Day 63 - Baby Bear at Skyland (June 10)

I saw my first bear today near Skyland. I was walking with Stumpknocker. The baby bear ran across the road and into the woods. I wanted to pet it and play with it, but it did not stop.

This is Stumpknocker's sixth thru hike. He started doing thru hikes in 2002. Someone told me he started after his wife died. The record for ended to end hikes is 15 by someone whose last name is Doyle. Seven of those 15 are thru hikes. The rest were done as section hikes. There is someone else with seven hikes, and then Stumpknocker and another guy are both working on six.

Stompknocker said someone paid for his breakfast this morning. People are amazed by how far we have walked and how far we are planning on walking.

There have been lots of places to eat in the Shenandoah Park, which has kept my pack weight low. The problem is eating out gets expensive. On second thought, it depends on what you eat. A 2,000 plus calorie combo meal only costs about 6 dollars. Its hard to get that many good fat calories for less even at a grocery store.

I should have only one more day in the Shenandoahs. I'm at the Pass Mountain shelter tonight. I would like to be at the Tom Floyd shelter tomorrow night, which is just outside the park. I hear there is a good hostile one day before Harpers Ferry.

I hear a lot of people will be leaving the trail soon. Always Fine told me tonight that he will be leaving in a could weeks. I hear Snackies is leaving for DC this weekend. I'm not sure if he is coming back. Bilge Rat is leaving for two weeks. I think he will be back. Bilge Rat told me several people he knows are leaving in Harpers Ferry for good because of the heat and bugs.