GoldenBear

The 10,000 character limit on blog posts means I could not complete my comments on Day 1 AND mention how to walk between the A.T. and Matthews Arm Campground (MAC) in SNP. So I'll just fill in that minor detail on the second part of my post, then finish my report on Days 2 and 3. To those who just follow the Trail through SNP, without bothering to pay for a campground, just skip the next paragraph group.

As this pdf shows
http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisi..._area_2013.pdf
MAC is just a mile or so from where the A.T. crosses Skyline Drive at Elkwallow Wayside. A hiker can continue from Elkwallow to MAC along the Elkwallow Trail, continue north on the A.T. to near Rattlesnake Point and backtrack to the road entrance to MAC, or continue on the A.T. until reaching the Piney Ridge Trail and then taking the shortcut to the MAC road entrance. To go between MAC and Hogback Overlook, a hiker can go on the A.T. to Rattlesnake Point and then to the MAC entrance (either on Skyline Drive or stay on the Trail to Piney Ridge Trail), or can turn onto the Overall Run / Tuscarora Trail, and then on the Traces Trail into MAC. Note that there is a short connecting trail between the Tuscarora Trail and the Traces Trail. If you watch for and pay attention to the posts, you should be able to stay on the correct path.
This pdf
http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisi...p_combined.pdf
shows the relation between the entrance to MAC, the campground sites, the parking area (which you can use even if you don't stay at the campground), some recycle bins, and the terminus of the Traces Trail. As best as I could determine, there is no shortcut between Section A of MAC and the Traces Trail -- no matter where you camp, you'll have to start at the Overflow Parking Area. The terminus of the Traces Trail is well-marked at the south end of the parking lot.
The two camp sites in MAC with bear boxes -- useful for backpackers, as food MUST be kept within a metal container (car or these boxes) -- are C-177 and C-178. Note that they are also close to the bathrooms and faucets, so these sites can be doubly ideal for backpackers. Further note that there are neither showers nor even hot water in these facilities.

Okay, back to my hiking report! I got an early start on Day 3, hoping that, despite the VERY clear predictions of major storms in the area, I could avoid a lot of rain. For about 90 minutes -- ie, till about 7:30am -- I succeeded. Then the rain came. And the downpour. And the thunder. And the lightning. No way around this -- I was getting drenched, even with a rain poncho on me.
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___43352
Either it wasn't the "100% water-proof" it claimed to be, or my sweat was condensing on the its lower parts, or whatever -- all I knew was that there was plenty of water on the inside of this thing. I should mention that my Gore-tex{R} jacket wasn't much better in similar circumstances earlier this year. But the fact that this amount of wet was the "best" I could expect didn't make things go any more easily.

Despite this initial downpour -- which did end as I approached U.S. Highway 522 -- I found I was making quite good time. I thus anticipated little trouble as I began to ascend the hill north of this road. The problem is, the hill just seemed to never end its ascent. Okay, intellectually, I know that a 1000 foot rise in two miles is not THAT bad of a climb -- but, emotionally, I couldn't escape the thought that I SHOULD be reaching the top "by now." Particularly since the climb is so non-steep that it always looks like you're near the top. Maybe I was just discouraged by all the dreary clouds and drizzle.
I know I was DEFINITELY discouraged when the sky opened up a second time as I neared what I (again) thought would be the top. I found a stump that was underneath a thick tree, and decided to just wait out this downpour. I sat on the stump, took off my pack, kept both it and me under my poncho, and just waited. After 15 (20?) minutes, I decided to continue, even though the rain's end was nowhere in sight.

So where was I to stop for the night? With rain expected all night, I had no wish to set up a tent that would be impossible to get dry in the morning. Which meant staying at a shelter -- but which one? I had given myself two days to hike the 23 miles between Compton Gap and Ashby Gap, and the two shelters "about" halfway between the two points were the Denton Shelter and the Manassas Gap Shelter -- one 9.0 miles from Compton Gap and the other 5.5 miles beyond that. As the miserable rain continued, and with predictions of even worse weather (possible hail and even tornadoes!) in the late afternoon, I made my choice to stay at Denton.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...35#post1495335
As I phrased it, "I can either hike nine miles today and fourteen miles tomorrow, or fourteen miles today and nine miles tomorrow." Thus, when I got to the Denton Shelter at about 2pm, I decided to stay UNLESS there was a major break in the weather.

Another person -- a person I call a "real backpacker" -- who had stayed here for several hours to avoid the rain, took the opposite approach, leaving for Manassas Gap Shelter about an hour after I arrived. After explaining why I was staying here, even though it was mid-afternoon, I wished him well on his trek: "I hope you're making the right decision and I'm making the wrong one!" Thirty minutes later, as ANOTHER downpour came through, I got my camera ready for possible hail, and even worse. For the other backpacker's sake, I'm glad to say it never got REALLY bad -- just a lot of rain and wind.

Enjoyed the company of a dad taking his son and the latter's good buddy on a male-bonding backpack. Noted that this sort of activity has NEVER made sense, not even 120 years ago when intentionally travel into wilderness for recreation started to become fashionable. Nevertheless, I noted that young people WANT to feel challenged in things like this, so backpacking is a perfect inter-generational activity.

Day 4 was an incredible contrast with Day 3 -- blue skies, cooler temps, lower humidity. Once again, by starting early (awake at 5am, on the Trail by 6am), I was able to make excellent progress. Sky Meadows State Park, I should mention is an excellent place to do some loop day-hikes and get a first taste of the Trail.
http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_pa...skymeadows.pdf
Note, however, that camping in this park, outside of the designated campground, is strictly prohibited.

I almost amazed myself when I got to Ashby Gap by 4pm -- I had warned Shuttle that I might be REALLY late in my return. As I walked over this four-lane highway, I said two things to myself:
"Don't get hit by a car this close to completing the hike"
"FINALLY!", in response to completing the only gap between Rockfish Gap and Dalton MASS.

I had little trouble driving home before it got too dark.

Next two steps:
1) Hikes in the cities of Vermont that have good public transportation.
2) A couple days of hiking down from Bascom Lodge, while staying there with Shuttle.