Shenandoah Day 6

“The hills are alive,
With the sound of music,
With songs they have sung
For a thousand years.”
~The Sound of Music

May 9, 2021
Hike from to Rockspring Shelter to Pass Mountain Shelter
AT miles: 15.3
Ascent: 2744’
Descent: 3378’
Weather: mostly sunny, fairly windy
Sightings: a deer
High points: seeing all the families out hiking today between Skyland and Thornton Gap

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The wind last night was truly ferocious, and I was scared that my tent would fly away! The wind finally did calm down, so around midnight I was able to fall asleep.

In the morning I kept on hearing what I thought was a person walking around, possibly heading towards the privy. Imagine my surprise when I zipped open my tent door and found a deer sniffing around my tent and then wandering up to the tent next to mine and sniffing there!

The hiking today was definitely rocky. When I walked by hawksbill Summit, the tallest mountain in the park, the path got a little bit challenging.

But the views were amazing!

I stopped for a second breakfast at Skyland. They didn’t seem crazy about serving a smelly unkempt hiker, but eventually they served me in the bar, where I was the one and only person! I was delighted to get some food! After a rest and an omelette I headed back on the trail and was treated with nonstop views. Here is a picture of me for my granddaughter!

The views were great.

Today I saw lots and lots and lots of day hikers.  I had the funny experience of running into young man who asked me if I knew where the trail went. I answered that it started in Georgia, and his eyes got really really really big!

And two more pictures of the great views.

And I actually did not see any new flowers today! But for quite a while the trail was lined with bluets.

When I arrived at the shelter I was the only one there. I made dinner, relaxed, and eventually set up my sleeping bag.  I was beginning to have visions of spending the night in the shelter all by myself, so  I was really really happy to see a guy and his teen son walk in around 6:00. The dad has a Ph.D. in public health and works for the CDC so we talked a bit about Covid. The boy and his sister even homeschooled for a few years, and his daughter is planning on doing research in gifted and talented education, something near and dear to my heart. And just before dark another guy came in, a judge from Alabama with, unsurprisingly, the with trail name “Judge”.  Fun times!

The wind howled and howled until the wee hours, but I was snug in the upper level of the shelter! When you stay in a shelter you may have to listen to a lot of snoring, but shelters definitely help when the weather is windy or rainy.

Today is a great day for a long in the woods!