I arrived at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Headquarters in Harper's Ferry at around 3:45PM on Wednesday June 6th after basically run-hiking 20 miles from where Amy dropped me off at Snickers Gap. The man behind the desk took my photo and wrote #615 on the top. I was the 40th NOBO thru hiker to check-in that day, seemed like I had entered another hiker bubble.
I looked in the binder at the other hikers who had passed through recently to see if I recognized anyone - Orange, Coors, Handstand, MacGyver, and Zeppelin, who I met in the Shenandoahs had been there earlier that day. Gray walked in a little while after me - he has some friends in MD that will be picking him up for a few days off the trail, so I probably won't see him again. I also noticed that earlier the same day another hiker with the trail name Early Bird had checked in - and she had started at the end of April - she was making serious miles! For a few weeks after leaving Harper's Ferry a lot of hikers would think they had already met me, but I told them they probably met the other Early Bird..who by now was hundreds of miles ahead!
After I finished at the ATC HQ I wandered down into historic Harper's Ferry to find lunch before I headed out of town. The recent rain had caused the river to swell and flood the trail across the river along the C&O Canal Towpath. But the water had subsided enough for the trail to reopen the afternoon I got there, so I wanted to make sure I was able to cross and continue north before any more rain came in.
As I was eating my lunch Pacer and Tumbleweed walked in to the restaurant and joined me. They were going to stay the night and zero the next day in town. Many hikers took the train into DC to visit - I was not interested, I knew it would be there when I was done hiking..
Finally at 5:30 I left town, Tumbleweed walked with me for awhile along the C&O Canal. He's retired from the military and lives in an RV while he is in the states, but spends most of his time traveling the world. After crossing the river I had entered Maryland, my 6th state! I checked off both Virginia and West Virginia that day and was feeling very accomplished.
I stopped to enjoy the view at Weverton Cliffs and caught up to Orange there. We hiked the last two miles to the Ed Garvey Shelter (AT mile 1031) together for a total of 26.2 for the day, arriving around 8PM. There were only a couple of people in the shelter but I found a spot to tent nearby instead, it was a nice cool evening. I saw a couple people tenting nearby and recognized one of them - it was Bob, the only person I knew on the trail before I started. He worked with Sixlegs at REI before he came out here.
While catching up with him, another hiker arrived - it was Bird! I hadn't seen him since back in Hot Springs, over a month ago - he had hiked briefly with some of my original trail family. Bird is a 22- year old from Alabama who is still trying to figure out what to do after the trail, but already has plans to hike the PCT next year. We caught up on the whereabouts of everyone and found that we have a similar finish date in mind, so we made plans to hike together.
Thursday (June 7th) I was up at 5:15AM and hiking by 5:55, Bird followed shortly after, and Orange 30 behind him. It was a chilly morning, I even wore my puffy while packing up. The miles were easy, by 7 I had gone the 3ish miles to Gathland State Park. There were bathrooms, a water spigot, and I found an outlet to charge my phone for a few minutes. I saw a hiker come through who was doing the 4 state challenge - he didn't stick around long. Some hikers will hike 40+ miles in a day, starting in VA and hiking through WV and MD and cross the border into Pennsylvania which would put them in 4 states in one day. I was not interested, but it seemed very doable given the easier terrain. There were lots of mud pits and where there wasn't mud there were rocks.
I took another break at Dahlgren Campground to again use the bathrooms, charger, and trash cans. It was cool and sunny with scattered clouds, a perfect hiking day. The trail went by several parks and historical sites in Maryland, including Washington Monument State Park where there was a school group who gave the hikers funny looks as we walked by. I passed by Annapolis Rocks in the afternoon and met one of two ridgerunners in Maryland. They rotate every 5 days, one stays at the caretaker camp near Annapolis Rocks and the other hikes between Harper's Ferry and PenMar Park (the northern border of MD) and then they switch.
I met a thru hiker named Life Alert around lunchtime and we hiked together the rest of the day. For several miles the trail was wide enough that we could hike side-by-side while we chatted about an assortment of things - she keeps a blog and has ambitions to write a book about her journey on the AT.
The trail crossed I-70 and I was reminded how close to home I was. The miles flew by as we talked. The last climb of the day was hardest and for the first time that day I was sweating by the time I reached the top. We arrived at Raven Rock Shelter (AT mile 1060.8) around 6pm having done 29.8 miles. Two thru hikers - Thor and Cowboy - were there, Roadkill, Orange and Miles showed up. Bird was making the trip to get water, it was nearly half mile away so I rationed what I had left because I didn't want to walk that far. The shelter was nice, 2 stories and I ended up sleeping on the top sleeping platform. The MD/PA was less than 5 miles away.
On Friday (June 8th) I was hiking by 5:35AM and got to Pen Mar Park by 7:30. I found Life Alert and Miles there - they had a friend picking them up just over the border in PA at 8 to take them into Waynesboro, PA. It was only another 0.3 miles to the Mason Dixon line. Finally out of the south! I had only been in Maryland for one full day, short and sweet - the AT in Virginia can learn a lot from the AT in Maryland..
Most of the miles were easy, rocks and mudpits were the only thing slowing us down. I stopped at Chimney Rock but there were a bunch of other hikers there so I didn't stay long. The last climb of the day was tough and I was definitely not expecting it. It had also gotten hotter than it had been the previous few days. I met Elevation, a SOBO section hiker out on a training hike before he starts his SOBO thru hike in a couple of weeks. The top of the climb was a boulder pile, but the descent into Caledonia State Park was mild. Bird and I were staying at the campground that night - we got to our campsite around 4PM and waited for Meredith to arrive - she was coming to visit with the doggies! We had pizza delivered and took showers and had a lazy afternoon. A couple men pulled up with a Uhaul and told us that they had been doing trail magic nearby for the last 15 years and told us to come by for breakfast.
Meredith had to battle bad traffic to get there but arrived around 7:15PM. She brought an amazing care package from my friend Sheri - it was filled with new hiking clothes, socks, snacks, a cooling towel - it was such a great birthday present!
Bailey, my 8-year old puppy, was too excited to concentrate on anything. She just wanted to run around like a crazy dog - at one point I thought maybe I could put her in my tent so she would settle down but she ended up almost running away with the tent, from inside of it. Meredith drove Bird and I to Walmart to resupply. We would get to Pine Grove Furnace State Park the next day and Boiling Springs in two days so we didn't need to carry much food.
The next morning we took our time getting up, finally got moving around 7AM - Bailey slept in my tiny one-person tent with me but was restless all night long. We decided to go to Timbers Restaurant down the street instead of going to the trail magic - the breakfast was delicious, inexpensive, and the restaurant was very hiker friendly. Bird also got a hamburger and milkshake - the waitress could tell he was a thru hiker, I guess I still don't have that hiker hunger.
After breakfast, Meredith dropped us back in the park and we started hiking around 10AM. The miles that day were some of the easiest so far - the climbs only took 15-20 minutes and Bird and I held a conversation the whole time. There were some rocks but not enough to slow us down. We came to Dead Womans Hollow Road which mileage-wise was just about the halfway point. I had been on the trail for 2 months and I celebrated being halfway done with my thru hike! There was a small sign noting the halfway point, but it was from last year (this years trail mileage is slightly longer so the halfway point isn't exactly the same). I looked in the trail register and found a note for Early Bird that said Terri K. says hi...hmm I know there is another Early Bird in the area, but I work with a Terri K. It was confirmed later that it was from my coworker - how cool!
I made good time over the final miles of the day - I was excited to get to Pine Grove Furnace - there was a larger sign/marker denoting halfway (the halfway in 2011 when it was put up). I also found a note that Meredith had left me in the trail register when she hiked through there last December.
When I walked up to the sign members from a nearby trail club were there putting out baggies of trail magic - toilet paper, bandaids, candies - and offered me some. I declined since I only had a mile to go to Pine Grove Furnace General Store (AT mile 1103.5) and wanted to leave it for hikers more in need.
I got to the General Store just before 5, hiking 19.5 miles that day, and there were several hikers sitting on the porch there eating ice cream. A hiker tradition at the halfway point is to eat a half gallon of ice cream in an hour or less - it's called the Half Gallon Challenge and anyone who completes it receives a small wooden spoon. I knew my belly would not fit that much ice cream in it and the prize did not seem like a good enough reward, so I ordered a small, two scoops which was plenty. As I sat eating my ice cream I messaged my coworker Jim - he lives only a few miles from the trail and made arrangements to pick me up and let me take a rest day! Bird decided he would also take a zero the next day but wanted to stay on the trail.
Jim lives on a nice piece of property with two horses and two donkeys and had been working in the yard before he came to pick me up, so thankfully he didn't notice (or didn't mind) my hiker smell. After getting cleaned up Jim and his wife Kathy took me out to a local restaurant and I actually ordered a salad! I think it's the second salad I've eaten since starting the hike. I got to sleep in a nice, comfy bed and slept great knowing that I had the entire next day to lounge around. I had not taken a full day off since Damascus.
I didn't get out of bed on Sunday June 10th until around 7AM and Kathy made delicious eggs for breakfast. Jim drove me to the grocery store to resupply for the next couple of days and we watched dark storm clouds roll in. It was forecasted to rain all day long, which made even more thankful that I was taking a zero day. I took a quick nap when we got back to the house and woke up around 1PM and waited for guests to arrive. Jim had invited a few coworkers over to visit and help me celebrate hitting the halfway point - Jean and her son, Layla and her family, and Michael all made the drive out to PA to hang out. It was very nice to catch up with everyone - since it was raining we stayed inside and ate and ate and ate.
After everyone left Jim, Kathy and I ordered pizza for dinner and relaxed. I was so thankful that I was able to spend the day with them, resting my feet, and mentally preparing for the rocks in Pennsylvania. Jim had recently lost someone close to him so it was a good mental distraction for him as well. It rained an inch over the course of the day and another half inch over night. I was happy to be starting the second half of the trail clean, dry, rested, and in good spirits!
I looked in the binder at the other hikers who had passed through recently to see if I recognized anyone - Orange, Coors, Handstand, MacGyver, and Zeppelin, who I met in the Shenandoahs had been there earlier that day. Gray walked in a little while after me - he has some friends in MD that will be picking him up for a few days off the trail, so I probably won't see him again. I also noticed that earlier the same day another hiker with the trail name Early Bird had checked in - and she had started at the end of April - she was making serious miles! For a few weeks after leaving Harper's Ferry a lot of hikers would think they had already met me, but I told them they probably met the other Early Bird..who by now was hundreds of miles ahead!
After I finished at the ATC HQ I wandered down into historic Harper's Ferry to find lunch before I headed out of town. The recent rain had caused the river to swell and flood the trail across the river along the C&O Canal Towpath. But the water had subsided enough for the trail to reopen the afternoon I got there, so I wanted to make sure I was able to cross and continue north before any more rain came in.
Finally at 5:30 I left town, Tumbleweed walked with me for awhile along the C&O Canal. He's retired from the military and lives in an RV while he is in the states, but spends most of his time traveling the world. After crossing the river I had entered Maryland, my 6th state! I checked off both Virginia and West Virginia that day and was feeling very accomplished.
I stopped to enjoy the view at Weverton Cliffs and caught up to Orange there. We hiked the last two miles to the Ed Garvey Shelter (AT mile 1031) together for a total of 26.2 for the day, arriving around 8PM. There were only a couple of people in the shelter but I found a spot to tent nearby instead, it was a nice cool evening. I saw a couple people tenting nearby and recognized one of them - it was Bob, the only person I knew on the trail before I started. He worked with Sixlegs at REI before he came out here.
Thursday (June 7th) I was up at 5:15AM and hiking by 5:55, Bird followed shortly after, and Orange 30 behind him. It was a chilly morning, I even wore my puffy while packing up. The miles were easy, by 7 I had gone the 3ish miles to Gathland State Park. There were bathrooms, a water spigot, and I found an outlet to charge my phone for a few minutes. I saw a hiker come through who was doing the 4 state challenge - he didn't stick around long. Some hikers will hike 40+ miles in a day, starting in VA and hiking through WV and MD and cross the border into Pennsylvania which would put them in 4 states in one day. I was not interested, but it seemed very doable given the easier terrain. There were lots of mud pits and where there wasn't mud there were rocks.
I took another break at Dahlgren Campground to again use the bathrooms, charger, and trash cans. It was cool and sunny with scattered clouds, a perfect hiking day. The trail went by several parks and historical sites in Maryland, including Washington Monument State Park where there was a school group who gave the hikers funny looks as we walked by. I passed by Annapolis Rocks in the afternoon and met one of two ridgerunners in Maryland. They rotate every 5 days, one stays at the caretaker camp near Annapolis Rocks and the other hikes between Harper's Ferry and PenMar Park (the northern border of MD) and then they switch.
The trail crossed I-70 and I was reminded how close to home I was. The miles flew by as we talked. The last climb of the day was hardest and for the first time that day I was sweating by the time I reached the top. We arrived at Raven Rock Shelter (AT mile 1060.8) around 6pm having done 29.8 miles. Two thru hikers - Thor and Cowboy - were there, Roadkill, Orange and Miles showed up. Bird was making the trip to get water, it was nearly half mile away so I rationed what I had left because I didn't want to walk that far. The shelter was nice, 2 stories and I ended up sleeping on the top sleeping platform. The MD/PA was less than 5 miles away.
Meredith had to battle bad traffic to get there but arrived around 7:15PM. She brought an amazing care package from my friend Sheri - it was filled with new hiking clothes, socks, snacks, a cooling towel - it was such a great birthday present!
Bailey, my 8-year old puppy, was too excited to concentrate on anything. She just wanted to run around like a crazy dog - at one point I thought maybe I could put her in my tent so she would settle down but she ended up almost running away with the tent, from inside of it. Meredith drove Bird and I to Walmart to resupply. We would get to Pine Grove Furnace State Park the next day and Boiling Springs in two days so we didn't need to carry much food.
The next morning we took our time getting up, finally got moving around 7AM - Bailey slept in my tiny one-person tent with me but was restless all night long. We decided to go to Timbers Restaurant down the street instead of going to the trail magic - the breakfast was delicious, inexpensive, and the restaurant was very hiker friendly. Bird also got a hamburger and milkshake - the waitress could tell he was a thru hiker, I guess I still don't have that hiker hunger.
After breakfast, Meredith dropped us back in the park and we started hiking around 10AM. The miles that day were some of the easiest so far - the climbs only took 15-20 minutes and Bird and I held a conversation the whole time. There were some rocks but not enough to slow us down. We came to Dead Womans Hollow Road which mileage-wise was just about the halfway point. I had been on the trail for 2 months and I celebrated being halfway done with my thru hike! There was a small sign noting the halfway point, but it was from last year (this years trail mileage is slightly longer so the halfway point isn't exactly the same). I looked in the trail register and found a note for Early Bird that said Terri K. says hi...hmm I know there is another Early Bird in the area, but I work with a Terri K. It was confirmed later that it was from my coworker - how cool!I made good time over the final miles of the day - I was excited to get to Pine Grove Furnace - there was a larger sign/marker denoting halfway (the halfway in 2011 when it was put up). I also found a note that Meredith had left me in the trail register when she hiked through there last December.
I got to the General Store just before 5, hiking 19.5 miles that day, and there were several hikers sitting on the porch there eating ice cream. A hiker tradition at the halfway point is to eat a half gallon of ice cream in an hour or less - it's called the Half Gallon Challenge and anyone who completes it receives a small wooden spoon. I knew my belly would not fit that much ice cream in it and the prize did not seem like a good enough reward, so I ordered a small, two scoops which was plenty. As I sat eating my ice cream I messaged my coworker Jim - he lives only a few miles from the trail and made arrangements to pick me up and let me take a rest day! Bird decided he would also take a zero the next day but wanted to stay on the trail.
I didn't get out of bed on Sunday June 10th until around 7AM and Kathy made delicious eggs for breakfast. Jim drove me to the grocery store to resupply for the next couple of days and we watched dark storm clouds roll in. It was forecasted to rain all day long, which made even more thankful that I was taking a zero day. I took a quick nap when we got back to the house and woke up around 1PM and waited for guests to arrive. Jim had invited a few coworkers over to visit and help me celebrate hitting the halfway point - Jean and her son, Layla and her family, and Michael all made the drive out to PA to hang out. It was very nice to catch up with everyone - since it was raining we stayed inside and ate and ate and ate.
After everyone left Jim, Kathy and I ordered pizza for dinner and relaxed. I was so thankful that I was able to spend the day with them, resting my feet, and mentally preparing for the rocks in Pennsylvania. Jim had recently lost someone close to him so it was a good mental distraction for him as well. It rained an inch over the course of the day and another half inch over night. I was happy to be starting the second half of the trail clean, dry, rested, and in good spirits!
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