Shenandoah day 9

Today's was to be a strenuous 6 miler up to the Overrun waterfalls according to our freindly ranger at the visitor center. Gave me a map and showed me the lower and upper falls locations. Well...the hike was easy if anything, not sure how they rate the difficulty of the side trails, but this trail did not even get me to sweat. The lower falls were not really falls at all, just a place where the crick crossed the trail and had to go over maybe a two foot rock......went on to the upper falls and they too were a disappointment. Should have been 93 feet, and maybe they were, but not too impressive. The falls were mostly overgrown with tree foliage, so you could not see much of them and the picture did not come out very good. Well that's the end of hiking on the AT this year, but .........I am sure we'll get a chance to do some day hikes in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone parks and along the way. Now Hike'n C.A. Bear will have to take a backseat to Bikely Beau in a few weeks when we start the x country bike ride.

Jim and Hike'n

Shenandoah Day 8

Today I wanted to do a shorter hike, did not want to get out of bed and get going, so I only did 7 miles. Was a very quiet and peaceful morning hike. The trail leveled out from yesterday and rolled through the hills through green glades and meadows. I was able to keep up a good pace but kept slipping into daydreams and reverie. I purposely did not use my trekking poles and tried to make no noise to see if I could site a bear. Well, no luck, and there were not many animals to be seen at all, but lots of bees and bugs. Passed only one other hiker, also with white hair and beard and maybe older than Santa Claus.

We are near the end of the Shenandoah park now, nearing the 10 mile mark, so we have covered 95 miles so far. The AT leaves the park at the 10.4 mile road post marker and heads out of the part around Fort Royal so I will not follow it tommorrow. There is a 6 mile strenuous hike up the cliffs with three sets of waterfalls on overlook run trail, so I will do that. If the first set of falls is close enough, I'll bring Suz and Beau up for a looksie, if not, they get to look at the pictures. Going to stop at the visitors center for a souvenior Shenandoah shirt, this has been a great week of hiking!

Do Da and Hike'n Bear

Shenandoah Day 7

Nice long hike today, 14 miles but rougher terrain. Part of the trail went through Stoney Man Cliffs and that is a good description of this section, lots of rocks. There were enough granite rocks on the trail to make at least a thousand fireplaces. Lots of great views as the trail ran along the edge of cliffs and beneath the road overlooks on what I would call goat trails. About 6-8 inches wide, lined by rock faces on the mountain side. This terrain slows you down a lot because you cannot take a complete stride due to rock outcroppings, so you have to pick and choose your foot places, which gets pretty tiring going up and more so going down.

Met quite a few hikers, and passed Santa Claus once again. I recognized him from behind by his snow white hair and hiking gaiters. He has to be in his 70's or older, but not brazen enough to ask him his age. Maybe if I see him tommorrow. Lots of animals out today, notably deer and chipmunks. Another doe was on the trail munching some young plants and did not move at all as I walked by, not two feet from her.

Ran into Hal who was hiking with his mutt beagle Springer. Passed a couple of shelters, which are remarkable well kept here, with guess what? Granite fireplaces! The Potomac Hiking club does a great job keeping the trail up and the shelters well maintained.

The last of this hike from Mary's rock overlook is straight down over two miles, which would not be so bad, but it is the worst rock scrabble, so it slowed me down to about one mile per hour. I ussually hike 2.5 -3 mph, so this is frustratingly slow. My feet are getting sore from all the rocking over the sharp rocks and my trekking poles have saved me a few times on steep decents where my feet start to slide out from underneath.

Still a great hike. I have been so lucky as the weather has been perfect for hiking the past 7 days, cool tempertures, no rain and a high pressure blue sky.

Do da and Hike'n Bear

Shenandoah Hike Day 6

Good weather again today, a little cool, but a long sleeved cotton shirt makes it just right. Starting on Hawksbill access trail that is suppossed to join the AT in about 500 feet. Well after one mile straight up, I realize that I am on an approach trail loop to Hawksbill Gap overlook and cabin, about three miles out of my way to the AT. But...it is a great trail and the overlooks are spectacular. The cabin is locked, so I proceed down the trail and find a marker that says the cabin is the highest point in the Shenandoah National Park, 4097 feet, so that is why the first mile was straight up, this is a park attraction access trail that just happens to intersect the AT farther on. I hike on and only pass Ellen of Little Words who grunts a hello to my cheery greeting again. Her look says It's you again? + I am miserable, don't sound so happy.

A pretty day on the trail, I am meeting Suz at the Big Meadows Wayside where there is a snack bar and trail store. I want to shop for a Shenandoah shirt if affordable. But once there all tee shirts are over $ 20, a bit much for me to advertise for the Park,

but maybe in Fort Royal I'll find a better deal.

About 10 miles today, nothing remarkable , not a bear to be seen, although I have seen plenty of Pseudo-Bears along the way. There was the rock-bear, the stump-bear, the log bear and the bear - butt when I came upon a hiker doing their doo-ty in the woods.

Do Da and Hike'n Bear

Shenandoah Day 5

Today there was a light rain on the way up to the trail, but it had stopped by the time we got to the trailhead. Very windy today, the wind is actually very noisy after the past four days of good weather. The wind is probably gusting in the 40 mph range and it howls through the trees bending them and making them groan and creak. Leaves fly about, both green from the spring growth and small brown tornado's of old leaves whipped up from the forest floor. When the sun occassionaly peaks through the overcast skies, the leaves shimmer in the sunlight being steadily shaken by wind, it has an errie effect on the view, like a special effect from the movies, a slight light blurr.

No animals are out today as compared to other days, just one turkey sighting, a lone hen. Unussual as we usually see deer and a hoard of squirrels along the road. Maybe they are smarter than we bipeds, sitting in their nests counting their nuts on the bad weather days.

I pass few hikers today, I see Santa Claus and Ellen the lone hiker girl and a few guys day hiking only. Weather must have kept all but the hardly inside, but it has not rained again, so the trail is damp but not too muddy.

This part of the trail is pretty uniform, uphill, then down thru a gap then back uphill, with not overlooks, rock formations or meadows. It reminds me of those treadmill programs where the treadmill has an elevation program, up, then down, then up.........repeat again and again.

Hiked about 9 miles today.......a good hike.

Do da and Hike'n Bear

Shenandoah Hike day 4

Back on the trail again with somewhat fresh legs. Today is a foggy and light rain day. By the time we get to the drop off point though , the fog is burning off, and it really looks like it is burning off. It comes up from pools of thick fog in the valley in wisps like smoke or resembles the hair on the fight promoter Don Kings head! It is warm today, 70's and will get into the 80's, actually hot for this place. The hike starts out all uphill, so I heat up pretty quick and shed my outer shirt by the top of the first hill. Lots of rocks on this part of the trail and there are numerous rock "staircases" which are easy up with the trekking poles, but more treachorus going down. They are very steep and usually cut into a rock face that does not lend itself to switchbacks or gentle slope. If you find a loose rock or slip going up, you fall forward and arrest your fall, but going down can be a tumble head over heals or a slide down granite on your fragile butsky. Lots of these have a long way down visage, so not for the faint of heart and yes if you slip your heart catches for a second with the accompaning adrenaline surge. Then you scrabble up the next hill overly quick singing do da , do da trying to blot out those pictures of face plant on a granite wall, and do I have any cell phone bars here? No 911 here.........

I pass a number of hikers today, a few we saw yesterday on our short hikes. I meet another young college age girl Ellen, not for many words, but I pry out that she is thru hiking by herself, she grunts and moves on. Maybe I should have shaved this morning, I must look like the AT mugger!

I pass a few day hikers as it is Saturday and there will be more section hikers in the Park today. I group of five older men chatting noisily pass me going in the other direction, they foolishly ask me if I have seen any bear. I laugh and tell them that I heard them coming at least 1/2 mile away, so I don't think any bear sitings will be in their near future. They laugh politely but look strangely at me, like are you part Indian?

The day gets hot and sunny and the bugs come out in force. There is no sound here but the birds and insects, some of which feast upon me through my high strength deet cologne. My hat becomes the equivelent of the horse's tail, fly swatter extrordinare.

I come upon a hiker also going in the other direction, a through hiker who's trail name is Happy. We chat, he is my age and also a retired engineer. While we chat he points out a huge black snake on a dead tree limb a few feet away. Must be a nest in the limb or some scrumcious bugs . We would never have seen that snake a few feet from our heads and the trail if we had not stopped to talk. Happy gives me some trail info about the high quality of sandwiches at the Loft Mountain Wayside and a better way of getting there before we depart. I hike anothe hour and meet Suz and Beau under a tree at the Loft Mountain stop. A good days hike, around 11 miles.

Do da and Hike'n C.A. Bear

Shenandoah Hike day 3

Rest day today. Weather is good but going to rest my legs after a couple of long days. Took Suz and Beau on a couple of short hikes. Went up to the Black Rock summit trail and did a short 2 mile hike, then to the Loft Mountain Lodge and hiked the Frazier Discovery trail. Beau encountered a rabbitt on the trail, the rabbitt was so tame that Beau was just a few feet from it before he saw it, then the rabbit did not bolt but just hopped a couple of feet ahead of Beau, kind of like he knew that Beau was old and no threat.

Shenandoah Hiking Day 2

Another beautiful day in the Shenandoah National Park. Lots of dear on our drive up the Skyline to the dropoff point in light fog. The fog settles in the valleys like the soap suds I remember floating on the bathtub, wisping off in all directions on the slightest breeze. Hiked another 14 miles and ran into just about every hiker I saw yesterday. Interesting that they were all spaced out just about the same thoughout the day and in the same order that I met them yesterday. That would mean they all tent camped and are hiking about the same speed, around 2.5 mph. I ran into Spencer the Brit first, and he had an animated story of his bear encounter last night. Seems a bear came into his camp in the middle of the night and woke him when he brushed or pawed his tent. Spencer said he say bolt upright with heart racing to see if he had mistakenly left any food in the tent with him. He correctly hung his food in a tree, but a bear has a better nose by far than a bloodhound and love sweets. Well he discovered that he still had some trailmix in his pant pocket, but turned on his flashlight which scared the bear off. Seems there are no bears in Britan so this will be a story for the grandkids....

Passed the older couple next, then the kids and all the rest. Came upon JJ just before the end of my hike and he looked worse than yesterday. He asked how far to the next shelter at black rock. It was more than 8 miles but I told him just 4 or 5 as he looked so pitiful. He said he had to stop ever few hundred feet or so to rest, so he may not make it to Black rock and I will be suprised if he makes it to the other end of the park. The only interesting trail scenery today was the overlook at Black Rock Summit. Nice view and Hike'n Bear posed for the picture above.

Near the end of the hike my calf muscles started to cramp on the steep decents, so tommorrow I will take a day off, then start with a shorter distance on Friday and more rests. Last two days I only rested for picture shots and one 10 minute pack off break for food and a sit down. I am not tired or winded, but my legs seem to get tired on the downhills?

I found out today that the young girl and guy were not togther yesterday, she is hiking the entire AT by herself and just hikes with whomever and stays in shelters with hikers at night. Thats pretty gutsy for a 18 year old to go 2160 miles by herself! Today she was hiking with an older gent with a full beard. Also saw Santa again near the end today, he has a belly and flowing white bear, but a little bald on the top.

Had a dear encounter near Turks Gap, a young buck ran accross the forest and right up to me. Got my camera out and took some pictures from 6 feet away. He didn't run off until I put the camera away and started hiking again. Told him I was fresh out of deer biscuits! So maybe bow hunting is not so difficult after all, at least not here in the Park, even I could have killed this guy point blank.

Looking forward to a hot bath tonight to soak the legs, I was somewhat hobbled at the end. Not a better sight than when I picked out the glint of sunlight reflected off the orange turnsignal of that SUV in the Turks Gap Overlook parking area. The eyes and ears get keen in a short time when you are out on the trail for hours. I can hear , see and smell hikers and man made things quite a ways away. I am amazed that there is zero human litter here, the Potomac club either does a great job picking up, or the hikers here are much more trail freindly than down south in Georgia.

Happy Hiking

DoDa Man and Hike'n Bear ( Full name: Hike'n C. A. Bear ) Hiking Guide

Shenandoah National Park Hike Day 1

A beautiful day on the Appalachian Trail with Hike'n Bear. The temperature started out in the 50's but warmed slowly to the mid 60's, perfect hiking weather. Suz dropped me off at Turk's Gap and I hiked back to Rockfish Gap, about 14miles , lots of hills and rocks, climbs and decents of about 1-2000 feet all the way. Met 14 hikers on the trail, the first, Spencer, a Brit hiking to Harpers Ferry. He also had a hiking bear on his pack, named TAD, so I introduced TAD to Hike'n for a short conversation before resuming our hike. As I am going N>S in 15 mile increments, I may run into some of these same hikers again over the next week as they ALL were hiking S>N. Met two young kids, going to start college next fall doing a through hike, boy they looked young and when we parted I wished them a safe hike and they both piped up at the same time : "Thank You Sir"! That made me feel instant old.......went up the next hill noticably slower.
The forest are in spring bloom so the moss is emerald green and the tree leaves are bright green that sparkle in the dappled sunshine that makes it way through the forest canopy. White dogwood and lavender mountain laurel splash color all about the scene , dangerous beauty if you don't watch the roots and rocks on the trail. Stubbed my toes quite a few times , thank god for those reinforced hiking boots and my trekking poles that keep me from stumbling down a goat path head over heals when distracted by the moving scenery.
Our camera is busted, so after todays hike we will seek out a replacement so that I can capture some of this scenery for the blog and future memories. I do have with me a well used disposable that has six shots left on the meter. I have used this same disposable all year on short hike and bike rides, so not sure if they will come out, but will get them developed digitally today and will post anything that may come out good. Took a candid shot of Hike'n Bear taking a nap on the Shenandoah Park Sign while I was preping my pack, stay tuned.
Ran into lots of older hikers, so if you are over 60, don't despair of hiking, one couple today looked into their 80's and were hiking the entire Shenandoh Park about 105 miles of trails.
Ran into JJ about 3 miles from Rock Fish Gap. Had a somewhat long chat with him....he had to be over 300 pounds with a huge gut that counterbalanced his huge pack! I found him leaning against an outcropping of rock that was holding his pack weight, he was panting and looked a little chalky pale. I helped him find the water nozzle to his hydration pack. He said he did not want to take the pack off as it was too hard to put back on. He said it only weighed 40 pounds, but it looked a good 60 or more to me......no wonder he looked pooped. I will probably see him tommorrow hiking south if he makes it the 10 miles north into my next section hike.
Met a young cyclist touring through the park on his Surly Touring bike. We chatted at the visitors center after inquiring there where the nearest food stops were. He is heading from DC to Seattle over the next three months. Told him about our upcoming Cross country ride and he said : Train, train train......he had not done much and was suffering for it the first couple weeks.

Thanks for reading,

Doda Man and Hike'n C. A. Bear ( Hiking Guide )