Appalachian Trail – Shenandoah – Dripping Rock to Lower Hawksbill – August 20-25, 2015 – 82.8 miles

“How I Spent My Summer Vacation” in 2015 — 6 days backpacking through the Shenandoah National Forest on the Appalachian Trail! I backpacked 82.8 miles in 5 days and 2 hours, broke 900 miles so far on the AT, hiked 2 20+ mile days back to back which was a first for breaking 20 miles in one day, saw my first bear on the AT (finally!) — actually saw 3, 2 of them a pair of cubs! Six days was the longest consecutive time on the Trail so far for me too. This was also somew

I started my hike this time at Dripping Rock trailhead on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is just 14 miles south of the entrance to the Shenandoah National Park. This is where, after hiking 6 days with a planned 3 week trip, I bailed out the very first time I ever backpaked on the AT. So it felt good to get back on there! That first time my pack was 55 lbs, blisters all over my feet and cried almost every day — I’ve come a long way baby! Bet you are wondering what THIS picture is! This, my Friends, is my first bear sighting on the AT! Yea! He was ahead of me about 50 yds up the Trail, he turned to look back at me, kept walking, as did I, the Trail curved to the right around a rock outcropping and I lost sight of him. I continued to hike and slowly peered around the rocks — he was no where to be had! This was only about a mile or so after I started — I loved it!

This was him turning around looking at me.

First overlook for the day — Humpback Mountain about 2 miles into my hike — not a soul around — love those moments!

One of the many beauties on the Trail

Through the eyes of a spider

My first “room” for the week — Paul C Wolfe Shelter — this was the nicest of the shelters by far that I stayed at this hike. I arrived in camp around 1:30 in the afternoon — hiked 9.5 miles — an easy day for me. It felt weird to be stopping so early but logistically this was the best plan. It was a lovely place to relax though as you will see with some other pictures. Turned out 2 other girls stayed in the shelter with me and and one fella tented. Real nice people

This shelter had a nice covered deck with the picnic table under it.

Sat on this nice marble bench for several hours reading — quite unusual to find “funiture” along the Trail or at shelters!

A little swimming hole in front of the shelter where I cooled off!

Winnie the Pooh would have loved it here! Yes, there were some bees swarming around!

The next morning I passed by the remains of an old house along the Trail — I would still love to learn more of the history of the land BEFORE the AT.

The first of many road crossings — this was still the Blue Ridge Parkway, after that all the roads I crossed were the Skyline Drive — one day I crossed it I believe 5 times and another time it was either 6 or 7 — never really too far from civilization on this hike.

You’d think I was a pro! Sometimes I just get lucky! If you look closely there is both a bumble bee and the butterfly on this milk thistle.

Unfortunately beauty gets ruined for our conveniences of life — there were a bunch of communication towers at the top of this mountain — ugghh…

I’m just addicted to color!

A whole field of these!

This s type of Sumac and it is not poisonous. It is full of vitamin C and makes a delicious lemonade like drink.

I was real tempted to just camp out here for the night but instead I pushed on the last 1-1/2 miles to the next shelter — hindsite I would have been better off here.

I just never tire of seeing these layers of mountain ranges as far as the eye can see.

This was an unusally large tree for the AT — look at all the others around it. Day 2 ended just passed here at Calf Mountain Shelter. 13.7 miles.

Day 3 — there is always just a rewarding feeling when you know you are about to reach the summit of a mountain — it just has a certain feel to it — this is how it usually looks — trees shorter, trail rocky and sky in sight!

Quite often it will have an Alpine feel like this too. I was blessed with some beautiful days for hiking, although a bit warm and humid, there was no rain for 6 days!

This was at one of the overlooks along the Skyline Drive where I crossed — one of 5 x’s this day!

Now if you really use your imagination you can barely make out one of the 2 bear cubs that went scurrying down the tree presumably chasing after Momma through the woods! Look just a smidge right and up from the center of the picture.

Isn’t this one just gorgeous too?!! Check out his antennas — they are stripped! And look at his body through his wings!

Stayed at Black Rock Hut on the 3rd night and hiked 13 miles. The hut was 1/2 way up the mountain — this was the view from atop Blackrock — a HUGE rock pile.

This is looking down Black Rock — the Trail basically cut through the middle of this Mountain side.

Day 4 was a 21.4 mile day plus 1.6 miles on a side trail to and back from Loft Mountain Wayside along Skyline Drive where I got a burger and french fries and an orange juice! Now that’s what I’m talking about! The only thing was I still had about 13 miles to go to my stopping point for the night! This was one of the views on my way to Hightop Hut.

Didn’t see any bear this day but did see a couple of deer. They really were quite tame throughout the Shenandoah — you could get pretty close to them before they would start walking away.

Some more of nature’s colors – this is chicken of the woods, another edible fungi/mushroom.

Day 5 I hiked another 20.8 miles to Big Meadows Campground where I would spend my last night for this outing. This was a little cemetary just a few miles before the Campground.

And look who was there to great me as I was leaving the cemetary!

And this one was actually starting to walk towards me! I wished I had some fruit or something for them — I think they would have eaten right out of my hand!

And this little cutie!

And then I get into the campground and they were EVERYWHERE — including my campsite! I almost had to ask them to move over! What a neat feeling to be surrounded by deer while I slept.

My last day, day 6, I did what is known as “slackpacking” where I left all of my gear at the campsite and just carried water, some snacks and my camera for the last 4.4 miles of my outing. And what beautiful views the morning offered! The temps were in the low 60’s and the sky was clear.

This is looking down over the Shenandoah Valley — so peaceful with the early morning light shining down on it.

The end to another great hike! Will be back in a couple more weeks to finish the Shenandoah.

And back to civilization — it felt really weird for a few moments to be driving — when was the last time YOU went without driving for 6 days?!

Back to Big Meadows (appropriately named don’t you think?!) where more deer greeted me, to pick up my gear and stop at the Wayside for the infamous blackberry icecream pie before the 6 hour drive home. I love you AT! Til next time, “Kool91”

hat of a redeeming trip too as I started this time where I bailed out 15 years ago — my frist time on the AT. So here we go…