Date: 5/16/04
Starting Location: Rockfish Gap
Destination: Blackrock Hut
Miles: 20
Total Miles: 876.4
Woke up this morning, had a great breakfast in the hotel, packed up, made myself a new Pepsi-can stove and hopped in the car for Mom and Dad to drive me back to the trail. Sad to say goodbye to them again after spending such little time together, but happy to be back on the trail for my first day in Shenandoah National Park.

Got a bit of a late start at around 9:30am, but it was just late enough to start hiking in sunshine again after last night's and this morning's heavy rain. Not very interesting trail, just very wide in places, very gentle, and a lot of crossings of Skyline Drive. I've decided that with a few yellow lines painted on the trail here in the park, the AT could more suitably be called the "Shenandoah Speedway." Fast, easy miles. Mom was supposed to come out for this stretch, but I'm glad she didn't. There are a lot more people, and it seems that the AT within the park isn't really indicative of the daily trail experience.
Best part of my day, by far, was meeting this super beautiful girl out hiking the trail wearing a bikini and a Camel-Bak. Now let's see: gorgeous, nice, southern accent, into the outdoors, easy to talk to, and what do I do? Not ask for her number, that's what. Sigh. I'm a moron. I guess I'm stuck with her name as my mantra for falling asleep to pleasant dreams: Adwina. Small consolation that it's just me and one other hiker in this nice stone shelter....I'm still a moron.