Day 86: A day of benchy berries

• Whiskey Hollow Shelter (987.6) A Rod Hollow Shelter (996)
• 1526 feet rise, 1932 feet

We evidence highly wild berries along the way. No matter how hot, tired or irritable we feel, even a single berry makes the difference. Finding a berry is finding a treasure. Just seeing one changes the musculature of the face, lightening the moment.

We are careful not to eat too many berries at the same time; Our bodies tolerate a handful once or twice a day. Some days, they are only one or two or three berries each. Other days, we have to prevent ourselves from mastering our digestive systems.

Feel lazy

Maybe we have eaten too many berries in recent days, or perhaps it was the 8 water sources in the list today or maybe I knew that we are only two days since the end of Virginia, but we felt lazy and relaxed. I planned this section with relatively short days (less than 10 miles) after what, for us, was a hot sprint through Shennandoah.

We get up at 5:30 as usual. We both made a morning race, then without discussing it, we returned to bed and took a nap in the morning. Finally we threw ourselves at 7:15 am, surprised that we would have slept so late.

Our food stores are becoming low, so creativity issued that we have our rice dessert with breakfast rice. I added part of our chocolate protein drink to the Buddine to increase its nutrition. We even take the time to enjoy a cup of hot coffee.

We took around 9 am the path was not very rocky, and our great climb for the day was only 500 feet to Piney Ridge’s peak, elevation of 1351 feet.

Invasive plants

Although the surface of the path and the elevation profile were not difficult today, it was difficult to see the density of invasive and harmful plants drowning native vegetation.

We help with the elimination of harmful weeds of the paths in our area of origin, so we are particularly sensitive to their destructive qualities. In the heart of the problem, it limits the biodiversity of vegetation. Monoculture affects the entire ecosystem, including reduced foods for wildlife and often a preservation of poor moisture in the soil.

Some areas of the path are worse than others, but this morning it was particularly dishes. The vines and the harmful plants grew on the upper part of the native plants. Two or three invasive spiel covered more than five or ten native species, which were buried under aggressive producers.

We even saw the fungi, the fingers of the dead man Xilaria. Sometimes, this fungus grows from infected mulch. Other times, it is one of the fungi that cause rot of the black root. Usually, it appears in stressed trees or bushes. Once the fingers appear, there is no cure for infection.

Two large criminals were grape vines and joined the grass. Just when we thought we could not bear the assault, the path crossed the Sky Meadows state park. Suddenly, weeds were largely absent. It was like being able to breathe again.

Sky Meadows Bench and Pop Machine

We arrive at the intersection to the Sky Meadows path before 11 in the morning. I knew there was a bank there and I was anxious to spend some of our free time sitting on it.

When we get to the bank, we drop, enjoying the shadow on another surprisingly hot morning.

Farout mentions a drink machine, and looking around, it was clear that it was not close to the bank. I remembered having read a story of a hiker who left the path for a pop and then did not have the right change. He ended up walking .7 down and .7 Return for no pop. When I saw the path of the path pointing .7 miles to the park office, the pieces fell in their place. The pop machine was lowering the hill. In no way we were walking 1 1/2 miles for a soda.

Sky Meadows visit

Pop Mystery resolved, we lie down and rest. Soon, two major hikers of the day Lady arrived at the intersection. The usual discussion occurred.

How long have you been walking? 3 months. Actually? Yes. Where do you sleep? In our store or a shelter. What do you eat? Dehydrated foods, etc.

This conversation had a turn. They asked if they could collect our packages and see how it felt. We were happy to try.

While we talked, I mentioned the invasive weeds and how nice the park was. It turned out that one of the hiker sisters was an active volunteer with a group that worked to eliminate the invasive weeds of the park. We were very happy to convey our thanks and thanks.

Prado del Cielo

After a languid visit during which we almost transformed into the bank, we finally pass.

When we left the intersection, we saw the first kilome signal that the Harpers ferry mentioned. My heart fluttered. We were approaching the end of our walk. Harpers Ferry was our Flip-to-End.

Soon, we arrive at the legendary Sky Meadow. We had seen more day hikers today than usual. They also headed to the meadows.

We walk along an old road with hundreds of wild ber acres and a myriad of native plants on each side.

The competition for the berries was high, most of the distance hikers had gone before us. Among them and the hikers of the days, most of the berries of today had already been harvested.

We celebrate the flowers with our eyes and savor the mature berries of the day.

Among the plants there were several varieties belonging to the mint family, including wild bergamot, Fistulosa monarch l The plant that gives Earl Gray tea its distinctive flavor.

We also saw pieces of white quartz embedded here and there in the landscape. A piece was placed on a white wooden wood post. It was quite useful since the vegetation had grown so high that the post barely cleared the upper part of the plants.

Elizabeth Eltzeroth Bench

After leaving the meadows, we followed a wooded path that became a soft and wooded road. In a bifurcation along the way, we find an unexpected bank.

I dropped into the bank, just because of the novelty of sitting during a hiking day. Soon, we discovered that the bank was a monument to Elizabeth Eltzroth, author and teacher of death and death. His family had placed the bank, with a box containing some of Elizabeth’s writings. They invited hikers to tell their story in a newspaper.

I wrote about my 50 -year -old walk and then I got back, still using my backpack, and I fell asleep. The historian also took a nap. We get up and walk silently.

Ashby gap

We descend to the route of us 50/17 in Ashby Gap. Farout warned that it was an occupied road and be careful to cross it. The path parallel to the road for a long time, and we could hear traffic roaring. It was a bit intimidating.

My eyes fell on a bag of cookies sitting on the road. It was modest and not great. Someone wrote «Trail Magic» in him. I opened the bag, hoping it was empty, since it was so small. However, there was 1 empty tray and 1 almost complete cookie tray. Other hikers were educated and took small portions. Each of us took a cookie and put it back on the ground for the next hikers.

We stay on the edge of the road for a while, judging the traffic flow. With a mirage of courage and a thought in Frogger’s game, we crossed the road safely and went back into the forest on the north side of the road.

Water and a telephone visit

Our friend of Casa de la Fame de Cookie by Love Gap’s mail asked us to call when we could. In general, we sent text messages, but we had agreed that listening to the voices of others would be reinforcing.

We had tried to call several times, but we could never get enough bandwidth. We connect momentarily yesterday, but we lost the call to a storm. Today, we made a stop to filter water and to our surprise, we also connected.

There was something very pleasant to tighten the water sitting in a trunk talking to a distant friend. Unfortunately, it was a short call, a great thunder storm arose and demanded our attention.

Rod Hollow refuge

We walk beyond the thunder storm and towards Blue Blaze Trail to Rod Hollow refuge. The path followed a rocky bed of streams, half full of water and half full of mud.

After only 7 hours of hiking that included our visit to the morning bank, a nap in another bank and a call with a friend, we arrived at the shelter.

We decided at night and contemplate the next Russian mountain. None of us expected it with burning heat. Maybe there will be berries.