June 26 Mile 873

After being out here for a while you are not to picky about your appearance. But when I go to town , I do shower and comb my hair. This morning while eating breakfast in the motel lobby area a family walked in and a child about 2 years old looked up at me as he passed my table and began to cry! I didnt know I looked that scary, maybe it's  my beard. I felt bad.
We're  in Shenandoah National Park, and it looks alot like everything else we've seen. Had to hike a 20 mile day!
Had to so we could get to a water source for dinner and tomorrow's breakfast. Few water sources in this stretch. My feet are sore, and had to buy new hiking shoes in Waynesboro. My others I just bought in Daleville were not wide enough for my toes, so I got a wide size.
Seemed to do much better on the toes today, but my right arch ached most of the day, even with my arch support. Have to puzzle this one out. Sure there is a solution.
The hike was not particularly notable. But it was probably the most accomodating terrain we have seen the whole way. That's probably why I could do 20 miles. Up and down , but not so high or low. Felt like I was hiking in middle Ga. Went thru old farms, old pastures and orchards. By cell towers and now we are crossing and recrossing the Skyline Drive. Water was scarce today, but had some trail magic. A trail angel put out water bottles at our 5th mile, and Winging It, a fellow  thru hiker, is taking a break to be a trail angel thru the park, provided us with drinks and melon as we hiked across and recrossed the parkway. It was most appreciated, especially with no water sources for most of the day. And it was a very warm day.
Had a scare--heard grr grr, as I hiked thru a scrubby thicket. Is that a bear? Lots of bear sightings in the area. Bears are protected here, so they are somewhat aggressive. I stopped short and listened and looked! Then I heard it Rrrrrr! It was a motorcycle starting up on the otherside of the thicket in a parking lot! Felt silly, but hey, no bears.
Later ran into some other hikers we know, and they told us of a very aggressive bear that menaced their campsite so badly, they had to relocate.
Anyway, kept on hiking, getting to our shelter ( now called " huts" ) by 8;30, just as darkness was falling. Long day but good day. Ate dinner in the dark and went to bed in my tent. Late night -sleeping by 10:30,
late for me.  But all ok.




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