Thanks.

[Lemming Fleming]

Just a quick thanks to everyone who imparted their advice and wisdom prior to my hike. I hiked from Rockfish Gap up to Harpers Ferry in 11 days and it was just an incredible trip.

It was my first hike of this size and after a day or two of wondering what the hell I was doing I relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I saw bears, snakes, got involved in a spectacular late night thunder storm, fell in love with waking up to the sound of the birds in the morning but most of all I just fell in love with getting up and ... walking!

Along the way I met some fantastic thru hikers who I was lucky enough to walk with for a while:

Smiley (thankyou for the company sir!), Speilberg and his wonderful cousin Sweater (thanks for the soap my friend), Pogo (great meeting you dude), Cascade, Jack, Hardcore (mighty young man) and his dad, Penny and John (inspirational elderly couple from Australia), Jiaow and a whole host of other fleeting meetings!

This trip was a first for me but now I'm already planning the next one and hopefully 2011 could see me doing a full thru hike. I found it a great way of shedding surplus weight (not just from my pack but also my mind) and I feel so refreshed I can't beleive it.

I'll be back AT

Soap

[StarLyte]

Good for you !!!

You saw bear also? Terrific.

Did you happen to hear the sound of dew falling onto leaves?

[Lemming Fleming]

I had a bear hassle my tent a little on my second night and then saw bear cubs the following day!

[TOW]

So you got involved with a spectacular late night thunderstorm, were you a part of the thunder or the lightning?

[Lyle]

You're hooked....


Welcome to the insanity.

[Jo-To]

Congrats on the accomplishment,and glad you had a great experience!

[JAK]

So you got involved with a spectacular late night thunderstorm, were you a part of the thunder or the lightning?

lol
Yeah, usually its just a spectator sport for me, but to get invoved is way cool.
Just don't get too involved, unless your name is Zeus or something.

[Lemming Fleming]

So you got involved with a spectacular late night thunderstorm, were you a part of the thunder or the lightning?

My involvement included laying in the shelter and watching the lightning all around and then being deafened by the most almighty thunder I've ever heard ... it was truly an awsome half hour!

I thought about going out and waving my hiking poles about a bit but thought better of it

Again, a truly brilliant week and leaving the trail at Harpers Ferry seemed cruel!

[Old Grouse]

Thanks back to you, LF. Reading that little thread has made my day!

[10-K]

Thanks for the report, and come back any time.

I hiked the same section a few weeks ago and didn't see snake nor bear - I'm jealous. (I did see at least 20 chipmunks though...)

[TOW]

I thought about going out and waving my hiking poles about a bit but thought better of it

!

that was a wise move on your part........

[Blissful]

Glad you had a good time.

[TIDE-HSV]

At least you "lay" in the shelter, which means you didn't have your feet on the ground. I was in a storm back in the '70s - I was in the LeConte shelter in the GSMNP - and a man and woman were killed by lightning over in the Double Springs Gap shelter on the AT, because they'd grounded themselves thoroughly with feet on wet ground. The people in the shelter who weren't grounded survived, including the newly-wed spouse of the girl who was killed...