Day 0: Arrival at Base Camp

So here I am at “base camp” which is the Schairer Trail Center in the Shenandoah National Park.
We just had dinner a couple hours ago which was cooked by this writer. The dinner closely resembled a beef fajita dish and was yummie! Presently, I am writing this entry (duh!) And then am off to sleep.
It has been one busy day! Recall I went to sleep at 4:15am. I woke up at 9:50am and it took every oune of energy to rise. Sure, I was excited about the trip. But before leaving home, I had a few household logistics issues to attend to. Boring things like paying bills, taking trash out – basically, if it was something I did not want to do it was on the list.
Then I had to deal with that mound of clothes you might remember from last night. Being that my pack was completely full without the clothes, I didnt even bother trying to stuff them in. That is a task for in the morning before I head out to the trail.
So, I finally made it out the door at 2:00pm for a 3 hour cruise 4 hour drive.
With abour 30 minutes remaining, the Shenendoah Mountains became visible. I snapped a few photos along the way…


Once arriving at Swift Mountain Gap and getting on the Skyline Drive, there were several gorgious views down into the valley. Traffic was virtually non-existent, so I stopped right in the middle of the road to snap some photos.


After 5 miles on the Skyline Drive, I arrived at the Eaton Hollow Overlook which is the parking area for this cabin. Interesting location, because the cabin is 0.4 miles from the parking area. When I arrived, Jim and Danny had already arrived and were returning from their first trip to haul in their gear. Just in time for me to join their 2nd run. Fortunately, I was able to carry all my stuff in one trip. I had not just my backpack, but dinner supplies and a cooler.
I have already unpacked my gear so I can go through it in the morning, eliminate some items if possile and pack more tightly.


…and with that bunk/sleeping bag – I am outa here. Next entry will be from the trail!!!