5/14/06 Sunday: Rice Field Shelter to Bailey Gap Shelter (17mi)

A new week and a need to be in Troutville by Thursday means I can slow down a bit...sounds good to me...:)... We had some rain over night and chilly temps again, that was after some lovely afternoon sun and 70 degree temps. Im up and out by 0730 and stop briefly for water at a campground an hour down the trail... I have wonderful Views of West Virginia upon awaking and throughout this days ridge walk... I arrived at the Bailey Gap Shelter about 1530 just before the rain set in with another cold front. We were all in our sleeping bags by 1800 just to stay warm. Thanks to the earplugs I had a somewhat restfull night. We had older guy cutting some pretty loud ZZZZ's last night driving 2 out of the shelter, one who decided to start hiking at 0300. LOL...

PICTURES:
1. Some nice walks today... and as usual I enjoy the solitude of walking alone... Quietly always on the lookout for wildlife... Not much of that up on these ridges thought a variety of birds of prey can be seen and heard daily. They are very majestic looking and command the skies round these parts...
2. Not sure what this is. Some NSA devise for keeping an eye on all us undesirables I suppose...LOL
3. Hey Peter... They named a Wilderness Preserve after you...;)
4. Its always nice to know where your at in the middle of nowhere...LOL... In this case I'm not far from the end of my day... A much welcomed site...