Sunday May 25^{th----We arrived at Shenandoah Park at one this afternoon to hike for a few days on the AT. At one-thirty we arrived at Elkwallow Gap Wayside. This is where we had ended on the AT last year coming from Harpers Ferry. Just before two Howard and I started south on the AT. We had hiked almost an hour when we heard a raven making an awful fuss. Was something bothering his young or his nest? We were talking about that when a big bear crossed the trail in front of Howard. Neat--- the first day in the park and we get to see a bear. A male we guess as we saw no cubs and of course only a quick look as he was moving on.}

Just pass the four mile mark we found a patch of pink lady slippers in full bloom with maybe 25 blooms open. A nice 70 degree day in the park. Lisa was waiting at Beahms Gap Overlook. I threw my backpack in the van since we only have three more miles to go. At five-fifteen we are at Thornton Gap where we will spend the night because the campground is full. We have hiked 8.6 miles this afternoon. After eating we are in bed at dark as we have a long day tomorrow.

Monday May26—We were up at five-thirty and hiking at six-fifteen. We started the day with a hard climb up a very nice rocky trail. The sides were rock walls that were real labor for someone many years ago and today look like someone has planted rows of coral bells and sedum along the sides. Today we would walk for miles thou pink native azaleas in full bloom and see some pink lady slippers blooming. As we got near the Pinnacles a deer walked just ahead of us on the trail for about ten minutes. Lisa met us at the Pinnacles picnic area.

We started seeing “stony man” a mile before we got there and wondered what that climb would be like. It was not as bad as we thought .At 3837 it is the highest point on the parkway. Lisa met us at Sky land Road South at 11:30.We have hiked 10.3 miles so we took a 30 minute lunch break. At twelve we refilled our water bottles and left for the rest of our 20 mile hike. At two thirty we got to Fishers Gap Overlook and sat down for a snack and a short rest. Another four miles and we reached Milam Gap where we would spend the night. A couple with two boys was having a picnic after a short hike. Lisa was parked near them and had been talking to them. They shared some food [KFC CHICKEN] with us before they left.

We had eaten and put our boots in the sun to air when it began to sound like rain. At seven it is 68 degrees and raining and we have deer in the “backyard.”

Tuesday May27th----Today would be 20.6 miles from Milam Gap to Powell Gap. A cloudy, looks like rain, day but at six-thirty we have on our raincoats and are on the trail. We are greeted in the first mile by six deer and lots of pretty trillium blooms. We are tired from our twenty mile day yesterday so are glad the first few miles do not have much “up.” We were walking along quietly as we neared the Lewis Mountain Campground. I was walking a few feet in front when I hear Howard say” come here.” He wanted his camera out of the backpack. He had spotted a bear just off the trail. They must have seen me go by as the two cubs had climbed a tree. The cubs started down and mother bear went out of site. Then back up the tree went the little cubs and back came mother bear. She looked at us then looked up the tree and I think she said” hey you guys I said lets go.” Down they came and off they went before Howard got his picture.

At nine-thirty the rain has mostly stopped so we stopped and had a short break and a snack. The next two miles or so we would walk thru a wildflower delight. Spiderwort was blooming all along the trail with other things mixed in including lots of trillium. As we walked enjoying all the flowers, including many pink azaleas, a male scarlet tanager came out of the trees and sat on a rock in the trail for a minute or so before joining his mate in a near by shrub. What a delightful morning hike.

We got to the South River picnic area at twelve. Lisa was parked there and it has started to rain again so we ate lunch in the van. As we continue our hike after lunch it is still raining a little. We still have nine miles to hike today. At Hightop Mountain parking area Lisa met us again. We took a very short break before starting our big climb of the day. It would take us almost one hour to do that climb. Thank goodness the rain has stopped. We joined a thru hiked and walked down to the shelter.It has been interesting to see all the different shelters along the AT. At Smith Roach Gap Lisa was parked and we put our backpacks in the van before hiking the 1.6 miles on to Powell Gap. There was no parking area at Powell Gap so we went back to Smith Gap to park for the night

We had cleaned up, eaten and aired our shoes when it started to rain again at seven. We had just seen a hiker start up to the shelter---hope he got on his rain gear as the rain is heavy. About eight a park ranger came and checked the forest service gate and then parked. I was wondering if he was going to” talk to us “but he just waved put on a small backpack and walked up the FS road.Fourty-five minutes later he came back, opened the gate and drove up the FS road. We wondered what he was doing.Oh well, off to bed as we have another long day tomorrow.

Wednesday May 28th-----Today would be Powell Gap to Blackrock Gap—19.1 miles. At five-thirty we woke to raindrops on the van roof. After breakfast Lisa dropped us at Powell Gap. We left with rain gear on and no backpacks for the first three miles of our hike. Lisa met us at Simmons Gap and then at Ivy Creek Overlook. We have had only a little rain and at ten the clouds have broken up and we are in t-shirts. We had a snack at Ivy Creek Overlook before going on another seven miles to Doyle River Overlook.

After leaving the Ivy Creek Overlook we passed a very nice waterfall and were then walking on by the creek when we saw a turkey with a gang of little ones. I guess they had been to the creek for water and she was calling to get them all back together. There were great views from the top of Loft Mountain. We walked on and on thru miles of Appalachian phacelia [smaller bluish bloom and no fringe.]We are back of the campground and it is overgrown with shrubs and weeds and briers. We have only seen two hikers since we came over Loft Mountain and both were talking about all the bear scat on the trail but they had seen no bears.

We were walking thru a weedy overgrown area and I was listing to all the birds when I looked up to see two bear cubs. They were in a huge dead tree. One was climbing the trunk and the other was swinging from a limb. I told Howard to look and as he got out his camera the one on the trunk disappeared. The other sat on the limb and took a good look at us but he left just as Howard snapped the camera. By this time we were wondering—where is the mother bear? Is she on the other side of the trail or behind us or behind that big tree that the cubs disappeared behind? Well to go on we have to pass that tree-nowhere else to go. As we walk pass and look behind the tree no bears but as we looked up into the heavy growth there was a “large bear head” looking at us. I started quickly on up the trail and looked back to see Howard just standing there taking a picture. We could not believe our luck to see another bear with cubs. These cubs were larger than the others. Tomorrow we would talk to a man from West Va. who said several hikers told him they had seen those bears.

Just before we reached Doyle River Overlook the cell phone rang. It was Lisa saying she was on her way from Loft Mountain Campground store with hamburgers for our lunch. It is two o’clock when we get to Doyle River Overlook and lunch. We are tired so we took a long lunch before starting our last five miles on to Blackrock gap. On the climb up we wondered what Blackrock summit would be. What a place –huge pile of loose rock with a great view. Looks just like a huge [well it would have to be a really giant one] truck dumped a giant load of huge rocks. As we left the summit I started to smell smoke and looked up to see a mountain that had burned—a controlled burn we were later told. At fifteen pass five we walked into Blackrock Gap parking lot were we would spend the night.

We sat outside for awhile, then ate and got ready for bed. It was just getting dark when we heard this bird or was it a bird? Whip-poor-will –Whip-poor-will--I had never heard one but this must be it. It at times repeated so often it seemed to be a recording but then at times one would answer in the distance. It was the last thing I heard before I went to sleep and the first thing I would hear the next morning. Guess now I have done what the old song said” listen to the whip-poor-will”.

Thursday May29th----Today would be 19.2 miles to Rockfish Gap. We woke up to the whip-poor-will song and also to a cool 42 degrees this morning. It was getting close to seven when we got on the trail. Lisa was meeting us every where she could along the parkway so I decided I was not carrying my backpack. We lunched at Sawmill Run parking area just after I almost stepped on a large blacksnake. I almost ran over Howard as I backed up. Yes I know it is not likely to bite me but in my book a snake is a snake and I am having nothing to do with any of them. As Howard walked thou the parking lot he found a ten dollar bill. No one there, so who do you ask about it. It was here we also met the man about Howard’s age from West Va.

The morning had been moderate hiking –the after noon would be a lot of climbing. We have already come 12 miles and are tired so the climbing will be slow as it is also the warmest day we have had. Near the Calf Mountain shelter we would catch up with the man from West Va.He will hike with us and Howard will have someone besides me to talk with for the next hour or so. He would leave us to camp for the night and continue on to Rockfish gap tomorrow. Lisa met us at Beagle Gap and also at McCormick Gap. Just after Beagle Gap there was a climb to some towers. At the top we would find a note that said there was a rattle snake a few feet up the trail. Howard could not find it as hard as he tried. We sat down for awhile at McCormick Gap as we had a hard climb coming up and a long 3.7 miles to go before our day would end.

Finally at five- thirty we got to Rockfish gap just as I thought I could not take one more step. Lisa was parked at an out of business motel there; just across the road from the trail. Interstate 64 and US250 cross here—what noise. It was decided we would go back onto skyline drive for the night. Lisa had got us sandwiches for dinner. After eating we decided to go to the Blue Ridge parkway to see where we would end our hiking tomorrow. The dripping rock parking area was small and close to the road. So we chose a parking area near there and settled in for the night.

Friday May30th----We need to do 14.5 miles from dripping rock parking area to Rockfish Gap today and then drive home. We were on the trail at six. There would be no place for Lisa to meet us for lunch .Today’s climb was Humpback Mountain. A nice rocky section of AT greeted us this morning. At ten we stopped for what would be our lunch break for the day.

After crossing Mill Creek there is the Paul Wolfe shelter. As we were leaving we met a woman who said she had just seen a large rattle snake up the trail. She said it made a loud noise in the leaves and then they saw it. Well now I was looking for a rattle snake at every step I took. As I watched my feet over a rocky switch back I heard this noisy in the leaves to my right. I looked at the ground–nothing- and then looked up to see the back side of a bear going up the mountain. Later we would see a group of deer and a little chipmunk would scare me as bad as I would scare him.[ still got snake on my mind] I would also get a good look at two blue- headed vireo as they danced about on a low shrub near the trail. We were at Rockfish gap at one o’clock. Lisa was waiting and we changed our wet clothes and headed home. I have strawberries waiting to be picked and eaten and also made into jam. So-home-home sweet home. For those who might be interested we now have hiked 1094.4 miles of the AT and are still having fun, I think.

Alice Faye Guinn

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