Shenondoah here we come :)

So today is my last day in DC with my friend Nick. We went out to a cool club last night that I have heard of plenty of times called 18th Street Lounge.  If I was in the club business, my place would be alot like this. 



I'm going to try to have dinner with my step mom tonight and then go to bed really early so I can leave before dawn.  There is nothing like driving through senic areas at dawn. A little morning dew and ground fog, its the best!  And then when the sun goes down, you are instantly ready to go to sleep.

I just got off the phone with Ranger Debbi who has been helping me plan my trip.  I reminded her of who I was and she quickly retracted the former hiking plan she had given me because she said that even the small stream crossings on the Whiteoak and Cedar Run Trails were simply impassable due to the heavy rains and snow melt.

She has given me a back up plan which is at a much higher elevation (better views, but probably colder).  So it looks like I'm going to camp at the Rock Spring Hut and try to make a short hike up to the top of Hawksbill Mountain, the parks highest peak :)  Here is the map... I'm parking at a non mapped, but acutally signed parking area for the Rock Spring Hut between mile 47 and 48 of Skyline Drive (closer to 48, goes north from the road).

I could't help but think that these Rangers have quite a cool job...  I really appreciate thier "Let me help you have a good/safe time" attitude :)

So my food will be ok in the car, I dont need an actual bear box unless I plan on not stringing my food up in a tree.  I'm going to go the cheep route.  I have to imaging that I'm going to find a used bear box somewhere along the way...

If you find yourself bored and surfing these Shenondoah links, I'd love some ideas on other things to check out while I'm in hte region or other "can't miss" things in the park (preferably along Skyline Drive, so it will be accessable.

oh, and another thing... I figured out why my bike was getting harder and harder to fit on the roof... The damn roof box has shifted/slid over by about 8 inches pass the center of the car on the roof rack crossbars.  That said, I need to find something to keep it in place.  I'm going to get plumbers hose clamps to put around the cross bar to ask as a sliding stop.  I hope it works :) My car is about to aquire its first piece of external hardward that wasn't ment for a car :(  Now I'm really gonna start looking hillbilly...  "So ya got a hoseclamp assembly for traction and a chome exhasut tip for looks.  Dat's still a spiffy ride out in these parts."

Anyway, off to home depot.  BTW, I have some marinated pork filets that I have prepared and frozen for camp.  I'm looking forward to that :)  Thanks Tom!