(Stealth Campsite (mile 265.4) - US Route 522 (mile 972.1) *overnight in Front Royal, Virginia*)

I woke up at 6am and treated myself to a very nutritious breakfast of a s'mores Pop Tart, a Fig Newton, and a Nature Valley almond butter biscuit before starting to hike at 7am. Delta and I cruised the first 4 miles to Tom Floyd Shelter where we both stopped to use the facilities. The shelter was just north of the park boundary, meaning we had completed the Shenandoah stretch of the AT. The shelter was pretty small, but it had a huge porch and seemed like a cool spot to chill.

It was less than 3 miles to US Route 522 where we were planning to either hitch or catch the trolly. As we were approaching the road, the trail routed us alongside a massive fence with signage for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. I was intrigued but also confused. The other side of the fence was just a field. We reached the road and figured we would try to hitch. I opened a bag of fruit snacks, stuck my thumb out, and tried to not look like a serial killer. A big orange lifted Jeep stopped for us before I could even finish my fruit snacks. The driver introduced himself as John and said he would be happy to take us to the Super 8.

We arrived at the hotel just after 10am. After thanking John for his help, we went in the lobby and were told we could not check in until 2pm so we decided to walk 0.4 miles to a Martin’s grocery to resupply. On the way an older woman pulling out of a parking lot stopped to ask if we were thru-hiking. When we said yes, she offered to drive us the half block to the grocery. Although it was a bit silly to be shuttled such a short distance, it seemed uncouth to turn down her offer. She introduced herself as "Put-put" and said she was hiking Shenandoah until her knee started acting up. Put-put seemed like a lovely lady. She even offered to drive us to the trailhead tomorrow morning and gave us her phone number.

After resupplying, Delta and I laid all our stuff out on the sidewalk to remove packaging and organize food. While we were organizing everything, we were approached by a homeless man who introduced himself as C and asked us to watch his bike while he shopped in the store. He also warned us about all the "tickies" along the trail and we promised to be vigilant in our tick checks.

After C returned and set off on his bike, Delta and I went to McDonald’s for lunch. The inside was closed due to COVID restrictions, so we tried to walk through the drive thru and were told we had to order online. We did so and ended up eating our McDonald's beneath a little dogwood tree under the golden arches. Next, we went to Spelunker’s, a popular local custard place where I was accidentally served two orders of custard! My first order came out. Then a couple minutes later, a different server appeared with the same order for “Jack.” I explained that I already got my order, and they said they couldn’t take it back so it was free. Truly a hiker’s dream come true!

The outdoor seating at Spelunker’s was nestled in a shockingly well manicured and lovely Japanese style garden. It was a wonderful place to sit and eat two custards.

According to Guthook, the town’s local outfitter sometimes lets hikers do their laundry, so we made our way there to see if the washing machines were available. They were not, but we took a picture with the bear before heading to the brewery where we ran into Put-put who explained she could no longer take us to the trail but she gave us $30 to pay for a shuttle, which we adamantly tried to decline, and a plate of wings, which we did not attempt to decline. We then had BOGO beer pints and sat around for a while.

After leaving the brewery, we tried to go to two different laundry mats, but both were closed. We then headed back to Super8, resigned to do shower laundry. I did my shower laundry then took my clothes to the parking lot where I dried them in a tree while sitting on a curb and chatting with AC on the phone.

To conclude the day, Delta and I took a long walk to a highly rated family-style Italian restaurant for dinner. Google reviews promised ridiculous portion sizes, and we were not disappointed. I ordered gnocchi pesto with sundried tomatoes and mushrooms. We both finished everything, including the starter salads. This surprised of our waitress, who said she had never seen anyone finish everything. They must not get many hikers 😂

Before sleep, I finally contacted Altra about replacing my shoes. We’ll see what they say. Fingers crossed🤞