Jun 1 - Northern Virginia

DAY #77
START LOCATION: Compton Gap Trail/Terrapin Station Hostel
FINISH LOCATION: Manassas Gap Shelter
TODAY'S MILEAGE: 14.5
TRIP MILEAGE: 970.9
MILES TO GO: 1,208.2

I was up around 7 after restless sleep. Smokestack and I had coffee
while the hikers not needing a shuttle to Front Royal packed up to
leave. Mike, the hostel owner, tallied up the hikers needing a ride
and realized he needed two trips. His van was in the shop and all he
had was his 4-door Honda Civic. Smoke and I were R.T.G. so we rode in
the first shuttle.

Smoke asked him about his AT and PCT thru-hikes and how desolate and
bitterly brutal the weather was on his PCT hike. It further
strengthened my non-desire to tackle the PCT. Smoke and I resupplied
and ran across to the BK for breakfast. By the end of this, the second
shuttle had arrived. One person had gone back on his initial return
trip and another was meeting a friend in town, so we were able to
squish and return in one ride. That was good. Smoke and I were hoping
to have plenty of time on the trail to deal with the scattered
thunderstorms the weather was calling for.

We settled up with Mike, packed up and headed up the half-mile blue-
blaze back to Compton Gap were we picked up the AT. The weather was
humid and the large puffy clouds made us expect rain. I was lacking
punch in the morning. The low energy made me realize that in the rush
of the morning shuttles and packing up that I hadn't doped up on water
like I usually do. As a result, Smokestack and I took an early water
break about 7 miles in. In the 2 miles to the lunch shelter I could
feel my energy returning.

We reached the posh Jim and Molly Denton Shelter pretty quickly. I say
posh because it had a picnic canopy, a large deck, a three-person wide
Adirondack chair, a solar shower and very spacious and clean sleeping
quarters. We decided to spend some time here and recharge there rather
than at our final destination, the Manassas Gap Shelter, 5.5 miles up.
Some southbounders passed and told us a Copperhead snake had taken up
residence beneath it... Even more motivation to stay put for awhile.

Lots of water, midday rest and a big lunch gave me the boost we needed
to reach Manassas Gap around 7PM. Smokestack felt good all day and it
was great to see him in full stride again after feeling a bit rusty
the two days before. We found some great campsites at the shelter.
Right off the trail, near a gushing spring and very well maintained.
We didn't have much time to enjoy them as dark set in quickly. But,
with another moderate mileage day planned tomorrow, we should enjoy
them in the morning.

Errata... I wandered off the trail today. Haven't done that in quite
some time (see Apr 16). But, it wasn't a panic situation, it was just
pretty frustrating to be heading off onto what i thought was the
trail, realizing it after a few minutes, backtracking then be standing
at my last known white blaze and having no idea where to go next.
Smoke had gotten ahead as I had recently stopped for a drink. The
trail was in loose forest over a very wide rocky terrain. My last
known blaze I was standing at was set back from the double blazes that
directed me sharp left, so from where I was standing to correct my
error, I simply couldn't see the doubles. Anyway, you always backtrack
from your last known point to aid in finding the trail. But, the key
lesson here to aspiring long distance hikers is simply pay attention
at all times. Smoke had a nice laugh as he waited for me at a trail/RR
track intersection further up and I related the story.

-natedog