May 29 - "Torrential"

Post date: May 31, 2012 3:31:38 PM

"Five Pair" left Hightop Hut with visions of another 20 mile day as she attempts to position herself for arrival into Harper’s Ferry this weekend and reuniting with "Triple T" for a week+ of hiking.

The stories have been ample regarding wildlife in the Shenandoah but in particular, it appears the rattlesnakes are out in force. Hikers have been reporting them all over the trail, which actually is a good thing as they eat the mammal transports that serve as dining facilities for a less imposing but more sinister creature on the AT, ticks… and the potential of Lyme disease. "Five Pair" has run across a couple rattlers and on this day was able to snap a couple pictures of one that was nice enough to strike a pose.

As the day wore on, the rain began and as "Five Pair" traversed the ups and downs she passed a cemetery at Tanner Ridge Road. There are over 50 cemeteries in Shenandoah National Park, some active, some not, some large, some small. The actual number of cemeteries is still unknown as rangers continue to find locations.

"Five Pair" hiked up to the Big Meadows area and walked around and around and around looking for the Campground, a facility run by the National Park Service. At last she found the Campground, began the self-checking in process and just as she completed the form the dark clouds that had been omnipresent during the day opened up. This rain was well beyond the storms familiar to those in Florida during the summer, this was full on, hard to see past your extended hand rain. Torrential.

As the roof she was standing under began to leak onto her and her gear, the prospect of setting up camp began to reign down on "Five Pair". At that moment, a NPS ranger arrived and began taking down the U.S. flag a short walk away and "Five Pair" made a decision. Leaving her gear under the leaking pavilion, "Five Pair" sloshed her way out to the flagpole and hade her case for a ride to the Big Meadow Lodge, one of the hotel facilities run by the NPS in Shenandoah. His response was that he was not allowed to give anyone a ride in his government vehicle… the look on the face of "Five Pair" must have been one of utter disappointment. Faced with her expression ("I thought I was going to cry"), the ranger then amended his answer and advised that he would go get his vehicle and give her a ride. His position was apparently changed shortly thereafter, as he backed the NPS truck up to her as she stood under the sieve-like pavilion and told her to get in.

A short ride later during which the ranger advised her that the rain was suppose to last all night as two weather fronts had collided in the area, "Five Pair", having passed the 900 mile mark, ended the 20.8 AT miles hiked day by checking into the Big Meadows Lodge. Shortly after checking in, "Houdini" hiked in and found a room. "Five Pair" had passed "Pedestrian" during the day and wondered where he might be.

Dry and watching the rains continue, "Five Pair" and "Houdini" ate dinner in the Big Meadows tavern and listened to the live bluegrass music.

918.5 miles complete/1,265.9 miles to go