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July
4, 1983 Sunday (1293.3 mtg) From
Gonzo!s Appalachian Trail journal
In
order for mom and dad to get back to Illinois in time to rest and
be ready for work on Tuesday, it was necessary for them to leave
very early this morning. That meant that we had to get up sometime
around 2 am so we could drive back to Swift Run Gap overlook, where
I had been picked up. I was dropped off at about 3:45 am and of
course it was still dark. Too dark to travel. I used my flashlight
to find the trail and headed into the woods just a few hundred yards
at most and then shot off into the woods to find a spot to park
until first light. I was never able to get back to sleep as I lay
there listening to the silence of the woods and thinking any time
now there would be a bear wandering by that would smell the food
in my pack. I was off and moving as soon as I could see where I
was going. I just cruised! The trail must have been so well graded
that the miles flew by quickly. Soon I had put in twenty miles before
noon! Now what am I supposed to do? That was really a long days
walk for the average hiker, but I had half the day left. The climb
up Hazeltop turned out to be quite easy. I skirted Big Meadows campground
as the trail passed directly behind the campsites located there.
I stopped and had a conversation with Ben
and John when they flagged me down and offered pancakes, eggs,
and a couple of sodas. I spent about an hour there. I learned from
them that the rangers were planning a party to celebrate the Forth
of July to be located somewhere near the Pinnacles. I immediately
said that is where I should find myself tonight, and began the journey
there. I met up with another hiker at Skyland, and hiked with him
for a while. He gave me an ice cold apple and water. With all the
mileage I was putting on I caught up with Tom Charmichael, and hiked
with him to the Pinnacles picnic grounds. In the Shenandoah park,
the picnic grounds are not a "legal" place to camp. But
I had just covered thirty-one miles, my biggest mile day
so far, and I wasn't going to go any further. The balls of
my feet were beginning to feel hot, as if a huge blister covering
the entire area was about to form. I hung out on a picnic bench
under the pavilion and waited for the party to arrive. Eventually,
it became obvious that there was not going to be a party here tonight
as darkness was only an hour or so away and there was no large group
of anykind in sight. While I waited, a group of boy scouts came
by and I talked with the counselors. I helped them adjust their
backpacks. They asked if I thought they could spend the night nearby
and I told them that it was really illegal, and recommended they
park in the woods somewhere they could not be seen. They went to
the edge of the woods surrounding the picnic area, then all filed
into the greenery. If there was not a path to begin with, there
was one now after all those kids tramped through to their campsite.
I set up my tent after dark as far from view as I could beside a
picnic table for added camoflage, and waited for the party. By 11:30
I figured there would be no party here. What tipped me off was the
absence of people and the fact that I could hear a party somewhere
nearby. Apparently the party was at the Pinnacles Overlook, not
the Pinnacles picnic area. I could see the lights twinkling in the
valley to the west, but could hear fireworks to the east. The view
in that direction was obscured by the trees. No fireworks were seen
this year. Disappointed, I slowly drifted off to sleep.
Gonzo!
Appalachian Trail Journals ©1983
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