Day 83-Looking For Bears in All the Wrong Places
June 9-13.1 miles-Pass Mtn Hut to Gravel Springs Hut-AT mile 958.7
No bears.
Refreshing!
The Elkwallow Wayside store.
I only had about 5.7 miles to go to get to Gravel Springs Hut. It was pretty easy trail.
No bears here either.
From Hogsback Overlook (I’m actually above the road on the trail).
Pretty cool, huh?
When I got to the hut, Dusty had a bear story to tell! When she got here, there were some tourists cooking food. The bad tourists left food behind. Dusty put her whole pack in the bear locker, but left her water bladder and filter out at the hut. She went to go up to where she could get phone service. When she returned, her filter was gone. She thought the tourists had taken it, but then she saw a bear going up the hill with it in its mouth (apparently plain ol’ spring water is not good enough). She made enough noise that the bear dropped the filter, then she threw the food the tourists had left into the bushes. The bear went for the food, and she was able to get her filter back (with a few puncture holes in it).
And now I’ll share a story about a fellow hiker I met today. His trail name was “Speedy”. The two day hikers I’d met had met him too. They told me about him. I was looking forward to meeting him, but with a name like “Speedy”, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to catch up to him. I was hiking along, having pretty much given up, when I spotted him ahead, truckin on down the trail. I caught up to him, and he came to a stop. For a name like Speedy, you’d think he would be traveling light, but it looked like he had his entire home on his back! Turns out, he’s not really that speedy. Maybe he got it as a joke. Anyway, he was still doing it...although, I think if he’s going to make it to Katahdin he’ll need to flip up at Harpers Ferry, then work his way SOBO. He seemed pretty nice, if not a bit on the quiet side. I asked if I could take his photo. He seemed okay with it.
Here’s Speedy heading north on the AT.
That’s quite the pack he’s got!
Hope to see you in Maine!
This is only a little zoomed in. I am in front of the hut. The bear is on the back corner of of the hut.
This is a bluff charge.
This is cropped. He’s not full grown.
Dusty reading.
With such a short day, and only today and part of tomorrow left in the Park, I was on the lookout for bears. Shenandoah National Park is supposed to have a very high density of black bears...or so we’ve heard anyway. I only saw one deer this morning...and no bears. Met a couple of day hikers coming the other direction. They hadn’t seen any bears except for one by the road. Well, that doesn’t help. I’m not on the road!
No bears.
I came out to Skyline Dr at about 11:00. To my right was Elkwallow Wayside. I walked down to dump my trash and see if I could get a soda from the outside vending machine, even though the Wayside is not open (of course, they are opening the day after we are out of the Park). Unfortunately, it was out of service. Dang! Even though it was early, I decided to eat my lunch. Took off my shoes too. The water wasn’t on (although, curiously, they were cleaning the restrooms, and I could hear them flushing the toilets...me thinks the water was on), but I didn’t need it anyway. I had filled up at this stream (and swabbed down my arms, face, and back).
Refreshing!
I stayed at the Wayside for about an hour, just relaxing and eating. I talked to a few hikers (day), and a guy showed me a photo of a bear that he saw today (of course, by the road).
The Elkwallow Wayside store.
I only had about 5.7 miles to go to get to Gravel Springs Hut. It was pretty easy trail.
No bears here either.
There were a couple of views, but it was pretty hazy today.
From Hogsback Overlook (I’m actually above the road on the trail).
I got this photo of a butterfly.
Pretty cool, huh?
When I got to the hut, Dusty had a bear story to tell! When she got here, there were some tourists cooking food. The bad tourists left food behind. Dusty put her whole pack in the bear locker, but left her water bladder and filter out at the hut. She went to go up to where she could get phone service. When she returned, her filter was gone. She thought the tourists had taken it, but then she saw a bear going up the hill with it in its mouth (apparently plain ol’ spring water is not good enough). She made enough noise that the bear dropped the filter, then she threw the food the tourists had left into the bushes. The bear went for the food, and she was able to get her filter back (with a few puncture holes in it).
Tonight, we will put everything, except ourselves, in the bear locker in case the bear comes back.
And now I’ll share a story about a fellow hiker I met today. His trail name was “Speedy”. The two day hikers I’d met had met him too. They told me about him. I was looking forward to meeting him, but with a name like “Speedy”, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to catch up to him. I was hiking along, having pretty much given up, when I spotted him ahead, truckin on down the trail. I caught up to him, and he came to a stop. For a name like Speedy, you’d think he would be traveling light, but it looked like he had his entire home on his back! Turns out, he’s not really that speedy. Maybe he got it as a joke. Anyway, he was still doing it...although, I think if he’s going to make it to Katahdin he’ll need to flip up at Harpers Ferry, then work his way SOBO. He seemed pretty nice, if not a bit on the quiet side. I asked if I could take his photo. He seemed okay with it.
Here’s Speedy heading north on the AT.
That’s quite the pack he’s got!
Hope to see you in Maine!
BEAR UPDATE!!!!
The bear came back! Due to those tourists feeding it, it was very persistent. We will report it to a ranger when we see one. It took lots of banging for a long time. I was banging my poles on the gutter of the hut. No Rush tried his alarm sound on his phone. Here’s some photos.
This is only a little zoomed in. I am in front of the hut. The bear is on the back corner of of the hut.
This is a bluff charge.
This is cropped. He’s not full grown.
We have put everything in the bear box (packs included). The three of us moved up to the second level of the hut. I have my poles, and there were already a few rocks stockpiled.
Dusty reading.
I did a video that I’ll put out on Facebook when I can upload this post.
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