The Last Mighty

Terrapin Station Hiker Hostel, VA
Mile 950

I am looking ever more forward to three days with my lovely girlfriend Monica in Washington DC. I have put the mighty Shenandoahs (aka 'Shennies' or 'Doahs') behind me with a brace of twenty-plus mile days, the mileage made easier by the Shennies' gentle terrain and the unseasonable cold front we've had come through the area. And, of course, by the fact that Monica waits on the other side.

The Shennies are the last string of 3,000ft+ ridges I will be mounting for some time. There are prominences between here and the Whites that will rise above this altitude, but no sustained ridges. I'm about to enter the dreaded "Deli Country", with its spiralling costs, lack of water, bugs, and Jersey Death Bears. The Shenandoahs are the last mighty, until the Whites rear their feared peaks above my head. Those mountains will present challenges I've never faced, but on the plus side, they're still five hundred miles away.

Shennies Overview
The southern half of the Shenandoahs are pretty darn boring, but very easy hiking. The second half is a bit more difficult, but has some of the best views in Virginia. Why are the Shennies supposedly the most popular stretch of trail among thru-hikers? The answer is beer. Well, beer, restaurants, road access, and honest-to-God trailside full-liquor bars. You can't hike seven miles without coming near a store, and the road is never more than a mile off. Too much civilization for me. I felt a bit like a piece of the wilderness myself. "Look at this guy honey! He's walked all the way from Georgia! Get the camera!"

Bears
I saw seven bears in the Shennies, one of them being the second-closest bear encounter I've had in my life. It's hard to beat the first closest, as the closest bear encounter I've ever had was the bear's teeth being inside of me (see the entry titled 'Totem'). I suppose if I was partially digested by a black bear that would beat it, but I've lost enough limbs for a lifetime, thank you very much. Anyway, this close encounter involved me rounding an uphill switchback near Jarman Gap and almost colliding with the animal, a big lone male, damn near in arm's reach. We scared the crap out of each other. I said, "Awk!", he said, "Gurk!". In the time it took for my hand to reach my pepper spray holster, the bear was out of sight. He ran with such power that he sprayed me with clay and rocks from thirty feet away.
Coming off Loft Mountain, I saw another notable bear, halfway up a dead tree, rocking violently back and forth in an effort to bring it down (and presumably to eat the grubs inside). I never knew bears of that size could climb. It also indicated a level of planning I didn't think bears posessed. They're a bit smarter than I thought. Overall, bears in the Shennies are also quite a bit bigger than their relatives in the Smokies.

Slashers
An escaped killer made his way to the Shenandoah National Park yesterday, and was attempting to pass through the area disguised as a section hiker. Rangers with assault weapons and helicopters canvassed the area. One well-armed ranger seemed pretty casual about it. "He'll get hungry and come in, they always do after they run in the woods". I complimented his choice of rifle sight. He complimented my choice of hairstyle. "No one's gonna come near you looking like that". I got my head shaved bald in Waynesboro. Explains how I always get so much shelter space. That, and the snoring.