I woke up before 6AM and got out of the tent. It was cloudy, foggy and threatening rain. While Rick was taking down the tent two deer wandered up and started grazing right next to him. Ten feet away. I took some pictures of them and got within 6 feet of them with not much of a problem. One was a little scared and kept starting to run away, but kept coming back. Amazing deer in this park.
Left around 8AM and hiked to Elk Wallow Wayside. Got there around 11:30. Had lunch after calling the post office in Chester Gap. Just as we were getting ready to leave a large bear walked up to the parking lot. The bear opened up a trash can and proceeded to have a feast right there in the middle of the parking lot [this was before bear-proof trash cans]. Meanwhile all these tourists, including us, gathered around taking pictures. Our first bear!
Hiked on from there. It had cleared in the morning, but right after we left Elk Wallow it clouded up again. Stayed that way the rest of the day. Began raining later on in the day.
Ran into two guys who stopped for lunch the day we laid over at Black Rock Shelter. Passed them. Met another guy who had just gotten out of the Marines. He's hiking south to Georgia, then skipping up to Maine and then hiking south back to here again.
Got to the shelter around 7:30. Four other guys here. A Ranger is here now checking permits Says we can't use the shelter. You are only allowed to use the shelters in inclement weather. Even though it is after dark, raining and foggy, that is not considered inclement weather.
I remember the bear. The only one we saw and it was in a parking lot.
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