Halfway! (psychologically)

[In her own words]

So I've now made it through the Shenandoahs. Everyone said the Shennies were easy and flat. Well, the trail was well-graded (few rocks or roots, nice gravel surface), but it wasn't flat. Relative to most of the rest of the trail, yes, but not flat. There were also not very many views. When the trail crossed the Skyline Drive (28 times in total) near an overlook you got a view. But I was hiking with some fun guys--Mellow Yellow and Sockburn. Also known as the Shenandoah National Petting Zoo, I saw a lot of deer who were not timid of people. Lots of squirrels. And 3 bears...cubs. They were up a tree and ran down and away as I approached. My attempts at "yogi-ing" (getting free food from non-hikers by looking hungry) failed. Partly because some of the campgrounds weren't open yet, but mostly because not many people were around. I did stop at one of the many trail-side Waysides (rest stops/cafe/gift store) and had a blackberry milkshake. It was excellent but severely overpriced.
 
May 10. A Trail Magical Day. I walked into Linden, VA to pick up my mail drop, and I had 5 packages!! The expression on the postal clerk's face as he handed them to me was priceless. I ate a lot of it on the spot, and shoved the rest in my pack for eating on the trail. Thanks everyone! Right before heading into town, there were a bunch of sodas and beers in the stream, but being 8am I decided to leave them for later hikers. I stopped at Manassas Gap shelter for lunch, where a group of Japanese day hikers were having a feast (including fish, seaweed wraps, etc.) and they gave me a short rib. I found a book at the next shelter (I had finished mine last night). Then there were oranges and root beer along the trail in the afternoon. Crazy amount of trail magic for one day.
 
May 11. 50 degrees and rain and gusty wind. I hiked across the Roller Coaster section (13.5 miles of steep ascents and descents) with tree branches blowing down all around me. The trail corridor is really narrow (hemmed in by private land), so the trail builders had little choice on where to put the trail). It was a harder section, but not too bad overall. I think the hardest part was crossing the 4 lanes of VA 7...in the pouring rain. I stayed at the Blackburn Trail Center (run by the Potomac AT Club), where they have a free hostel with wood stove (Heat!!), and the caretaker fed us spaghetti, home made bread, chocolate cake, and ice cream. It was a good night, even though I slept on the porch because it got way too hot inside.
 
May 12. Harpers Ferry. The psychological half way point of the trail. The first NOBO to come through this year was Nature Boy (remember him? he got stuck in the snow in VA, and was day hiking in GA when I started) on April 4. I am #55, and the 7th female (3rd hiking solo) to arrive. I toured the historic section of town this afternoon, had a huge cookies and cream milk shake, and am heading to my cousin Sarah's place in Baltimore tonight. I'm looking forward to a shower and laundry!! 1014 miles down, 1165 to go!