Day 88 – Whiskey Hollow shelter to Bear’s Den hostel

“But I would walk five hundred miles

And I would walk five hundred more

Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles

To fall down at your door” – The Proclaimers

Up at 5:10. On trail at 6:30. I was slow getting moving.

Very humid even before the sun came up today. Gonna be another hot day. Really nothing much to take pictures of on trail in NOVA.

Stopped at 7:30 for a break.

Crossed US 50 at Ashby Gap at 8:40. Heavy traffic. Overkill got an 18-wheeler to blow their air horn for us. 5.2 miles down, 13 more to go.

Stopped to fill up water and eat at 9:30 and 6.4 miles in for today. Back on trail at 10:00.

At 11:20 we entered the southern end of the Virginia rollercoaster. It’s named that because abuse it is a series of ups and downs with no break. See map below.

We ran into self-service trail magic less than a mile before the 1000-mile mark. Sodas on ice. Cool! Hitting the 1000-mile mark is a big deal.

Stopped for water at 5:00. We have 1.7 hard miles to go.

Got to Bear’s Den hostel at 6:20. Got checked-in, unpacked, showered, and ready for the Poolesville Planning Commission meeting just in time for meeting start at 7:00. Meeting only lasted until 8:00. I ate dinner afterwards.

We both bought the hiker package at the hostel: bunk, shower, laundry, frozen pizza, pint of ice cream, and a soda for $40.

Read till 11:00 then tried to sleep. Hot in the bunk room and up at 5:00 a.m. 🙁

Technical Notes:

• Pop-Tarts 370
• Pop-Tarts 370
• Beef Bites 300
• Trail mix 170
• Skittles 130
• Beef Bites 250
• Skittles 190
• Trail Mix 210
• Beef Bites 150
• Skittles 200
• Dr Pepper x2 300
• Mug root beer x2 320
• Frozen pizza 1200
• Water liters 5
• Miles 18.6
• Time 12 
• Elevation gain 4586
• Calories consumed 4000
• Calories burned 7700