Gravel Springs Hut – Shenandoah National Park

Mile 956.3 
Elevation 2,497
Miles Hiked 14.3

I got a good night’s sleep at the hostel last night and by 8:30 AM Alison was driving me back to the trail.

As I hiked, the new boots loosened up and appeared to be comfortable.  Looks like the purchase of the new boots the day before was a good one.

There was another wayside grill about eight miles down the trail, so I stopped in at 12:15 PM for some lunch.  It was there that I met another hiker, G2, I hadn’t seen in weeks.  He told me he had seen Creak, my hiking partner from several weeks back, a few times and Creak was not doing well.  I hope that’s an exaggeration.

After lunch, I grabbed my backpack and continued down the trail.  I arrived at the hut just before 5:00 PM.  As I approached the hut, I saw the guy who kept me up with his snoring and thrashing about on a loud sleeping pad.  Without saying a word, I walked by the hut, found a tent site and pitched my tent.  No way was I going to sleep in that hut with him there.

Later, I fixed dinner at the hut to keep the smell of food away from my tent.  A smart move because while eating dinner, several bears came into view around the hut.  That’s another reason not to sleep in the hut tonight.