Bears Den Lodge
"In the midst of our lives we must find the magic that makes our souls soar." cover of trail notebook at Bears Den Lodge, Bluemont, VA.
After a cold, wet, rainy walk through ten miles of the "roller coaster", I have arrived at the Bears Den Hostel for a 0 day of r/r before heading back out on Monday. I have logged 132 miles. If all goes as planned, I will pass through Harpers Ferry, WVA in two days. Slow but steady progress. Each day there is indeed magic that makes my soul soar. One day it is the sound of the tinkling of a small spring bringing forth refreshing water. The next it is the forest floor covered with delicate white flowers as if there was a light frost on the forest floor. A rushing stream cascading down the mountainside, owls hooting me to sleep at night. Or sitting at a shelter before first light hearing the turkeys awakening the new day.
Over forty years ago my mother-in-law sent me a poster that showed a grove of large trees with the saying, "I have grown taller from walking with the trees." Walking in and through the coves, a valley of rich fertile soil, the poplar trees crowd the forest floor reaching 80 plus feet straight up in the air, reaching for the heavens, truly helps one grow taller not in stature but in spirit. Each day it is a challenge to place one foot in front of another, yet the reward is unexplainable.
Steve
AKA Front Pocket
After a cold, wet, rainy walk through ten miles of the "roller coaster", I have arrived at the Bears Den Hostel for a 0 day of r/r before heading back out on Monday. I have logged 132 miles. If all goes as planned, I will pass through Harpers Ferry, WVA in two days. Slow but steady progress. Each day there is indeed magic that makes my soul soar. One day it is the sound of the tinkling of a small spring bringing forth refreshing water. The next it is the forest floor covered with delicate white flowers as if there was a light frost on the forest floor. A rushing stream cascading down the mountainside, owls hooting me to sleep at night. Or sitting at a shelter before first light hearing the turkeys awakening the new day.
Over forty years ago my mother-in-law sent me a poster that showed a grove of large trees with the saying, "I have grown taller from walking with the trees." Walking in and through the coves, a valley of rich fertile soil, the poplar trees crowd the forest floor reaching 80 plus feet straight up in the air, reaching for the heavens, truly helps one grow taller not in stature but in spirit. Each day it is a challenge to place one foot in front of another, yet the reward is unexplainable.
Steve
AKA Front Pocket
West Virginia/Virginia Mountains
Bear's Den Lodge
This is the hostel where I stayed for 2 nights. It was great: pizza and soda for dinner, pancakes and and as much coffee as you want for breakfast. A friend was meeting one of my fellow hikers and taking him out for a hamburg. They invited me to go with them. It sure tasted good! And it was great to take a shower and wash my clothes! Now it is back to roughing it in shelters or my tent!
Amazing View
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