Manassas Gap to Compton Gap – 12.2 miles
January 2nd, 2020
I had been entertaining the idea of starting the year with a hike but it remained an idea until I spontaneously decided to put it into action on this particular day around 4pm. The forecast looked agreeable and although I didn’t have a place to stay or any transportation arranged once I arrived in Virginia, I decided that I’d be ok with once again winging it.
I explored my trail guide on the way to Virginia and reached out to Scott and Lisa Jenkins of the Mountain Home Cabin which said it was open year round😀. I made a phone call and explained what I was hoping to do and Scott said he was able and willing to accommodate me. Scott is an AT thru-hiker (2012) and he and his wife operate a Bed and Breakfast 100 yards from the trail and also host hikers in a cabin on their property. In the morning they served me an amazing breakfast and sat and chatted with me for a while and then Scott drove me to Manassas Gap so I could pick up where Jeff and I had left off almost 8 months ago. Someone had left trail magic cookies on the picnic table at the parking area and Scott snatched them up and handed them to me, then indicated he was going to stick around and scan the area for trash. He’s really an asset to the AT community and it was a privilege to be his guest. I was very excited to be back in Virginia and this close to starting the SNP section of the trail. The plan was to hike from Manassas Gap back to Scott’s place, which I apparently gave myself more than enough time to do, and I realized after a few hours that I was going to arrive back at the cabin with more daylight left than I’d anticipated. I think I conservatively estimated my miles because the memory of the Roller Coaster was still fresh in my mind and the last thing I wanted to do was once again bite off more than I could chew. I was also keenly aware that my daylight hours were significantly reduced. My hike was basically a thousand foot climb and then descent, over roughly 8 miles. Around noon I called and spoke to Lisa and indicated I’d be arriving back at the cabin before 2pm. I asked if she or Scott would be willing to drive me a few miles south so I could hike back to cabin from the other direction and get more miles in, and of course she said yes. Scott drove me to Compton Gap in Shenandoah National Park and I hiked north this time heading down hill 1,500ft over 5.6 miles back to the cabin. I arrived back at the cabin just before dark, met my fellow guest that night who was a hiker named Rebecca (I think) from the Pittsburgh area, showered, and headed out to explore the town of Front Royal. First stop was the Virginia Beer Museum, followed by dinner at the Front Royal Brewing Company. Front Royal is a sleepy little trail town that goes to bed early, so that’s what I did. The nice part about this hike is that I was able to leave my 70L pack at home 😀… with my tent and sleeping bag!
Wherever I May Roam 