Gravel Springs Gap to Elkwallow Wayside – 5.9 miles
July 4th, 2020
It’s been almost six months since my last outing. I planned on writing about this hike as soon as I returned from it but its been a busy summer and I’m writing it six weeks later. Perhaps if I’m honest with myself the “busy summer” excuse isn’t as truthful as the “this hike was really disappointing and i just didn’t want to write about it” excuse.
I sent an email to Scott and Lisa who had hosted me in January and asked them for shuttle recommendations. They gave me the number of a girl named Allison who hosts hikers in Luray and also provides transportation. My plan was to leave my car at Swift Run Gap and have her drop me off at Gravel Springs Gap so I could pick up where I’d left off in January. I’d then hike the 50ish miles back to my car and decide if I wanted to go any further or not. I was hoping to finish the length of the park but also wanted to play it safe because I no longer think I’m a rock star. It felt like a reasonable plan and it ensured that I wouldn’t be biting off more than I could chew. I had strong reservations about hiking during one of the hottest weeks of the year, but being that my plans to hike in April had been squashed by the pandemic, I was chomping at the bit to get some miles in. Spring and fall are my preferred backpacking seasons. If ever I had any doubts about how miserable backpacking in July is for me, they have certainly been put to rest!
The first stop on my drive to VA was Ebright Azimuth, the highest point in Delaware. At 447 feet above sea level, it was less than climactic but bagging high points is another new hobby of mine and I had to start somewhere.
About halfway into my drive I got a call from Allison who was supposed to be my shuttle. She said her van broke down and she wouldn’t be able to help me out but she’d made arrangements to have someone else meet me in the same location we had arranged. I was very grateful.
I entered Shenandoah National Park at Swift Run Gap, purchased the National Park Pass (as I had plans to use it elsewhere throughout the summer) and got my backcountry camping permit. The wait in line to get into the park wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I was scheduled to meet my ride at 3pm and I made it on time. He was a few minutes late but I was just grateful that he showed up. He leapt out of his car to greet me and informed me that we had to pick up two other hikers on our way north. I wasn’t thrilled about this but I didn’t have a choice and still I was just grateful to have a ride. He’d probably booked them first and I was probably a late addition that he was doing as a favor for his friend Allison. We drove to Big Meadows Campground to meet the other two passengers, who I learned was a couple completing a southbound hike that they’d started in Harper’s Ferry. Lack of cell service made locating them a bit of an issue, but the fact that they’d had time to shower at the campground before getting in the car more than made up for any frustration at the further delay. I was eager to get started but I wasn’t going to complain. These issues were nobody’s fault. I chatted with our driver, who’s name I forget, and my fellow passengers, who lived in D.C. and were heading back there with our unnamed driver as soon as they dropped me off. They were friendly as we swapped stories and information. I forget their names, but I remember the female half of the pair was Vietnamese, and she’d hiked 18 miles on the PCT with a broken leg which I thought was pretty impressive. My opinion of her quickly changed when she shared her thoughts on the ease which she pranced through the Roller Coaster, which nearly did me in last year on Day 44.
I FINALLY started my hike at Gravel Springs Gap around 5pm…only about an hour later than I’d planned. I was happy. I bounded into the woods with the lightest pack I’ve ever carried for a multi-day hike. I’d proudly gotten my base weight down to 17lbs by reverting back to my original tent that I had stopped using after a few years because it’s not free-standing and set-up had become annoying. I also ditched my stove for this hike and upgraded my water filtration to thru-hiker standards. I also decided to leave the first aid kit at home. If I had any significant injury I’d do what we do in the ER… rub some dirt on it…
Up and over Hogback Mountain I went… stopping to take in the view. Being that this was the 4th of July in a national park .. it was a bit crowded in spots, which I had expected. I encountered dozens of day hikers… the most memorable of which was a group of (probably) college girls who stopped me to inquire, “How much further does this trail go?” They were heading north so I responded truthfully….”About a thousand miles”. I knew this wasn’t the answer they were looking for but I couldn’t resist and the looks of confusion on their faces was worth it. I followed my first response with a more helpful one and they were grateful for my assistance.
I was hoping to get more than six miles in today but having started so late it just wasn’t going to happen and I wanted to get my camp set up before dark so I stopped at the Elkwallow Wayside, which consists of a large picnic area and a little gift shop/snack store that was closed by the time I got there around 730. I looked forward to getting something to eat in the morning when they opened. The Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah runs rather (sort of) parallel to skyline drive, so even though it seems like you’re hiking deep in the woods, you’re never more than a mile or so from the road and the trail crosses the road many times through the length of the park, so happening upon campgrounds and overlooks accessed by vehicle happens rather frequently. I knew that hikers weren’t allowed to camp here, but the next hiker shelter wasn’t for seven miles and I wasn’t confident I’d find a suitable site between here and there to “stealth camp”. So I wandered around the area and waited for the last of the picnickers to leave. I discovered bathrooms (locked) and an ice machine (locked) and a spigot with running water which made me happy because that meant I could drink as much water as I wanted to that night and I could refill in the morning. The only thing left to do was to find an inconspicuous area to pitch my tent. I roamed around a bit more and found a solitary picnic site surrounded by tall grass that I decided should be a safe place. It was flat, no rocks, and setup was easy. I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t been lucky enough to find a site where I could watch fireworks from, but these are the chances you take when you roll the dice and don’t plan specifically. It was hot and I wished I’d had a fan or an air-conditioned tent, but I still fell asleep with a smile on my face.
Wherever I May Roam 