Date: 5/18/04
Starting Location: Hightop Hut
Destination: Lewis Spring
Miles: 19.5
Total Miles: 917.3
What an exciting day! Just when I thought the park was getting kind of boring, I start off my day with a morning sighting of a black bear running across the trail up in front of me! Next came a very cool sighting of the rare Yellow Lady's Slipper flower hiding in a hillside of trillium. That's not all. Footloose and I walked up from Lewis Spring to Big Meadows Wayside for a late lunch and the famous Mountain Blackberry milkshake—yum yum. But, the thunderstorms finally caught up with us today about 1.5-2 miles before getting to the Wayside, so we had to ring out our clothes in the bathroom before going in to eat at the restaurant.
Unfortunately, the thunderstorm came on us at about the same time that my shin splint started up with its old tricks. So, with that and the prospect of more thunderstorms, Footloose and I decided to walk another mile off the trail to stay the night at Big Meadows Lodge. We've got a great rustic room, but the power is still off. Can anyone say "Beer in the taproom tonight"? You should, because I sure can.
"Mountain Man's Shenandoah Speedway Wildlife Scorecard" now reveals:
Deliciously attractive hiker girls: 1
Black bears: 1
It's all evened up, and things are starting to get interesting. Between you and me, I'm pulling for the ladies.