Early trail time

I was up and getting ready for hiking at quarter to five this morning. I was able to get to the Appalachian Trail head at Keys Gap in west Virginia by 6:20 a.m. It was still dark , so I used my headlamp to get going on the trail. I was surprised at how cold it was! I left Ashburn with no wind and cool temps, but it was windy, raw and cold when I got on the trail! I apologize for no pics on this one, but they have uploaded into a file that I don't seem to be able to retrieve. I'll add them as soon as possible.
The rain had held over night. I was a little frustrated that did not go camping, but the boys would not have done well with the cold and gloomy skies. I put on my rain jacket, as it felt like it was going to start soon. I climbed out of keys Gap at 6:30. I passed a couple of tents in the first 20 minutes. The noise of cars faded steadily. Soon after that, I was able to take off the headlamp. The climb was gradual, but steady. I packed light. I carried 4 liters of water after breaking my filter on my water system when I was cleaning it. Oops! Well, lesson learned. Albeit, a $30 lesson when I replace the filter. Crap. Anyway, I also had a couple of snacks, the camera, and my binoculars and a dry shirt. I wore a long sleeve shirt, Sweatshirt, and my rain jacket. Total weight was not much more than 10 to 15 lbs. I was limited on time, so I was planning a quick pace.
Even with cool temps, I was getting a good sweat going on the climbs. I made it to the David lesser Shelter in about an hour. It is a nice shelter with a deck, nice pavilion with grill and fire ring. There are multiple tent sites also and a well maintained privy. There has been an abundant amount of fire wood left for campers. I heard some movement in the shelter so i did not go in. It was still just getting lighter out. I took a break under the pavilion and had breakfast. This was a Cliff bar and some beef Jerky and water. Ahh...breakfast of champions. I missed my stove and having some coffee or hot chocolate, but the time thing played into that decision not to bring it along. There was a pretty quick climb after the shelter and I made my way to Buzzard rock, an interesting rock formation with a fairly decent view. The view also included my next climb which was discouraging, but viewed as another challenge. I passed Deer Lick and the area of Copperhead Spring ( which was dry) and eventually made it up to the cut off for the Blackburn Trail Center. There was a wonderful view west into the Shenandoah Valley from here. This was my goal and it was time to turn around. It was 9:15 and I had done 6 miles. Not bad. That was with short stops for pics and exploring a couple of side trails. I called Mari to let her know how it was going. My voice startled me when I talked with her. I figured everything was going well. Then the rain started. I was ready for it. I just put my head down and quietly said"Bring it on". As it turned out, it only lasted about 15 to 20 minutes. Just enough to leave some drops on my clothes. I had lucked out. With the possibility of being able to get back before Mari need to drive out to meet me with the kids (the original plan), I picked up the pace. My GPS showed me at almost a 3 mph average pace. I made good time and even climbed the hills at a good clip! The trail is always an adventure, even on return legs. You see things from a different angle, so it's almost like being on a different trail. Of course the end of this hike was a lot different since it was now light. I had passed a small pond at the start and never knew it was there. I was back at the car at 11:30 having covered 12 miles. My feet were singing a bit, but otherwise I felt OK. I rolled my left ankle once, but it was not too bad. I was back home for lunch. Early day, but worth the effort. Can't wait for the next one!