Bear's Den Hostel

March 23, 2001 ~ Ashby Gap to Snicker's Gap (14.1 miles)

The roller coaster is done! It was challenging, but I don't understand why thru hikers find it to be especially hard after all they've done by this point. It is an unusual configuration because there are seven or eight (depending on how you count) 500 foot ups and downs over a small distance, but the total vertical rise can't be more than they've one on other days (3300ft). Make no mistake though: I'm tired. This 14.1 miles took me 8.5 hours. To compare, the 13.1 from Gravel Springs to Chester Gap only took me 6 hours.

Bear's Den is very nice, and the shuttle was very convenient (I drove to Snicker's Gap, got a shuttle to Ashby Gap and hiked to the hostel. I hiked out to my car in the morning, which was only about a mile away at that point). There's someone here who's already hiked the whole trail in 1999 and 2000 (she says she's a section hiker, but that's very fast for a sectioner) named Cakewalk. She lives in Sterling and rode her bike out here via the W&OD trail.

The trail was very wet today. Every time the trail when into a hollow, it was full of rushing water. In many places, the trail itself was a creek. Amazingly, my shoes (I switched to a Merrell Eagle Shoe -- I don't wear boots any more) look really clean. It's almost eerie, they look so good. Like I dreamed the whole day or something. I guess there was more actual water than mud, but I know I walked through muck and mud, especially to get around all the blow downs.

I saw a few critters today: Frog (which, oddly, was black), a garter snake and a deer. The snake and the frog just pretended like I didn't see them. They usually run from people, so I guess they were all sluggish from the 50' weather. I had to step over the snake because it was in the middle of the trail, and even though I know it's a totally harmless snake, I still had to force myself to do it. Why do snakes freak me people out so much? I know it's not just me.

As usual, it was nowhere near as warm as predicted, and it was super windy all day. Wind always makes me extra tired. It's 8:30pm right now, and I bet I'll be asleep within the hour.

The hike overall was good. The view from Bear's Den Rocks is fantastic, and the sun was starting to go down when I was there, and since it's to the west, it was extra good. There were a lot of pines and rhododendrons today, both of which I really like. There are great places to camp, and Sam Moore shelter is pleasant and clean. Must sleep now.