Day 88: A challenge for our commitment to flexibility

• Refugio de Sam Moore (1002.9) a Bears Den Hostel (1005.9)
• 1148 feet rise, 791 feet decrease

Sometimes being close makes things feel worse. We only have 3.6 miles to cover today, and less than one mile tomorrow. We had planned to walk both short distances today and be until the end of Virginia. It did not happen. We had given the shelter in Harpers transporting an objective date, giving or taking 1 day and taking or takes and taken. We had no internet and we couldn’t reach our hosts until today and then just to discover that there was no room for us. After a moment of anguish, we straightened our ship and made it good to take two days. We are here to learn to live at the time, so this was a good test.

We are on the way to reorient and «cool.» The last 15 years for us have included multiple important losses that we were expected to control, and we did it, but at a great cost for our emotional, financial and physical health. We, together with 65 of our neighbors, lost our house and all our possessions to forest fire. We live separated for years taking care of prolonged cancer and covid deaths of elderly and complex and distressing farms for which the executors were. When the dust settled, we told the family and the friends that we needed a break. All were incredible. The old man we currently took care of the people that we were going to «sabbatics» for four months while we finished the AT. Before leaving, we cook 150 meals for her in advance. His friends and our family helped with the transport of medical care. Through the magic of the Internet, we administer their finances and deliveries of the supply of personal care from the path. An extra night in Virginia was the perfect opportunity to test our emotional reaction to renewed flexibility.

Bears Den, not halfway to the hiding hostel

When we originally planned the end of our Virginia section, we consider staying in Take the shelter. It is an official hostel of an hiker Property of the Apalachian Trail Conservancy and operated by the Potomac Apalachian Trail Club. As we have been trying to experience the iconic in things, it fits our list. We also wanted to go to Harpers Ferry to be able to go to the Trail of the Apalaches conservation. He had already walked the distance between Snickers GAP and Harpers Ferry in 1975, so he left Bears in the options list, but decided to obtain a GAP Snickers Transportation Service to Harpers Ferry.

When we finally reached the top of a hill where we could get a connection with the shelter, they told us that they had no space for us tonight. We were eager to end with Virginia, but we took the day extra calm. We joked that Virginia had the last word, something she often did on the way. «Virginia is flat» is true, but flat with Tipper and Tripper rocks. «Virginia is flat», but Mount Rogers, the James River and the three ridges are not decidedly flat. «Virginia feels that he never ends» is true and they gave us a last chance to discover how long the AT in Virginia is.

Or we were too hot to worry, or we really agreed with the change in our schedule. None of us was upset and we had a good time in Bears Den.

Hm. . . Did you ever do it hot?

When we start after breakfast, we congratulate ourselves the short day. We were planning to go through the 3.6 miles of Roller Roller Mountain as if it were nothing. I don’t know why we were thinking we had a «hamburger nothing» for the day. When we reach the 500 feet rise in 90/90 (90 degrees with 90% moisture), we both act as if someone had made us a trick. Short must match to cool, right?

Silly walkers. No. Hot is hot. Short is short. Hot Short is not short. Hot makes you go slower and slower, we went.

The benefit of knowing that we had no other place today was that we felt the freedom to take as many breaks as we wanted, and during the time we wanted.

During our breaks we find other very interesting hikers, including a hiker who had a son who taught at the University of Wyoming from where we graduate. The heat of the day leads to a round of stories of «It is so cold in Laramie, Wyoming.» We were all laughing and enjoying cold memories.

The rocks are different

Give that the roller coaster is indeed the entire growth forest of a similar type of a similar type, neither the opinions nor the great attention of the vegetation. While looking at the ground, trying not to stumble with the rocks of Virginia that technically are not there according to tradition, I could think of how different the rocks are here in the north of Virginia of the rocks in southern Virginia.

From the perspective of hikers, falling into a rock in northern Virginia is potentially less painful than falling in the south of Virginia’s rocks. The rocks in southern Virginia are more clear than the rocks of northern Virginia. Much of southern Virginia is composed of fine grain volcanic Riolite and when it breaks it can form sharp edges. The rocks of northern Virginia demonstrate more weathering and erosion. In addition to the mechanical weathering of forces such as ice, water and wind, they are subject to Spheroidal weathering in which corners and edges are used faster than flat surfaces.

This is a resistant spheroidal rock I found today.

The geology of northern Virginia had limited limestone formations and is largely erased and erossed metamorphic rocks, with some sedimentary deposits. The geology of southern Virginia has a broader range of rocks in different physiographic provinces, including older rocks and more limestone deposits.

Flowers and insects

Of course, together with the rocks, we notice the flowers and insects. Two flowers that we have not often included Campanulano American (Linnaeus) Bellflower Alto and

Aegopodium podgraria l. Commonly called Elder Ground, Herb Gerard, Weed, Goutweed, gout and drop and snow on the mountain.

Bears Den

Finally we arrive at Bears Den. The land and buildings were, as promised, very special.

There was a secret password that could be resolved with hiking tracks so that we could let ourselves into. The Hiker Hostel is in the basement and was relatively great compared to the outside. There were the typical instructions of hikers of hikers, so we found bunk beds, towels and bathrooms. We even found a telephone number for a transport driver who was happy to help us arrive from Snickers Gap to Harpers Ferry tomorrow.

We were out of food, since we had not expected to be on the way after tonight. I discovered that we could pay a little fortune to give us food, so I made an order. The historian wanted a hamburger and I have Nachos. An input salad to share was the perfect balance.

The food came just after the floor above the shelter was opened. I waited outside the driver while the historian recorded us.

The driver was very kind. He had made many walks in the section and was delighted to bring food to the hiker hostel. His partner had fun for our history and we all laughed when he announced that he was born in 1975 when I put on the original walk. They wished us the best and left.

It was a perfect moment. We were able to spread at the great dining table in the beautiful stone dining room and eat the content of our heart.

We even had an audience, although we were warned that we do not feed them. Dogs could not read the signs, so it was expected to be fed.

Dinner was finished off with a pint full of ice cream each. Yum. It won’t do that when we return home.

Flexibility rewards

Many things felt uncomfortable this morning. The heat, the delay of the departure of Virginia and how to get from snickers gap a Harpers Ferry had weighed us. We pushed ourselves to live in the way we were and taking the moments of the day when they arrived.

Before the end of the day, we had resolved all our riddles for the day. After a brief walk with visits, a shower, a satisfactory meal and the promise of a transport service at the end of Virginia, it was a perfectly flexible day.

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