SNP Tues 10-6-09

I'm hiking the SHENNIES!!!!!!! After work on Tuesday, I drove 6 hours to Shenandoah National Park in northern VA to meet up with the group at Big Meadows Campground. The ride was pretty smooth until I entered the park at Swift Run Gap. I was immediately surrounded by thick fog, so thick that I couldn't even see the double yellow lines on the road! Oh, and it was 9pm and dark out. It made me nervous so I drove like 5 miles an hour for 15 miles up to the campground. I FINALLY get to the campground entrance and the check in desk is closed. I get out to see if there's a campground map and I can make out deer grazing five feet away from me. It was kind of scary, considering most deer are afraid of people and run away as soon as they see a human, but these deer just stood there, staring at me with their creepy glowing eyes in the thick fog. Then out of nowhere, I hear a quiet eery whooshing noise, see head lights, and the park ranger, in a golf cart, appears and asks me if she can help me with anything. I froze like a (normal) deer and stutter that I was looking for campsite A-9 to find the rest of my group. The ranger points me in the right direction and I jump back in my car, (lock the doors), and drive into the campground to find A-9. Luckily it's in the first loop. Unluckily, (is that a word?), I have to park far below, and climb, what looked like a big hill in the fog, but ended up being a small bump in the day time.

So I park, pull out my backpack and headlamp and head up to meet the other three campers in my group. DUDE the winds were whipping on top of that hill. I got chilly just walking up there. I have a feeling it's going to be a cold night. As I walk up, Lori from PA greets me with a warm hello and introduces me to Rylan and James. After quick intro's, I scope out a spot to hang my hammock up and start putting up the tarp. After I hang everything up, I chit chat a bit and learn that Lori is a Trail Dame! haha! She is the leader of the Delaware Vallery TD's, what a small world. I tell her I know Anna and SHOE and we decide we'll have alot to chat about during the hike! hahaha! James is a super ultra light backpacker from Northern VA who will only be hiking for two days. He's got a family wedding he's got to go back for. Rylan is from Alabama and is the famous Rylan Herring from Southeastern Backpackers podcasts. So I'm in some good company and am excited to start my week in the SHENNIES! After setting up, I learn that Rylan is also in a hammock, so I go check out his set up and my eyes glaze over at his JRB underquilt. (Jacks R Better) I'm drooling over it b/c I want one sooooo bad. So the JRB top and underquilt are his and I warn him to keep an eye out on them b/c I may just sneak up and thief it from him in the night. hahaha! He tells us that a fellow Hammock hanger by the name of SHUG, graciously offered to send him a hammock to test out during this trip. See, hammock people are awesome! We take care of one another. :) YAY SHUG! If you've never seen any of SHUG's hiking/hammocking videos, you're missing out. That guy is hoot! Just youtube, "shugemery" and be prepared to be entertained.

We finally call it a night and I'm a bit nervous about going to sleep in 40 degree weather. I'm hoping my little hammock set up will keep me warm. (Kicking myself in the head for not testing it out before hand.) I mean, I meant to test it out, but who wants to sleep in their backyard when they have a perfectly comfortable bed waiting inside? hahaha! I love my hammock (out in the woods) but I love my bed more. :) So off to sleep I go. I woke up once to tighten up the tarp b/c the winds and rain were doing a number on it. To be honest, I put up a really sloppy tarp, I didn't even tension it, so the loud flapping was keeping me awake. I know, I know.... lazy Sweetpea. I was just tired from the drive, and cold from the wind. But I should of know better. Bad set up means bad night's sleep. So I got up (in the RAIN) to fix it and fell back asleep til Lori woke me up at7am to get ready for our week long hike!

While packing up a wet tarp (arrggg!), I noticed 2 deer grazing about 3 feet from me. I yell over to Rylan and he laughs. I can't believe how brazen these deer are! We head over to Big Meadows lodge for breakfast and to park our cars at the trailhead near the amphitheater. The lodge has an amazing outdoor deck with a stellar view. We opted to eat inside on this chilly day. I've been fighting a cold, so I order a large OJ, which I down with some airborne tablets, and some french toast to make me feel better. :) After breakfast we head out for our first official day on the AT in the Shennies! Til next time. GET OUTDOORS!!!