day 46 - 04/25

so i have started calling the shenandoah national park (snp) "campground disneyland." i don't mean it a judging way at all, but it is very commercial and gives only the facade of wilderness. it was an awesome change, but not the kind of hike i would want to do every day. the great part is that i haven't had to carry a whole lot of food because of the many waysides and restaurants. today i hiked from bearfence shelter and stopped at big meadows wayside for an egg and cheese bagel sandwich and an order of french toast and then hiked 'til 13:30 where i stopped at skyland resort and restaurant for some great local beer, soup, a burger, fries, and bread pudding. yummy. i also heard myself described in a whole new way thru the eyes of someone plugged into the matrix (to understand what i mean just read my blueblaze post about the matrix). so i am sitting about 30ft away from an older couple and since my hearing is very acute from not being bombarded with noise all the time (yes, i have discovered that humans are quite noisy), unbeknownst to them, i can hear every word they are saying. when i sit down the husband says that i look different. "how?," the wife asks. he says, "not as plump as these other hikers." (there are several day hikers also eating lunch) a few seconds go by and he says "very lean." about a half minute goes by and in the meantime i notice the wife assessing me from head to toe (mind you, they are dressed in their sunday best on a wednesday) and she leans in close to her husband and whispers "feral is more like it." lol! i apparently look feral! i love it. officially the best name i have ever been called. got to love the matrix. mahamaya ki! jai! the restaurant, in addition to having great food, had awesome wifi so i also got to chat with my mum and dad, which always makes for a great ending to an awesome day. 26.8mi from bearfence to pass mt shelter. 934.6 total.