Judges
Mountain Home Hostel to Rod Hollow Shelter - 23.7 miles hiked today - 995.7 total AT miles hiked to date.
After a Zero day, it was good to be back on the trail today. With the rains from yesterday all blown out, today broke clear and cool, although destined to warm up quickly. We packed up, got our hearty breakfast from our hostel hosts (I had French toast, fresh fruit, and homemade cider), and were back on the trail by 8:30. The morning was spent climbing out of Front Royal, with mostly gradual uphills, mixed in with gentle, rolling downhills. 3800 feet of vertical climb for the day, although most of the time we were in the green tunnel created by the lush growth around us and the tree canopy overhead.
By lunchtime, we’d passed over some railroad tracks, through a meadow and under I-66, before stopping for lunch at a roadside picnic table next to a stone stair footbridge that spanned a small creek. We met a couple of section hikers while we were eating who were completing the AT over the course of several years, one section at a time. They had done everything south of our current spot and were planning to get to the Pennsylvania border on this section.
After lunch we pushed on, with the initial goal of reaching Whiskey Hollow Shelter, also the former site of the only round shelter on the trail, Dick’s Dome shelter. Although there were more obstacles on the trail than usual (downed trees, a few rock scrambles, etc.), we managed to make the shelter by 4pm. The new shelter there was a double decker with a covered picnic area. The old dome shelter was about 100 yards away, but falling into ruin.
The rest of the group elected to stay in the new shelter, but I headed on to find a suitable tent site. There were none right by the shelter, so I kept hiking. No good sites for the next mile or so, as I came to the Sky Meadows State Park. Unfortunately, they had posted that there was no camping along the trail in the park, so I pressed on. It started getting late, as it was after 7 when I finally exited Sky Meadows. Still no viable sites for the next few miles, so I decided to push for the Rod Hollow Shelter - another couple of miles. Just before it started getting dark (around 8), I arrived at the shelter. There was one undesignated tent site still available, which I snatched up. By the time I got my tent set up, dinner eaten, and ready for bed, it was after 9 (also known as hiker midnight). The rest of the group will likely catch me by lunchtime tomorrow.
I’ve also noticed that tomorrow starts the Roller Coaster, an undulating section of the trail that ought to keep me on my toes. We will also pass the 1000 mile marker, with the halfway point of the trail in striking distance in a week or so.
Until next time…
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