| June 26, 2005 |
| I'm leaving
Black Rock Hut at 7:20am. I'm at the Summit of Black Rock Mt.
I can understand why they call it Black Rock MT. because it is
nothing but a huge pile, literally, of grayish black rock that is
probably either granite or limestone. It is a fairly easy
smooth trail through here. I can views of the mountains close
by. I can't see way off in the distance yet because it's still
hazy. It looks like it's going to be a pretty day today.
The sun isn't up yet and I hoping for a pretty day. |
| I'm within a
mile of the Dundue Camp Ground and the trail has been smooth and
very flat and the terrain on either side flattens out with a lot of
underbrush, however there's a lot for food for the animals to eat. |
|
At the Black Hut shelter last night I
stayed with the 'Hammer' and he reported seeing 4 bears coming
through this area yesterday. He saw a mother bear and her two
cubs, and then he saw a single bear. I haven't see any bear at
all other than the one that way south of here that just ran across
the trail in front of us. I also stayed with Tortuga and
Chinko. I stayed with Tortuga the last 2 nights which was the
first I've seen her since before I got into Damascus. |
|
The trail goes down hill between large
boulders. Still a fairly smooth easy trail. These
boulders and rocks are very pretty in this area. They're
between dark gray and light gray in color and of course they have
liverwort and liken growing on them. |
|
I have 1.2 miles to go to Loft Mt.
Campground. I just had another bear and her 2 cubs come down
the trail in front of me. She wondered what to do with Simon.
He wonder about her too. She stood there and watched Simon for
a little bit, I called Simon back and she went on through the other
side of the woods. I just met Soxie Lady, I had not seen her
since the Smokey Mts. |
|
Leaving the Loft Mt. Camp Ground area.
I stopped in the camp store and got some junk to eat for lunch and
got some pop. It's really a beautiful day, but it's starting
to get hot. I don't know how much farther I will be able to
walk today. The trail is fairly smooth on the back of the camp
ground with some rocks in it . Today the elder berries are
blooming. There are a lot of locus trees in this area. I
standing on a lodge over looking the mountains. I can see
Skyline Drive along the side of the mountains. Off into
the distance I can see huge areas of rocks. I just came by a
tree that claw marks on it. Bears has climbed it and uprooted
it and it's laying across the path. There seems to be a lot of
bear activity in this area. I'm seeing a lot of rocks turned
over where they had been grubbing for ants. And every now I'll
see places where they have just been digging in spots around logs
and trail area after grubs. |
|
I just came into a parking lot, Ivy
Creek Post Outlook, a long side of the Skyline Highway.
An interesting tidbit that I reading on the rock in the parking lot
that says that Shenandoah Mts. hosts 95 miles of the AT and
about 150 through hikers go through here every year. I still
have 2 more miles before I get to the shelter. |
|
Swing'n Jane and
Simon |
|
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