It turned out to be a lazy day, as we only competed about 15 miles, beginning at Thornton Gap, and finishing with a stealth campsite in the woods just north of Gravel Springs Gap.
The day began with a bit of sleeping in, which was necessary due to our excellent accommodations. We headed over to the lodge a bit after 8:30 or so for breakfast, where we indulged in a delicious buffet with everything you’d expect. I probably ate a bit too much knowing that I’d need to be hiking at some point. We returned to the room after breakfast and relaxed for just a bit longer… even taking one more shower before heading out.
Marc took us down into Luray, VA to do a quick resupply, as we needed a few more food items to get us to Harper’s Ferry. By 11 am, we were back up to Thornton Gap. We hung out there for a bit, as one of my former coworkers was there doing trail magic. I know those guys are reading this blog, so thanks very much for that! I talked with a few other hikers that stopped by, and they were very appreciative of it.
It’s never easy to leave trail magic, especially when you’re catching up with some friends. Eventually… around 1pm to be exact… we said our goodbyes, and we were off. It was a really nice day… not too hot, nice clear sky, and a light breeze. The trail was very nice too, nothing too strenuous, which was good because we were doubly stuffed after breakfast and the trail magic. About 9 miles later, we reached Elk Wallow Gap where we found the PATC (Potomac Appalachian Trail Club) putting on more trail magic for hikers. This is a group that puts in a lot of volunteer hours to maintain a very long section of the trail, so I want to thank them for their hard work, and of course a double trail magic day is always a plus.
After chatting a bit with some of the PATC folks, we quickly stopped by the Elk Wallow wayside to use the restrooms, then continued on. Again, the trail was a nice grade, and we had some nice areas in the woods. We even came across another bear as the evening approached. We were planning on stopping at the Gravel Springs hut, but it turned out all the tent sites were taken, so we decided to keep on moving, even though it was about 8pm, to find a stealth spot up the trail. We did find one not too far up from the gap. I’m not sure it’s an “official” stealth spot, but we have been careful with our “Leave No Trace” camping principles, so we should be good.
So a slower, shorter day, but it was good to see some familiar faces, and relax with a few other hikers while enjoying some food. Thanks again to everyone who provided trail magic today, and our buddy Marc for putting us up for a night, and feeding us a couple meals. We’re forever grateful for all the generosity.
