Elkwallow Elation – The Walk

Tuesday June 29, 2026

After one of my lowest energy hiking days to date, I needed to get back on track. Would the trail provide?

bounce day

PPeace, quiet, and comfortable temperatures were exactly what I needed to get my sleep schedule back on track. I woke up feeling well rested despite a 1:30am excursion to water a tree next to the brightest moon that has ever burned my retinas. I had breakfast and got back on the trail around 8:30 am It was about 6 miles to Elkwallow Wayside and I figured I should get there between 11 and 12 for lunch. After lunch, I would cross Thornton Gap, ascend to the top of Mary’s Rock, and then plan to end the day with another night atop The Pinnacle. I was hoping for a long but less arduous day where I would have to hike less than 20 miles with about 4,000 feet of climbing.

Let’s go bird!

A short distance from the shelter was a climb up Humpback Mountain. I couldn’t help but notice the multitude of birdsong surrounding me. I deduced that birds naturally sought higher altitudes and therefore found myself in a group of them. I made the classic mistake of not previously downloading the songs and calls of the region’s birds, so I needed to be connected to the Internet to add birds to my collection. I’ll rectify this later, but I added a few more: Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, and Eastern Towhee. I realized that it’s actually not as difficult as I thought to pick up the different songs, there’s a lot to differentiate them, at least among the few I’ve collected so far.

It’s starting to look like rabbits are taking over the northern end of Shenandoah National Park.

Moose Lunch

Parting ways with the group of hikers I had connected with in Vibrissa was a little sad, as always. It reminded me of the Spence Field shelter in the Smokies where I met Diver, Hobbit, Tippy, Soundboard and Boomer. I thought I would find them somewhere along the trail as I walked the trail twice. But there were many opportunities for us to miss each other. I jumped around the trail quite a bit. I passed many shelters and campsites just off the trail, at times when they could reasonably be close to them. I had my own days off every Sunday, sometimes more often. The main bubble was weeks ahead of us, even the last bubble now seemed to be north of me and I hadn’t seen them.
I walked into Elkwallow Wayside around 11:30am and quickly ordered a blackberry shake to complete my triple crown. After enjoying the smoothie with a snack, I walked outside and saw a couple of hikers at a picnic table in front of me. Sitting at the table was Dodo, and to his right was a hiker calling my name: Boomer! Bright and smiling as always, we greeted each other and I immediately asked about the status of the rest of the crew. He pointed the way to an approaching hiker: Tippy! And he assured me that the rest were not far behind. It was a pleasure to meet them, especially on the side of the road where we could spend some time catching up.

Number 3 Blackberry Smoothie, Complete Triple Crown

Reconnecting in Elkwallow

We moved to Elkwallow Wayside and took over the tables. Once the four of us were seated, Hobbit appeared and joined us, followed shortly by Soundboard, who perceptively identified a mysterious backpack among the familiar tram backpacks that had been traveling together for so long. The meeting was full and we all gathered over rounds of ice cream, burgers and fries. It was a moment I had thought about often since Trail Days in mid-May, and I thought it might have gone unnoticed. I led the way on the frozen dessert front, but Tippy responded by buying a bag of marshmallows. Most would be preserved for roasting later, at least those who managed to evade the Hobbit.
Mixed in with our many topics, I learned that the Hobbit is a rare sockless hiker. I’ve heard of barefoot hikers, but he’s the first sockless hiker I’ve met. He reported that he had walked without blisters after the expected acclimatization period. I wish I had more time to learn the true origin of everyone’s trail names. Maybe Boomer isn’t a demolitions expert and Soundboard isn’t a DJ?

From left to right: Soundboard, See You Tomorrow, Tippy, Hobbit and Boomer.

Mary’s Rock

Each of us began to sink into a sugar crash, so I figured it was time to get back on the trail with a dozen miles still ahead of us. I felt better than yesterday, but still below average. The path to Thornton Gap was fairly easy, which suited my current abilities. I pushed myself to the Panorama parking area, which I knew had bathrooms and a water fountain. There I was able to take a well-deserved rest and prepare for the final 4-mile climb to Mary’s Rock and The Pinnacle. These would be the last new miles of Shenandoah. Mary’s Rock in particular was a highlight of the park. I sat for about 15 minutes and answered questions from visitors about hiking the AT. It’s always fun to see people’s reactions when I tell them I’m attempting to hike the trail twice, a feat I started in February that will take me through November.
At 6:00 pm it was now or never to close the last few kilometers. It’s not the first time I felt better towards the end of the day during a relatively difficult climb. Even the rocky road conditions weren’t a particular bother today. I was eager to get to the overlook and my legs didn’t need much motivation to propel me.
The point of view was truly exceptional. I had the rock to myself and climbed to the top. It wasn’t a 360 degree view, but it was close. The increase in heat was evident due to the fog that reigned in the valley. A few days ago you could clearly see the farmlands, cities and distant mountains. Today everything was masked by the thick, humid air evaporating from the damp ground.

The view from Mary’s Rock.

Once again at the top

I was now 2 miles from The Pinnacle, the first obstacle was a flat trail with several viewpoints looking west towards the valley. The last one was guarded by a rattlesnake that I spotted about five feet away. He seemed happy to let me check out the overlook quickly and then let me get back on the trail. A short descent took me past Byrd’s Nest #3 Hut, leaving only the climb to The Pinnacle ahead. I held my breath thinking that the same site I camped at last Wednesday would still be available. My cursory review of the rest of the summit had revealed no other options. If it was already occupied, I figured I’d head back to Byrd’s Nest Cabin #3.
Those fears were quashed when I passed a decent spot a few tenths of a mile below the summit. Then I found another one about a tenth of a mile from the summit. Backup options were good, but it would be even better to be within 100 feet of the overlook. I turned the last corner and stabbed the air with my trekking poles when it became clear that I would have the same spot to myself again. I set up my tent and took my dinner to the lookout for another meal with a great view. I was looking forward to another good night’s sleep and reflected on my move for tomorrow. He could simply do the opposite of what he had done the last two days and easily make it to the van on Thursday afternoon. But I had other options to consider.

Misty view from The Pinnacle.

Sunset from The Pinnacle.

-See you tomorrow

Total: 18.4 miles, 47,731 steps

• Hike type: Backpacking
• Camp: Tent, The Pinnacle

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