Shenandoah National Park could spoil you on the AT! For about 120 miles you basically follow Skyline Drive, crossing it often at good viewpoints. There are camp stores, waysides and picnic areas with tables, running water and flush toilets occasionally too. We managed to be at waysides twice for lunch time (the blackberry shakes at Elk Wallow were superb) and did dinner at a park twice where we could clean up a bit from the hot day's walking. The stores also mean you don't have to carry much more than 1-1/2 days food at any time.

Shelters are called huts here and this one is especially nice with the chairs and even a solar shower.

We don't stay in shelters but usually camp along the trail. Here's the view we had on one fine night. The only thing missing was a good bottle of wine!

The trail was generally nice with good tread, but there were those rocky spots too. I have enjoyed the walk through Virginia and don't know why so many books talk about the "Virginia blues" and feeling hemmed in by the green. There were miles of green forest of course, but the type of forest varies and we enjoy the change from dense to open, deciduous and coniferous, in addition to several walks across open fields and hills and many viewpoints of the Shenandoah Valley. Wildflowers and flowering trees with wonderful smells continue all along the trail as well.

White tail deer are common and way too tame. Bear are present but we never saw one. We did see as many as 4 black snakes in one day though!

Once through the Shenandoah we went into Front Royal for resupply. This is a very hiker friendly town and we were offered rides the 3 times we needed one before we could even stick out a thumb. The first ride took us into a good place for breakfast, our favorite meal, where we feasted on omelets and biscuits. The last ride was a woman who lives near the trail. That evening after dinner we did our typical 2-3 mile after dinner stroll and soon came across the trail that leads to this lady's home where she had left fresh trail magic. The watermelon was perfect! Thank you Shelley!

The last day before the stretch into Harper's Ferry includes 13.5 miles of trail that every hiker hears about in advance - the roller coaster. Here's the welcome to this section...

This is like 300 feet up, 300 feet down, over and over; nothing terribly hard or high, just continuous and tedious. A few miles after the end though you end up at Blackburn Center which is a hostel run by the PATC (Potomac Appalachian Trail Club). Here we were greeted by the young couple running it who handed us cans of pop at the door, pointed us to the solar shower which was truly warm, and asked us if spaghetti would be OK for dinner that they would fix us! The pasta, bread and beer were delicious as was the watermelon for dessert. And all this is offered only for a donation. We slept on the screen porch that night in perfect temps.

Next morning it was a flat, easy walk into Harper's Ferry to the ATC where everyone signs in & has their picture taken. We were #278 and #279 to go from Springer Mt. to Harper's Ferry this year so far.They say that some 2000+ folks began the trail since January. With 1019 miles completed, this is not truly the halfway spot, but mentally and emotionally it feels like it.

We were met here by my sister and her husband and my neice and her husband (who live in Maryland) and have spent 2 lovely days relaxing and seeing a bit of the Smithsonian. Yesterday we toured the Library of Congress which was fantastic and also the National Archives. Today is gear/food organization day and tomorrow we head back to Harper's Ferry to continue. Believe it or not, I am ready to get back on the trail, looking forward to some flat terraine for awhile. Next post from somewhere maybe in Pennsylvania!