On the way to Front Royal
by Thomas Larkin on 06/24/13Sunday, June 16, 2013:
Linda dropped me off alone at the Elkwallow Wayside early Sunday morning after a nice buffet breakfast at Skyland. On the way to Elkwallow we saw a female black bear crossing Skyland Drive with her 3 cubs- very unusual. I knocked out the 13 miles to Compton Gap in 5 hours a very respectable 2.5 MPH, including breaks. Conditioning and 10 lbs of pack weight make a big difference. Linda delivered trail magic to several spots where the trail crossed Skyline Drive and then proceeded to Front Royal to get us a nice room and scope out the town.
She picks me up around 2:30 at Compton Gap and we head to Front Royal for the evening. I made the decision after much pondering to do the ultimate Flip-Flop, After completing the segment from Compton Gap to Front Royal we will head to Washington Dulles Airport where I will catch a flight to Bangor, ME. Jason Gosselin has graciously offered to take me to Baxter State Park so I can avoid the possible cold weather in Maine at the end of the journey. I will now march southward and finish my expedition back in Front Royal.
We met up with Ron ( Floater ) in Front Royal for one final meal. Ron has been a great companion and friend throughout this journey and he will be missed dearly. I look forward to reuniting with him at some future date down the road- I’m sure we will be linked for what we experienced together.
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