July - Bears and the "Roller Coaster"

July, 2013:  Snapshots of the AT

Guest Poster:  the Mom

 

Adam spent a couple of days slack packing  and visiting the family over the 4^th of July holiday, but then headed back to the trail full force.  In the first seven days after he left us, he hiked 160 miles through the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. 

After the continuous rain around the 4^th, he had great weather, and even started to feel the summer heat in the middle of the day. The Shenandoah Valley, starting with the Skyline Drive, was very open to hikers, with many waysides, restaurants and campgrounds for a “real meal.”  Food was readily available, and the hikers ate well at such places as Big Meadows, Loft Mountain and Elkwallow Wayside. The trails throughout this area were well-maintained and graded, with only a few up and down climbs.

The Shenandoah National Park has an unusually dense population of black bears and during his week there, Adam saw 10 bears, seven of them in one day.  He came upon an adult bear first, and knowing that the best way to approach a bear is let it know you’re there, making lots of noise, showing it that you’re powerful and not weak, he did just that -- until he saw two adolescent cubs jumping around and climbing trees.  At that point, he knew he was dealing with a Mama Bear who would protect her cubs at any cost, so his approach changed and he gradually backed away.  As he did, he saw a third cub playing and jumping around in the woods.

Between Front Royal, Va. and Harper’s Ferry, WV, there is 13 ½ mile section of the trail known as the “roller coaster.”  This is a notoriously difficult up and down and rocky part of the trail.   With the changes in elevation and the rough terrain, the 13 miles requires about the same amount of hours to hike as a 20-mile section. 

Someplace along this time, Adam passed the 1,000 mile point of the AT, walking along the border of VA and WV, sometimes stepping in both states. 

Adam stayed at the Bears Den Hostel located about halfway on the “roller coaster.”   Bears Den is one of the nicest hostels on the AT, with 66 acres, a building with bunkbeds, showers, and a community computer.   It also has a “hiker special,” which is a bunk, a shower, laundry, a soft drink, a frozen pizza and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Red Velvet ice cream.   Yes, he took them up on it!

Along the way, Adam has been texting the people he previously hiked with, and they’re keeping him informed about the hiking conditions ahead.  He is hoping he can do some 25 to 30 miles days.  He also says his feet feel “amazing,” – the new hiker socks he bought in Waynesboro are doing the job. 

When we talked, Adam was looking forward to getting to Harper’s Ferry.