Thursday April 14th

Skyland Resort (934.7 mi) to Gravel Springs Hut (958.7 mi)

Hiking Miles: 24.0

Total Ascent: 4,638.8 ft

Total Descent: 5,798.2 ft

Total Grade: 430.1 ft/mi

Steps: 62,310

We had coffee (YES – COFFEE!!) while relaxing in the cabin living room before setting out on the detoured trail at 8:40 am. After checking the forecast, our plan was to beat the rain by reaching Pass Mountain Hut (10 miles out) by 1 pm (when it was forecasted to start). It was a cool 50 degree morning; we were sore but well rested.

I could certainly appreciate the many times I read how hikers love having the opportunity to stay in a comfortable, clean bed once in a while to totally recharge. Our plan was to play things by ear since we hadn’t been on trail long enough to determine what our cadence would involve.

We stopped at the Byrd’s Nest 3 Hut for a short break. It was a neat little stone shelter with a cool journal that we glanced through. A number of the shelters we previously encountered had similar log books for hikers to enter comments. We left a short note on the page and signed it “New Hampshire Rich” and “Minnesota Steve” since we had not yet determined our official trail names.

We continued to hike many downhill and uphill climbs within the Shenandoah’s. It definitely wasn’t flat. For me, it was a slight challenge at this stage in our journey because my “trail legs” and lung capacity were still a work in progress. At times I would rhythmically count (to myself) as I paced uphill: “1-2-3-One, 1-2-3-Two, 1-2-3-Three”… and so on with each step. Then I would usually stop counting when I reached the crest of a hill.

By 2:10 pm, we finally reached Pass Mountain Shelter. There we met a hiker (no trail name) who was a carpenter from Deerfield, MA (near Amherst), and who had the same idea of staying put for the night. We all collected water from a nearby stream (pipe fed) and we chatted a bit. He had a very interesting story as to why he was on trail. His mother-in-law was very sick and his wife was taking care of her for awhile. His wife asked him to please keep himself busy while she stayed with her mom, so he decided to hike a section of the AT for a month. He happened to be a UMASS graduate (2006), and also like Stevie, he attended many concerts (e.g. Bonnaroo). So we named him “Woodstock” because of his concert crashing, and the fact that he was a carpenter who worked with wood.

The rain seemed to hold out, so Stevie and I decided to hike another 7+ miles to a Wayside, eat dinner, and hopefully “stealth camp.” When we arrived, we cooked our lasagna pack and mixed it with crushed Cheez-Its, which was delicious. We subsequently could not find a stealthy enough site to set up our tents (we were close to a main roadway). Despite that it was approaching 7:30 pm, we considered pushing through another 6+ miles to Gravel Springs Hut (big climb!) while experiencing night hiking.

Hiking in the dark was actually peaceful and the moon was full and bright. My headlamp was not powerful but Stevie’s operated like a flood light, so we were good.

About halfway to our destination, we met Lauren, a “LASHER” (Long Ass Section Hiker) who asked us if we needed anything. We replied “No” and thanked her – she was so nice. Afterwards, I was thinking that I should have asked if she had Gatorade (note to self next time). With about a mile to go, I realized that my Charge 4 Fitbit fell off my wrist. It either came off when I removed my backpack or when I took off my puffy jacket. Stevie backtracked about 1/4-mile to look for it but who knows where it could have landed in the dark. No worries – I will purchase another one in Front Royal in a few days.

We arrived at the blue blaze trail entrance for the Gravel Springs Hut at 10:30 pm, and Stevie noticed a cooler full of Gatorade (Trail Magic!!!). I was so freaking happy. We bet it was Lauren who circled around and left it there! What a Trail Angel! I had to shoot a video. Stevie was exhausted (so was I) and couldn’t understand why I would want to record a video. The Gatorade restored enough energy for us to hike down the path, place our food in the bear box, and set up our tents. There was only one person staying in the hut, and we did not want to disturb him.

It was a long day that went from 10 miles to an unexpected 24. We quickly got cozy and fell asleep.