Dates ........ Friday April 21, 2000
Miles ........ 4.9 miles
From ........ VA- Paul Wolfe Shelter near Mill Creek
To ............. Rockfish Gap (Inn at Afton - Waynesboro VA)
Weather ... Fog, drizzle, cloudy, warm. Wet morning, clearing mid day, nice
afternoon then more thundershowers in the evening.
 |
| "Firefly" gets water before leaving Paul Wolfe shelter. |
 |
| Mill Creek in front of the shelter. |
Wet again. The hike out was rather easy, though the trail was a little muddy. The fog, which lasted late into the morning, precluded any views we were supposed to have. There was supposed to be an ancient cemetery along the trail but we did not see it. We came upon the ruins of an old cabin and wondered if it was, at one time, a still - something these hills are reputed to have many of.
We have George Washington National Forest behind us and the famous Shenandoah National Park ahead of us. But, even more meaningful at this soggy, wet moment - we have a hotel room, which means hot showers and a soft bed, some good meals, and some time in town. And a rest from the rigors of the trail.
 |
| "Free Spirit" and "Firefly" at Rockfish Gap (near Waynesboro, VA.) |
I picked up my re-supply package at the hotel and found it broken open and full of ants. I sorted through my trail mix blend, removed all the ants and repackaged it. The call home was nice and the hot shower felt great. Lunch was good - another Reuben from the hotel's dining room. Shortly before supper Granddad showed up at our door with a 6-pack. After a shave, some lively trail talk, and with ravenous appetites we headed off to the dining room for a good dinner. It was that - the prime rib was excellent. The wine steward needed some remedial training, however, as he new absolutely nothing about wine and how to serve it. We chuckled as he fumbled through the motions. We did have some Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon, which was excellent, though most crudely served.
At the local VA WELCOME CENTER we asked how to get a ride into Waynesboro, explaining that we were hikers (like, it wasn't obvious?) and the retired gent gave us a list with three names and phone numbers on it. We called and the first one came up, picked us up, took us to the outfitters (more Coleman fuel and a new hat, more sox for Brett) and dropped us at the post office. From there we walked to the supermarket for some treats, made up and AT sign and promptly got a ride back to the gap and hotel. Virginia is serious about its WELCOME policies. The retiree that gave us a ride would not even take gas money. He and others volunteer as a community service to hikers and tourists in need.
We took advantage of the forced air room heater/AC and dried some laundry while there. The soft bed and the hum of the heater gave us a great night's sleep.
|
Sun
|
Mon
|
Tue
|
Wed
|
Thur
|
Fri
|
Sat
|
| 4/19/00 | 4/21/00 | 4/22/00 | ||||
| 4/30/00 | 5/01/00 | 5/02/00 | 5/03/00 | 5/04/00 | 5/05/00 |