Dates ........ Monday April 24, 2000
Miles ........ 20.8 miles
From ........ VA - SNP Pinefield Hut
To ............. Bearfence Hut
Weather ... Cloudy, cool (mid 30's-low40's), windy A.M., then windy, misty,
rain.
We got an early start, leaving Pinefield hut at 8 A.M. intending to cover lots of territory. We pushed hard over Weaver Mtn., through Simmons Gap, and up Flattop Mtn. with its views of the pretty little Roach River Valley and quaint Bacon Hollow.
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| Flattop Mountain view of Bacon Hollow. |
It was getting quite windy so we decided it would be safer and give our aching feet a break if we followed SD, which parallels and crosses the trail in this area. (In many places the roadway is the "old AT" and in some places it is the current AT.)
Near the old road over Saddleback Mtn. Brett spotted a BLACK BEAR foraging in the brush. He ambled off as soon as I started taking pictures.
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| Black bear in the brush near Saddleback Mountain. |
Most of the AT and Skyline Drive (SD) in this area averages around the 3200-3400 foot elevation level. It wasn't raining hard yet, just windy, cloudy and very humid - but we felt rain was coming. We pushed hard to get to the relative cover of a shelter before it really rained. And, just after arriving at the shelter, it rained hard. We were now a full day ahead of schedule.
A woman with a dog arrived. She intended to stay in the shelter (and did for several days, we found out later) with her dog. She cautioned us not to make any quick moves and stay away from her dog because it "was a little snappy" toward strangers. GREAT! How do you stay away from a snappy dog in a 10 x 16 foot shelter? We had moved the picnic table under the roof overhang and had our cookware, stove and eating utensils there - and guess where she decided to lay her dog's wet, smelly hair covered pack? Yep. Right on the picnic table. After she let the dog run (no leash even though required by SNP) she advised us we had better move our gear off the floor so that when HER DOG came in and SHOOK it would not get it all wet. And of course her wet smelly dog came in the shelter and shook all over everything. (Where were we supposed to move our gear - out into the rain?)
Let me repeat. SHELTERS ARE BUILT FOR HIKERS. NOT DOGS.
I was glad to have the shelter but not happy to have to share it with dogs.
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| 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 |