Front Royal 1222.2 to Gravel Springs Hut 1235.6 (13.4 miles, 1235.6 total miles)
My body didn’t seem to want to get up at 7 this morning, and I was way too comfortable in the queen sized bed I was sleeping in, but breakfast was at 7:30, so food won out.
There were two other women eating with Tessa and I, and we were served fruit plates, scrambled eggs with cheese and vegetables, and toast with homemade jam. It was very good, though not quite hiker portions.
After breakfast, I spent awhile packing up with Tessa. She was taking her first zero at the B&B, but was also going to be helping Iroh’s dad slackpack since we were going to be hiking 13 miles.
After they had arrived, I’d checked out, and we were all ready to go, we were hitting the trail at 10:45AM. I rehiked the .3 or so back to the parking lot, this time on the actual trail, and continued up the mountain ahead of Iroh and Mark.
The first 6.5 miles of the day was almost entirely climbing, as we made our way up to the 3,000 foot Compton Peak. There was one little downhill to VA Route 602 a mile and a half in for a slight respite before the ascent continued.
It was an 80 degree, sunny day and I took an hour to get through the first couple miles, having slowed down to do a couple things on my phone.
Just after noon and a mile later, I stopped a couple switchbacks past the spur trail to the first shelter for a break. I found a nice rock to sit on, and pulled out a ziplock bag of mac n cheese from the brewery the evening before.
The first few miles of the day had been rather exerting in the heat, carrying four days of food. My shoulders were rather hurting, and my body was tired from pushing my hiking pace the last few days.
It felt like today was going to be a recovery day, with a bit of a slower pace. I was projecting I’d end up at the shelter around 5, but I had plenty of wiggle room if I wanted to take it easier than that.
Iroh arrived when I was a few bites in, and I asked him where Mark was as he found a spot to sit beside me. Iroh said he wanted to give his dad some space to hike at a more comfortable pace, and not make him feel pressured by hiking right behind him.
I totally understood that, and ended up having a great conversation with Iroh as we sat, talking about things like depression, triggers, and mental health.
Half an hour after I’d stopped, Mark hiked up and past, saying he was going to look for a better spot to post up for a break. He was cheerful, but I knew it was a tough day to jump into.
I started hiking again at 12:50, and passed Mark a little way up. I’d been enjoying not walking into cobwebs for half a mile or so, while he’d been ahead for a bit.
I climbed for another mile up to the Shenandoah Backcountry Permit Station. I’d noticed that Clydesdale had left a comment in the guide on August 24th that there were no SOBO permits, and I saw that was still the case.
I found a carbon copy of someone else’s permit that they weren’t supposed to have left there, and wrote over it with my information just in case. It was a simple sheet to fill out and carry with me in the park, and I certainly didn’t remember anyone asking to see it the last time I was through.
I had a very easy mile of hiking after the kiosk into the park. I saw there were stone park markers around like I had seen in Pennsylvania a few months ago, though these ones had metal bands around them that acted as trail signs, pointing to the next road, shelter, or gap.
The trail was flat with a slight incline for that mile, with a nice wide, dirt path for hiking. I saw several deer, and ended up spotting around 7 or 8 in total throughout the day.
The deer in the park seemed to know they were safe from danger, because they were actively coming closer to me as I hiked. I was hoping it wasn’t because people were feeding them.
I crossed Skyline Drive at Compton Gap, the first of several times the trail would cross Skyline at various points along the Shenandoah section.
After the gap, there was another climb then short descent to the only water source of the day before the shelter. I didn’t want to stop and lose momentum, but I made myself stay and drink most of a liter and collect more, continuing to eat my way steadily through the various snacks in my fanny pack.
It was almost 3:00 by then, and I wondered how Mark was doing. Even I was feeling a bit tired from how drawn out the ascent had been, so I could only imagine how he was feeling. Another couple ups and downs took me back to Skyline.
I then had a 1.6 mile climb of 600 feet up to North Mount Marshall. It wasn’t difficult, as there were some nice dirt and wood steps to climb. There were also a few very large boulders on the side of the trail that had me thinking about rock climbing, and reminiscing on the technical climbs we enjoyed up north.
Just past the summit of Marshall, I found a short side trail to my first view in the park. I ate a Larabar there for my last break of the day, and got ready to finish the final two miles.
I was figuring on getting to camp at 5:30 by then, which I was still happy with. My pace had been fluctuating between 2-2.6 mph as far as I could tell, since I hadn’t been monitoring it as closely today.
It was almost entirely downhill from there, and I could feel my knees getting a bit sore as I went. My calves had been tight again the last two mornings, so I knew the five days of recovery I’d had were wearing off and it was time to start stretching and massaging my legs regularly again.
I passed a couple more views off cliffs, which were quite lovely. However, I’d been entirely spoiled by views in New Hampshire and Maine for so long that these ones seemed to pale in comparison. It was a good problem to have, though.
At Gravel Springs Gap, I passed the parking lot that Tessa had been planning on parking to meet Mark and Iroh. I didn’t see her car, and considered making dinner there and waiting for everyone.
I thought there was a chance Mark and Iroh might have contacted Tessa to meet them at an earlier point, and figured it made more sense to get to camp.
At the shelter, I saw there was a hammock set up and two section hikers were at the picnic table having dinner. I said hi briefly, then set up my tent at a site nearby.
I felt wary of making conversation with the section hikers as I went up to the shelter to make dinner. It might be social anxiety, but I always feel a little weird around day or section hikers at first when I’m thru hiking.
I don’t know why I bother to feel that way, because I was soon chatting and joking with Hannah and the middle aged male section hiker. Every time I feel weird about it, I always end up making new friends and wondering why I ever worried or felt reserved.
Hannah was on her last day of hiking the Shenandoah section – about 100 miles – and was ending at Front Royal tomorrow. The man she wasn’t hiking with, but had been hiking near, was on a five day section.
We talked about our hikes, shoes, and the waysides, while I read the log book and ate a Mountain House lasagna. I spotted many familiar names in the book, and enjoying continuing to follow my NOBO friends journeys in reverse.
Tessa arrived while I was eating, carrying Mark’s pack and her own brand new fanny pack she’d gotten at the outfitter in Front Royal at my suggestion.
We all hung out for a while, until it began to get dark. Service was touch and go at the shelter, but I was able to get ahold of Iroh and found out they were on their way, set to arrive a bit after dark.
Tessa left when there was enough to light to get back, since she didn’t have a headlamp. Hannah was staying in the shelter, but said the others’ late arrival wouldn’t bother her.
I laid down in my tent till I saw headlamps and heard voices. I heard Mark say something about water, so I grabbed my CNOC sitting outside my tent with a liter of water and brought it over to them.
They were very grateful for that, and I showed Iroh how to use the wide opening to collect more of the shallow flowing water from the spring right next to the shelter.
Mark had made it through the day, but it sounded like they were done hiking for a couple days. Mark was going to be leaving after three days anyway, and Iroh wanted to spend time with his dad while he was here.
So I’d be at it alone for the next couple days at least, though I was sure there would be plenty of section hikers around. Uber and Patience were in the area as well, though I wasn’t sure quite where. Bard was somewhere ahead, too.
Rude was on trail now, a few days back, with Pineapples starting at Harpers later this week. As for me, I’d be enjoying the plentiful waysides with hot food that Shenandoah offered, trying to find more views, and seeing what new friends I could make along the way.