
|
Swing'n Jane and
Simon |
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