Waynesboro, VA (USA)

Didn't sleep well (a lot on my mind lately)... Left the hotel around 8:00, entered SNP (fee free day) and parked at the AT trailhead (Beagle Gap) within 30 minutes. Headed north until reaching Little Calf Mountain Shelter. Saw lots of wildlife (deer, rabbits, birds, snake) and amazingly beautiful flowers. Heard loud bird calls, buzzing swarms of flies and running water. The air was thick with pungent smells of spring (luckily, no allergies). When I backtracked, I encountered what appeared to be the front end of the first NOBO bubble. I met Neon, who warned me about a bear on the trail (never saw him, though). The trail back to the park entrance was rocky and hilly but was also well shaded. I was very happy to reach the park hiker registration station (connecting to another section I hiked in February) and I headed down to Skyline Drive. Walked about 4.5 miles on the pavement (in the hot sun) back to my car to finish up around 14 miles. It took me several hours to get back to civilization (used US-33, US-29, VA-231 and US-211). Stopped to visit my friend, James, west of Warrenton on the way - it was a nice way to finish my weekend! Miles of AT today = 6.73 / G.T. = 226.9 miles.