Monday, June 8th - Up at 5:30, clear and chilly - 58 degrees but a pretty stiff breeze blowing on the top of the mountain where we were camping. On the trail at 6:10, quickly reaching the rather anticlimatic summit of the Priest. The trail down from the Priest was brutal and rocky - including breakfast, it took 3 hours to get down to the valley floor. Even by 9:00 am, it was already hot and sticky, so it promised to be a day of sweat. We filled up our water twice on the way down, a good indication of just how sultry it was already.
The trip across the valley was quite brief, and then we were right back into it again, climbing "the Three Ridges," a rather infamously difficult hike. The first ridge was actually the most difficult, about 2,500 feet up, and we were both drenched from the tips of our hairs to the tips of our toes within 30 minutes. There were some nice overlooks on the way, and the temperatures eased as we gained elevation, but there's no way to sugarcoat it - it was brutal. All told (including lunch), it took about 4 hours to make the summit of the third ridge - and although the second and third ridges were not as bad as feared, it still was a tough pull. Trail Magic - some additional flowering mountain laurels and rhododendrons, plus we saw a sizable box turtle right in the trail. We also saw a small marmot-looking animal tearing off into the ferns, making an odd chirping noise (no idea what this was). We eventually came to the Maupin Field Shelter where we watered up; no one there. We took a (needed) break, then kept going to another good water source at Dripping Rock (where we also hoped to camp for the night, since the next shelter was well beyond our reach, about 15 miles).
The trails varied from good to rocky, but we pounded along regardless. Unfortunately we found a sign just before Dripping Rock that indicated "No Camping" - plus there was distant thunder in the area. We thought briefly about wildcatting it, as others had obviously done, but the thunderstorms in the area kind of put the kabosh on that idea (camping on an exposed ridge in a thunderstorm is obviously not a good idea). We ate an abbreviated dinner while considering our options. The map and trail guide offered no helpful info on upcoming sites, so we decided instead to get to Waynesboro a day early. I got ahold of a shuttle driver, Dave Berry, who agreed to come get us (for free!), and we pushed on to the Dripping Rock Parking Lot, arriving around 7:30 or so. So, 20 miles done; not bad considering the Three Ridges climb.
The first thunderstorm missed us, but there were additional storms in the area. Dave picked us up in a Lexus SUV (too high class for us!) at 7:45. It took about a half an hour to get to Waynesboro, and we enjoyed talking to Dave (a former outfitter) along the way - we shared many common experiences with him, and he had been a Scout himself and had worked with Scout groups on numerous occasions. Per his advice, we stayed at the Quality Inn - a bit pricey but in the middle of town and the various services we needed. Once we checked in, I grabbed a shower while Mark went and got a pizza from across the street. The Weather Channel showed that we had been "just" missed by a major storm (which was heading towards Washington and Richmond), but also that there were additional storms on the way. Looks like the front that was supposed to arrive on Tuesday got in a day early. Certainly the heat and humidity all day long were contributing factors. So, 62 miles over 3 days, not bad. Tuesday will be a "zero" day for us, again a needed one.
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