Reporting from "Bears Den Hostel"

I came here today intending to shower, do my laundry, and then hike on another 10 miles, but I'm not really feeling like hiking another 10 miles on top of the 10 miles I've already hiked...plus this place has nice bunks with sheets and blankets, and a deal where you pay a lump sum for sodas, a pint of Ben &Jerry's, and a pizza! How could I resist!? Anyway, it's starting to rain and the 10 miles to this hostel were some of the worst miles I've hiked, so bad, they've named the section the "Roller Coaster." From the guide--Northbounders leaving the Rod Hollow Shelter (where I stayed last night) will enter the "roller coaster," a 13.5 mile section with ten ascents and descents. The Virginia corridor is narrow here, leaving trail crews very little choice other than to route the path up and over each of these viewless and rocky ridges. It's rocky, slippery, and seemingly never ending. Only 3.5 miles left for tomorrow! By staying here tonight I'm prolonging making it to the 1,000 mile mark, but I'm okay with that. 

So since Bland, VA or my last post, I've really just done a lot of hiking. I finally got my trail name at Catawba Mountain Shelter. A couple of nice thru-hikers from Mass (Glad Gal and Clutch) gave me the name "Coast." They thought it fitting for a couple of reasons, the first because I'm from the coast, and the other was due to my hiking style...according to them I kind of coast by. I hadn't heard of any other "Coast's" out here, so I took it. 

There's this thing called the "Virginia Blues" that some through hikers get. I got them pretty bad a couple of times, but I've found the best way to cope...stop hiking for the day! It works wonders. I've realized it's hard to be on top of your game every day...damn near impossible. Virginia is the longest state on the AT and it feels never ending, but I'm seven miles away from being through with it. The 250 mile section before Shenandoah National Park is surprisingly difficult and it doesn't have a whole lot to offer for views, especially when over a 100 miles of it were spent in a cloud. 

Shenandoah was nice. A hundred miles of well-groomed trails and waysides every twenty-five or so miles (Park stores/ grills along the trail with shower and laundry facilities). Some of these waysides had amazing blackberry milkshakes. I got one with breakfast...sooo good! Shenandoah is known for its abundant wildlife and many vistas. My first day in the park started with a lot of rain, but cleared up nicely in the afternoon, when I just happened to see my first black bear in the wild! It was really exciting and awesome to be in the presence of a wild animal that has the ability (or will have the ability when it doubles in size) to eat me. Honestly the bear was about as large as a medium sized dog, and after checking me out for about five seconds I sent it on its way with stern remarks and by banging my hiking poles together...top of the food chain baby. It rained about five inches my second day in the park...I considered building a raft and floating down the trail. Things finally dried out a bit on the my third day. On this day I encountered my second bear, a much larger bear he was. I would say he was between 200 and 300 pounds. He was a handsome bear, quite a specimen. He was about ten feet from the trail, which didn't work for me considering I had to walk by him, so I tried my previous techniques of intimidation, which startled the bear for about two seconds and about ten feet further from the trail, but otherwise to no avail. He seemed to realize, he was much larger than I, and that he had nothing to worry about. At this point I just continued my tough guy act and walked past the beast. The bear seemed confused and maybe a bit amused by my show of little-man syndrome. Anyhow, this encounter was spon followed by a wayside, which meant clean clothes, a shower, and good eats. My last couple days in the park were nice. I spotted one more bear, but it was already running due to my presence. There were lots of deer. I practically had to move them off the trail at times. 

My first night out of the park was spent in a shelter with one other guy that just happened to be hiking the trail on food stamps and in jeans. He was quite a character. He had a wind-up radio and said himself, he had a knack for finding a top-forty radio station no matter where he was. He certainly found one and sang along to all the teenie-bopper songs. His sing alongs were accompanied by excessive farts, which he seemed to surprise himself with. Of course, I thought this was all very funny. As funny as it all was, he truly was a sad and foul human being. This was just yesterday, and now here I am cozy, warm, and clean at the Bears Den Hostel.

I will be heading through Harpers Ferry, WV tomorrow, which is the psychological halfway point, and into Maryland.

Dad, I'm not sure where I'll be calling from next, but the next town I should be resupplying in is Blue Ridge Summit, PA (for trackintg purposes). 

Again I miss and love everyone at home, and can't wait to see you all (that includes you Gram!). Wormy, thank you for simply being you. Thanks Don, Kristi, and everyone else for the encouraging messages...they really play a part in keeping my spirits high. Emily Carver, for the record I haven't talked to everyone! You (one of my top-tens) are on my list! I'm so glad your first trip went well...you're amazing! Kerry keep your daughter in line and make her run so that she can keep up with me during the hundred mile wilderness. Thanks Donna for your messages, rubbing it in that you're eating Dorman's and I'm not...don't worry I'll make up for lost time when I get home (of course on your wallet..hehe). I can't wait to dance party with all of you!!!!! You all know who you are...Cheers!