The weather was absolutely perfect. It was astoundingly warm for March - so much so that JBS and I were both soaked in sweat. I didn't mind, as I much prefer that to freezing (which is your other option in March.) We had good views down into the valleys, and the flowers were just starting to bloom. I enjoyed my conversation with Just Blue Skies, and overall just had a fantastic time.
But.
I did all the planning for the route based on my map. I didn't have mileages for all the side trails, only for the AT. So I guesstimated. And I was WRONG. For the first day I figured a 7 mile hike, or so. If we had actually made it that whole distance, we would have actually done 14 miles. As it was, we stopped far short at 10 miles. Still, we stopped somewhere pleasant and had a gorgeous night. The sky was clear (predicted thunderstorms and fog didn't happen) and we got to observe the Venus / Jupiter conjunction that's going on. I determined that I can see stars, blurrily, right through my cuben fiber tent. I also determined that a falling stick, if it's sharp enough, will go right through said tent. It has a piece of Hello Kitty duct tape over the hole right now.
JBS's knees weren't too thrilled with some of the steep descents on day one, so we looked at the map and tried to choose a reasonable route for day two. My original plans were right out, of course. We were nowhere near where I had planned to camp, plus we needed to take it as easy as possible on the knees. The problem was that we still had no way to judge just how long the trails actually were.
We headed out and I got to see some trails that I had never yet walked (Catlett Spur Trail, Nicholson Hollow Trail, Hannah Run Trail) and see tons of old properties. I love seeing the stone piles in the fields, the old fences, the foundations and chimneys. Nothing else is left at this point - whatever didn't get destroyed by the CCC has been destroyed by weather.
The next to the last trail of the day was a four mile slog uphill. By the end, JBS's knees were giving out on her completely. As soon as we got to the top, I found her a rock to sit on, ditched my pack, and took off for the car. Mindful of my back, I didn't run. But I strode with a purpose. I made the 2+ miles in just about exactly an hour, and drove back quickly to retrieve my friend. We immediately set out for home, knowing that we would be arriving fairly late. JBS had to catch a train before 7 AM, and I had to go to work, so we didn't dilly dally. We did stop in Warrenton, though. I was dragging and I needed a Coke to keep me alert for the drive home. With that and a mediocre hamburger, I was good to go.
Once we got home we took showers and did tick checks. I think the final tally was two on me and four on her. Today I stopped by the doctor's office to get a prescription for a prophylactic dose of doxycycline. I don't think I had the ticks on me long enough to catch Lyme again, but I'm not taking a chance. I asked the doc to write the script for more than one dose, so if it happens again I can take my one dose again without having to see her first. She agreed, so I'm set. (All signs are pointing at a big tick year. Sigh.)
I'm also waiting on my lips to heal. Just like in February, they got really irritated. This time it wasn't my bottle, as I didn't take the same bottle. It seemed to be my spoon, but I'm wondering if the root cause is my old bite tube. I think it might have latex in it. I'm going out again next weekend, so I'll try a different bite tube and see what happens.
Oh, and it turns out that I actually DID have a way to find the lengths of the side trails. On my shelf, forgotten for a decade, is this book: "Appalachian Trail Guide to Shenandoah National Park With Side Trails", 1999 edition. I discovered it after googling "Shenandoah side trail mileage". Oy. Had I only known. At least I'm prepared now for next time.
I'm still kind of tired from my weekend so I'm going to bed early. Before I go, some pictures:
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