I just went on a ten day trip, from Pine Knob north of Harper's Ferry to Shenandoah National Park (up Dickey Ridge Trail, joining with the AT, and beyond, then back down).
I didn't like SNP-- Skyline Drive seemed to permeate everything-- even when not in sight, it was within sound. I had thought of heading all the way through SNP to Waynesboro, but my ride back had fallen through, and I didn't like the SNP vibe, so I ended up heading back into the woods the way I came from, yellow blazed from Front Royal back up to Route 7, and then hiked back up to Pine Knob.
I was not disappointed. There is too much to write about here, but it was a great trip, and I enjoyed the No. Va. hike. I hear a lot of people say it's boring and that the "Roller Coaster" is too difficult. I think the Roller Coaster is overrated in terms of difficulty, and the hike is not boring. It is the "walk in the woods" imagined by Bill Bryson in his book. Nothing wrong with that.
I am tired, having done a lot of miles for someone not in peak shape, so that's all I'll write for now. My longest day was about 22 miles, and the shortest 7. The average I would guess was 14-15. I missed you all on white blaze, but the actual trail really was better. (Sorry).