Day: 056
Date: Monday, 19 June 2023
Start: Wintergreen View (AT Mile 852.0)
Finish: Rockfish Gap (AT Mile 864.3) but staying in Waynesboro.
Daily Kilometres: 20.5 (Ascent 1703', Descent 3100')
GPX Track: Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos
Total Kilometres: 1453.5
Weather: Mostly overcast, warm and humid.
Accommodation: Motel
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Pop tarts
Lunch: Bacon double cheeseburger & fries.
Dinner: Burrito, rice & salad, ice-cream.
Aches: Dave - still dealing with blistered right heel; Julie - nothing to report.
Highlight: A bear sighting, up close, around 8:00am. We had heard there was a bear that had troubled campers north of Humpback Rocks and then, as we hiked through that area this morning we met a hiker coming the other way who told us she had just seen a bear, but that it had run off. Twenty minutes later we saw a black bear in the undergrowth about 20 metres from the trail. It didn't seem to be bothered by us, or interested in us, as it moved through the forest to cross the trail behind us. Julie, retracing our steps, got a couple of good photos.
Lowlight: None really.
Pictures: Click here
Map and Position: Click here for Google Map
Journal:
We woke at 5:00am and were hiking by 6:00am, hoping for easier trail than yesterday, and a fast trip to Rockfish Gap, 12 miles ahead, from where we planned to hitch a ride to Waynesboro for resupply, showers, laundry and a soft bed for the night.
The trail initially followed the top of the ridge along Humpback Mountain (3615') with tree-filtered views to the east, but there was a heavy haze, that persisted all morning, and really only the silhouettes of the surrounding mountains were visible in the early sunlight. Underfoot, the trail was generally easier, and our pace good, despite the long day yesterday and our lack of sleep.
About four miles later, we had some excitement with our second bear encounter on the trail (see above) which have us a fillip.
Our breakfast break, after 6 miles, was taken on a rock shelf in the peaceful forest, before we tackled the remaining 6 miles to Rockfish Gap. The trail wound around the sides of several mountains passing signs of past human habitation - stone fences, a cemetery and the ruins of an old stone cabin - and was generally good going, but time seemed to drag, as it often does when we are keen to finish. The hum of traffic noise, which never seemed to get any closer, didn't help.
Around 12:15pm, we reached the busy Rockfish Gap with its freeway passing through, and after walking a few hundred yards to a good hitching spot on the road to Waynesboro, stuck our thumbs out and almost immediately got a lift from a hiker hostel employee on his way into town. He filled us in on the best places to eat in town and dropped us at our motel. We were allowed to check in early and were in our room by 1:00pm.
Julie went and bought some lunch for us while Dave showered, and then later took care of the laundry and resupply shopping to give Dave maximum rest-up time.
Around 5:00pm we walked to a nearby Mexican restaurant for dinner with fellow thru-hiker, Tassie, who arrived in town later this afternoon, and then bought an ice-cream at Walmart on the way back, before having an early night.
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