The Shenandoahs- My first AT section hike!

In 2021 for my birthday, in August, I decided to “ try out” a section of the AT I thought I could handle. Two brave ladies came along for the ride- Jenny and Tricia. My hubby drove us over to Waynesboro, Virginia so that the next day we could hike the first 50 miles of the Shenandoah National Park. My son Kris encouraged the idea that this stretch would be a good one to start, since the mountains are a little less aggressive through this section as well as there are plenty of ways to get off trail easily if one has a problem. The SNP has waysides too where one can get a meal, resupply and blueberry milkshakes!

We started hiking from Rockfish Gap in the fog. It was extremely humid. We were drenched in sweat, even at 75 degrees- It might as well been 100 degrees. We made it to calf mountain shelter the first night, just a little over 10 miles. We were excited to meet a flip flop thru- hiker named “ Clementine”. She passed us going up a mountain. Later we learned that she completed her hike. We also met “One eyed Jack”. He was also doing a flip flop thru -hike and was waiting for a ride into Waynesboro. (“Flip flops” is a hiker term that means they hike one direction, north for example, then jump up to hike south from Katadhin to Harpers Ferry and finish wherever they left the trail to flip flop completing all 2000+ miles, just not consecutively.). 🩴 🩴

We were learning how to navigate the white blazes. We were using AllTrails and I had an AT Guide book. We thought the shelter should be right around the corner. Ha! It was another 0.7 miles. It seemed like 7 miles in this terrain. We were Hoosiers! We don’t have mountains! We arrived soaked in sweat, tired and hungry, but happy.

A hiker came into the shelter some time later. He was doing the Eastern Continental Divide trail! He started in the Florida Keys. The trail joins the AT and goes beyond into Canada. His trail name was “LAP”. Another hiker joined who asked us if we minded him setting up his hammock in the porch part of the shelter. It was late and rainy. He helped us put our food bags up on the bear pole. Before going to our tents, we read Psalms 91 together. All in all a good day. Wet but good.

The second day, it was raining and we packed up wet. We met “ Easy Does It” who was a sea captain. We saw LAP again, who is a psychologist. Easy Does It asked for prayer to finish safe and strong. He was a sobo thru- hiker ( sobo means southbound and nobo means northbound. We were hiking nobo.).

🐝Bees! Not Really- was some kind of yellow jackets were on the trail too, swarming around a log that we had to climb over in the trail. Jenny went first and didn’t even see them. Tricia went next and ouch! She got stung. I waited a minute and thought I was free and clear when suddenly ouch! Right in the butt. ⛑️ Oh well.

Sweat. Wet. Stings. What’s next?!

I found it challenging putting medicine on my back side I couldn’t see. 😑

There were lots of tough climbs and descents. We ate lunch around 7.5 miles. Finally the sun came out and there was a breeze! We got to camp around 6:30 pm – Rock Hut shelter, a total of 13 miles. Kris had texted a storm was coming in but we should make it before it hit. We were all beat. I fixed a quick supper and before I was finished it started to rain. Tricia was eating in the shelter and I don’t know what Jenny did. Maybe she ate in her hammock and didn’t tell. All I know is we crashed after that. The shelter did have a nice privy, as far as privy’s go. LAP was there at the shelter for the night.

Our third day started with serenades from barred owls and whippoorwills! What a cool way to begin our next day of adventure in the SNP. We decided to change up our plans and not push so hard today. Instead of doing another 13 miles we opted to head to Loft campground, just 6.7 miles away. We were tired, smelled bad and did I say WET??? It was still very muggy and humid.

We took our time packing up. We’d been sleeping in our tents but were close to the shelter. We had a group in there we called the smoking pot group. So far, every time we were close to a shelter, even before we saw them, we smelled them.

While we were talking to some of the hikers, we saw there was a lady back in the shelter under a bench we didn’t see. She was just stirring from her sleeping bag. She was section hiking the AT. Her trail name was I.C. She joined us in prayer for the day.

We met Captain Jack on the trail. He was 67 and heading sobo. He said he met Nimble Will, who later we found out summited Mt Katadhin as the oldest thru- hiker. He was 82 at the time and had done the entire AT 3 times.

There was also a 71 year old woman he met doing all 2190 miles, according to Captain Jack.

The best views of the entire trip seemed to be today. Gorgeous Mountain View’s at the Black Rock Summit! Then, when we reached the Ampitheatre near the campground, we sat in awe at the majestic display.

We made it to camp and enjoyed a nice evening at this highly recommended campsite. We had a campfire. I toasted my spam on a stick over the fire. Kris texted that a pretty bad storm was getting ready to pass through our area. About 7 pm we headed inside our tents and hammock for shelter. It was blowing pretty hard and began to pour down rain. It rained all night with big gusts of wind. I had to get out and put my stakes back in- my tent was trying to blow away. The next morning , Jenny said she got out several times to place her stakes in to hold down her hammock. When we got up, the power was out throughout the campground. We packed up and headed for the camp store and shower, which we hit up and enjoyed the night before. We tried to charge our phones, but they were running on generators.

We were thinking we were tired of playing in the rain. Over it! We found out they named that tropical storm we just went through Fred. Well Fred, we survived in spite of your attempts to drown us!

We hiked in the rain over to Rock Hut Wayside. It was about 11 am. They just got back on their power. They said they could open in a few minutes, but they wouldn’t open the grill today. It had finally stopped raining. We were glad to get inside, get some nice sub sandwiches and a Coke. We hiked on to Pine Hut shelter. We were happy to have the sun shining on our way there! Jenny realized she’d forgotten her hammock straps- left them at the last campsite. We Geri-rigged her hammock using my bear hang rope. The shelters had either poles or bear vaults to place food bags in so didn’t need the rope. We couldn’t reach the husbands tonight- there was no signal. I used my In-Reach for the first time, letting them know we were ok and safe at camp.

We sat around our camp behind the shelter- a nice grassy area with a nearby creek. We talked about Psalms 91 and Jenny shared Zach Williams devotional on Isaiah 40:31.

There was a dog with a hiker there at the shelter. The dog’s name was Cricket. His owner was hiking a sobo thru- hike. The dog was very playful- liked to play fetch. The next morning, we were trying to be quiet getting out of our tents but Cricket saw us and ran under Jenny’s hammock waking her up. Jenny was always the last one up. Cricket was a good alarm. I slept like a log and still smelled like a dog, even though we were able to clean up some from water from the stream. I woke up early with barred owls singing. It was a nice morning packing up- took our time. I gave away some of my food to the thru- hikers. I had too much and only had a couple of more days to go.

We also met there a gal who was doing a LASH. I asked her what that was. She said “ a long- ass section hike!” I asked how far. She said a little over 100 miles. Wow! I thought. Little did I know that in a few years, I would be doing them too.

We passed a guy who looked like Ulysses S Grant. He was carrying an old external frame pack. It had patches sewn on it to keep it together. He said he was doing trail maintenance. He was carrying a big specialized rake. He said in 2 weeks he was heads to hike in Vermont.

We saw several deer today. I added it to my list of creatures seen on this trip- besides Cricket, the dog, there were BEES, a baby snake, crazy caterpillars that got in our tents just before Fred, an orange salamander, little toads, owls , pileated woodpeckers and a harlequin beetle.

We hiked across a meadow and decided it was delightful. Ate our lunch there. We made it to Hightop Hut ( shelter) for the night. Weather alert- It was supposed to start raining in 5 minutes. Jenny and Tricia decided to stay in the shelter but I said no way. They are known for having mice and I didn’t want to sleep with strangers. In 5 minutes I had my tent set up. And it rained. After the rain , I went to the shelter to eat our evening meal. We met “Ferrell”. She’d just hiked 22 miles. She was a sobo and was hoping to complete her thru hike before November.

We also met a rather odd couple. The guy was a tall Swedish man with a very small lady who looked Japanese. He was carrying a pack. They came and sat down with us and opened the pack. Out popped a beautiful Main Coon cat! They said they were just out for a day hike. When they were ready to go, they let the cat lead up the trail, the tall man next, then the little short lady. 🐈‍⬛ 🐱

We decided it was our last night on the trail. We’d hike out tomorrow. It was a rainy night. Water started pooling under my tent. I got up early, packed up and went to the shelter. While there cooking breakfast, we talked with Ferrell about her hike. She was rather discouraged. She’d struggled on the trail. Before we left, we prayed with her, and she started to cry. Jenny shared Isaiah 40:31 with her. She said she had done a flip flop and had already hiked 105 days.

There was a couple there celebrating their anniversary. They have a camp school they run near Rockfish Gap. They offered Ferrell a place to stay and gave her information.

A funny story Jenny shared later about the shelter. You see, Jenny is afraid of 🐍 snakes but Tricia is afraid of 🐁 mice. During the night, Jenny felt a mouse crawling over her. The mouse was headed for Tricia, who was laying beside her. Like a good friend, Jenny took her arm with the mouse on it and swung her arm across her body. Whop! She heard the mouse hit the side of the shelter wall. She saved her friend from the creepy crawly mouse with one swoop of her arm!

Our last day, we hiked to Hightop but no view. We hiked to the Skykine Drive then headed down the road. Lo and behold! Here comes our rescue! Jenny’s husband Bryan was here to save the day! Jenny had warned Bryan of the tremendous odor we were emitting. He gave us each a car deodorizer to hang on us and a trash bag to put our backpacks in. We loaded into the truck and headed to Big Meadows. We got our rooms first and took a shower! It was heavenly! Then we had a delicious lunch at the Lodge. I had peanut soup for the first time and blackberry cobbler for dessert.

The humidity was gone. It was in the low 70s but we were freezing! It was good to be back in civilization.

It was the beginning of many more adventures! Thanks to God and to all who helped us experience it. So grateful for friends and family! What a wonderful birthday experience.