Ticks and Spiders and Bears, Oh My!

One of the most frequent questions a long distance hiker gets is "have you seen any (insert favorite wild animal here)?" People are fascinated by the creatures we might see.
So here's a brief accounting. Tick season has started for real and I routinely pull out wood ticks, so far I haven't pulled a deer tick, but they're so small I might have simply missed them. In the last stretch of the Virginia highlands, we would find a flat spot, and apparently set our gear in the middle of a daddy longlegs/ cricket armageddon. Tens of each all over and in every pocket. I saw my first big fella, an adolescent black bear off the side of the trail two days ago, then "Stickshift", "Fluffy" and I came across a biggun right in the middle of the trail and he looked like he was enjoying the 90+ midday temps about as much as we were.  "Hook" claims they don't like Christmas carols, but that just scared him further up the trail. It took Stick swearing at him in Portugese to get him out of our way, sadly just as I was about to snap the picture. That covers the title.
I have been rattled at by and uncomfortably close to both Eastern Diamondbacks and Timber Rattlers. I unwillingly chased a wild turkey and her brood because she wouldn't simply move left or right. I've startled a few Pileated Woodpeckers - the Woody Woodpecker kind - they are huge, heavy bodied and noisy as all get out when they fly.
So one would think that deer would be stealthy and graceful, um, no. They crash through the woods and practically face plant as they stumble onto the trail from a hillside and even outside protected areas, they just stand there staring vacantly at us. It's a little unnerving. I've seen some beautiful song birds, the most arresting being what we think is a scarlet tanniger bright red with black wings.
Probably the rarest sighting was the small wild hog that stopped for a drink where "Captain Radish" and I were resting in the Smokies.

Dear Mom, and other Virginia coincidences.

Dear Mom, apparently yes, if my friends jump off a bridge, then I will too. Who knew? After rolling halfway through the last stretch of high mountains in the south, I got to the James river "Foot foot bridge." The great group of folks with whom I have walked of late, Spoonz, Hook, Dancing Wind, Fluffy and Stickshift, proceeded to wait patiently, though tired, hot and ready to go to town while I spent an hour calculating my odds of dying stupidly and on HD video. We conducted experiments, polled local experts, then I figured out how to get through the railing onto the ledge, and I was in the James. Hook, the chief experimenter, was up and in immediately after.

We then got a ride to Glasgow and had a great dinner, homemade ice cream sandwiches, and stumbled into a carnival with live bluegrass. When they finished their set, they came over and played a set just for us. Stickshift sat in on bass, and Fluffy did a tune on the fiddle. We had a great night before rolling over the brutal final stretch, which included over 10000 feet of climbing. DW and I got caught on a bald in a crazy thunderstorm. But we all safely made it to Waynesboro,despite the complete disintegration of my shoes and the wounding of my hiking poles. Apparently two things must fail catastrophically each time I'm headed into a town with an outfitter.
Got a chance to see another movie, which is a huge treat. I will be moving into Shenandoah National Park soon. I'm attempting it with minimal food. I'm counting on the fresh berry milkshakes to make up the deficit.

More Virginia Highlands

I am rolling through the last major section of high mountains in the south. It has been littered with swimming holes, bluegrass music, and a big bridge jump. Some amazing days with great people.

The Picture, and other recent developments

It has been an eventful week since my last post. I have walked my first 100 mile week and then some and am now only a 10 day stretch south of the Shenandoahs. I have walked through some tough terrain north of Pearisburg and have reached a few of the Iconic places on the trail. I had a really low couple of days and sat at one road crossing contemplating calling for a ride and perhaps ending the trip, but as these things often go I have had the best days on the trail recently thanks in part to the folks that are hiking this section with me. "Caboose," who hiked in 2006, joined us a few days ago and had a car waiting when we got into town and has chauffeured us around for the last two days. I even got to see Robin Hood last night in a large town away from the trail. I've crossed several more milestones or will in the next day or two including; less than 1500 miles to go, 1/3 of the trail complete, 700 miles, and 1/2 way through Virgina. I also did my first night hike of the trip into town two nights ago - this included an unbelievable view of fog rising in the dark off a huge mountain lined lake. It was surreal.

And now the picture, for which I have waited 20 years or more,

Me on the iconic McAfee knob. From the time I first saw the image of a backpacker on this rock in a "Virginia is For Lovers" commercial, I have wanted to get this picture after climbing this mountain!

Other trail moments:

Mad Mike rinsing his feet in the falls

Mad Mike and Bear Blaze with some blooming Rhododendrons near Damascus.

Entering Damascus.

The spectacular Grayson Highlands.

Mad Mike going through the FatMan Squeeze tunnel.