Friday, June 26th - Up at 5:25, to overcast skies and 63 degrees, still and already very sultry. Looks like a day for heavy afternoon thunderstorms. After going to get water, we left at 6:15, with a wave to Journey. Mark's feet were still bothering him, even with his old boots, and by the time we got to the crest of the long hill he was semi-limping. Rather than continuing on (in pain) to Fayetteville or Pine Grove Furnace State Park, I suggested that we return to the Old Forge Picnic Area if Mark's mom or Brenda could come today. After a dozen tries, and moving around a bit, we finally got a viable cell phone signal, and arranged for Mark's mom to come get us this morning. So, we returned back down the hill to the Tumbling Run Shelter, passing Journey and the other hiker (forgot his name) on the way up. After eating breakfast on the picnic table there (and further discussing out decision), we pushed back to the Picnic Area, arriving just before 9:00 am. Despite the early hour, there were a (rapidly growing) number of Mennonites (???) already there, setting up what we guessed was a very large picnic on the baseball field. We moved up to a large pavillion, in case it rained, but in fact the day improved rapidly to nearly clear skies - but increasingly warm and still quite sultry.
We listened to the radio for awhile, then a group of about 50 kids and counselors from Camp Penn (a Methodist Church summer camp located right next door to the park) showed up, and so we moved to a free picnic table. The kids quizzed Mark for a few minutes about what we had done, and we were both kind of startled to get a several rounds of applause and cheers from the group. An unexpected accolade to end our trek on. Mark's mom showed up just before 10:30, and we loaded up and headed off to Waynesboro (this one in Pennsylvania) for brunch/lunch. The Golden Corral (our intended destination) didn't open til 11:00, so we instead went to the Mountain Gate Restaurant, enjoying both their breakfast and lunch buffets, while discussing our decision with Mark's mom. Then back in the car for the drive home (I semi-napped in the back seat). She dropped Mark off around 1:00, then myself at 1:30, thus ending our trek. [As a final aside, let me offer our collective thanks to Mark's mom, who was always "there" for us the entire trek.]
Joint Statement from Mark Wray & Bob Klein about leaving the A.T.:
We left the A.T. at the Old Forge Picnic Area in southern Pennsylvania on Friday, June 26th, after completing nearly 1100 miles (the southern half of the trail) during a particularly challenging year. We both decided that hiking and camping (being two of our favorite activites) were too important to us to be reduced to a daily chore. We have been told that some folks finish the A.T. merely to "get it over with," or for a plaque on the wall. This was never our intention or desire. At this time we don't have any plans for finishing the northern half of the trail. We may do it in sections over the next few years, we may take another long trek after we retire, or we may never finish. We are proud of our accomplishments, and enjoyed the time we had on the trail and our time together. And we have gained a new respect for those few that complete the entire trek. Thanks to everyone who supported us along the way. This was the toughest physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual challenge we had ever faced, but it was also a remarkable adventure. We hope others may someday follow in our shoes. See you "down the trail ..."
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Day 80 - Over the Mason-Dixon Line, & a Big Decision
Thursday, June 24th - Up at 6:30, to clear but hazy skies, and increased humidity. I got up a little earlier in order to complete yesterday's blog report. Mark got up just before 7:00, and prepped breakfast (sausage and scrambled eggs) for both of us (David and Carol declined - apparently, they rarely eat breakfast). Done by 7:45, and packed up and on our way just after 8:00, with thanks to Carol. David drove us back up to the trailhead, and with additional thanks for all the hospitality, and his wishes for good luck, we were back on the trail.
Today's trails were a repeat of yesterday's - some nice stretches, some nasty stretches, and again a lot of road crossings. There were also a lot of trail crossings, many of them unmarked (I guess you just have to know!) It was also noticeably hotter and more humid than it had been yesterday, or maybe we were just feeling it more. Mark's feet were better with his old boots, but he was still hurting. We passed a bunch of shelters today, set surprisingly close together and also close to local roads - Ensign Cowall, Raven Rocks, others, plus a PATC Cabin. We stopped at the trail junction for Raven Rocks, and I headed down about a quarter mile for water. Mark chatted with a northbound section hiker (Walker Kentucky Ranger) while I got the water. Contrary to what the book said, the spring was well before the shelter, and so I just got water and didn't bother checking the shelter register (the shelter was not in sight, and I didn't care to walk down
the (steep) hill any further). A little later we crossed a small stream that had a dozen sodas bobbing in the water - another Trail Magic. Just after High Rock Overlook, we stopped for lunch, with Walker Kentucky Ranger joining us; nice guy. He was completing Maryland that afternoon, then heading home. We pushed on down a very steep and rocky stretch - the northern end of South Mountain.
On the way down, however, Mark indicated that he wanted to leave the trail when we reached Pine Grove Furnace State Park, the halfway point. Quite a shock to me! We talked about it at length as we walked down the hill, and he explained his thoughts. In addition to several personal reasons (which I will not detail here), he strongly felt that the trek had become a chore, and simply wasn't fun or interesting anymore. Thinking about it, I agreed - and also knew that I had a serious question now, whether I should continue or quit. Having done the hundred mile stretch from Mt. Rogers Visitor's Center to Pearisburg alone, I was unenthused about another 1100 miles of the same - and one of the main reasons (probably THE main reason) why I had started the trek this year was because Mark was going. Needless to say, my mind was running about a hundred miles an hour for the rest of the day (and well into the wee hours of the morning) as I pondered my decision.
Eventually we reached Pen-Mar Park, at the Maryland - Pennsylvania border. A southbound section hiker told us that there was a Trail Magic going on at the park, but if so it was over and gone by the time we arrived. But it was a beautiful park, with a fabulous view to the north into southern Pennsylvania; they even had a grandstand set up for the view. Even though it was just a Thursday, there was a surprising number of people there. We took a soda break, and made a few more phone calls, before moving on, stopping for photos at what we think was the actual Mason-Dixon line on Pen-Mar Road. The trail improved dramatically as we headed into Pennsylvania, and we also passed several shelters: Deer Lick and Antietam, the latter having two small shelters side by side. We reached another park, the Old Forge Picnic Ground, and stopped for dinner there (another nice spot). After a half an hour, we pushed on to Tumbling Run Shelter, another two-shelter setup with nice tent sites and both a creek and a spring nearby. There were two hikers there, a female northbound section hiker Journey (a different Journey than the one we had hiked with in southwestern Virginia), with her dog, and a male northbound through-hiker (missed his name).
Due to the bug issue, we decided to tent-camp (as did the other through-hiker). Mark wanted to call Brenda, but there was no cell phone coverage near the shelter, so I set off up the next hill (still on the A.T.), reaching the crest about 20 huffing and puffing minutes later. The issues with U.S. Cellular continued, but eventually I was able to get some calls through. Coming back down the hill, I met Mark coming up - he doubtless thought I had been eaten by a bear or something, I was gone so long. He headed up himself, and I went down and had a nice chat with Journey, discussing whether to quit the trek or not (she was very sympathetic, and also very complimentary of what we had already done). As darkness came on, I went over and yelled up to Mark - and he answered, so no need for me to head back up the hill with my flashlight. After laying out the Spot, and recording the blog entry, we hit the rack around 9:20. So, 18 miles total, plus the extra mile to get up and down the hill for phone calls. Mark fell asleep fairly quickly, but I lay there til about 1:30, still agonizing over my choice to continue or quit. In the end, however, I decided it was the end for me too - though I could do it solo, and would have gone all the way with Mark, I just wasn't interested in doing it alone. I guess there was some relief in that, and I fell asleep soon thereafter. A tough day, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Today's trails were a repeat of yesterday's - some nice stretches, some nasty stretches, and again a lot of road crossings. There were also a lot of trail crossings, many of them unmarked (I guess you just have to know!) It was also noticeably hotter and more humid than it had been yesterday, or maybe we were just feeling it more. Mark's feet were better with his old boots, but he was still hurting. We passed a bunch of shelters today, set surprisingly close together and also close to local roads - Ensign Cowall, Raven Rocks, others, plus a PATC Cabin. We stopped at the trail junction for Raven Rocks, and I headed down about a quarter mile for water. Mark chatted with a northbound section hiker (Walker Kentucky Ranger) while I got the water. Contrary to what the book said, the spring was well before the shelter, and so I just got water and didn't bother checking the shelter register (the shelter was not in sight, and I didn't care to walk down
the (steep) hill any further). A little later we crossed a small stream that had a dozen sodas bobbing in the water - another Trail Magic. Just after High Rock Overlook, we stopped for lunch, with Walker Kentucky Ranger joining us; nice guy. He was completing Maryland that afternoon, then heading home. We pushed on down a very steep and rocky stretch - the northern end of South Mountain.
On the way down, however, Mark indicated that he wanted to leave the trail when we reached Pine Grove Furnace State Park, the halfway point. Quite a shock to me! We talked about it at length as we walked down the hill, and he explained his thoughts. In addition to several personal reasons (which I will not detail here), he strongly felt that the trek had become a chore, and simply wasn't fun or interesting anymore. Thinking about it, I agreed - and also knew that I had a serious question now, whether I should continue or quit. Having done the hundred mile stretch from Mt. Rogers Visitor's Center to Pearisburg alone, I was unenthused about another 1100 miles of the same - and one of the main reasons (probably THE main reason) why I had started the trek this year was because Mark was going. Needless to say, my mind was running about a hundred miles an hour for the rest of the day (and well into the wee hours of the morning) as I pondered my decision.
Eventually we reached Pen-Mar Park, at the Maryland - Pennsylvania border. A southbound section hiker told us that there was a Trail Magic going on at the park, but if so it was over and gone by the time we arrived. But it was a beautiful park, with a fabulous view to the north into southern Pennsylvania; they even had a grandstand set up for the view. Even though it was just a Thursday, there was a surprising number of people there. We took a soda break, and made a few more phone calls, before moving on, stopping for photos at what we think was the actual Mason-Dixon line on Pen-Mar Road. The trail improved dramatically as we headed into Pennsylvania, and we also passed several shelters: Deer Lick and Antietam, the latter having two small shelters side by side. We reached another park, the Old Forge Picnic Ground, and stopped for dinner there (another nice spot). After a half an hour, we pushed on to Tumbling Run Shelter, another two-shelter setup with nice tent sites and both a creek and a spring nearby. There were two hikers there, a female northbound section hiker Journey (a different Journey than the one we had hiked with in southwestern Virginia), with her dog, and a male northbound through-hiker (missed his name).
Due to the bug issue, we decided to tent-camp (as did the other through-hiker). Mark wanted to call Brenda, but there was no cell phone coverage near the shelter, so I set off up the next hill (still on the A.T.), reaching the crest about 20 huffing and puffing minutes later. The issues with U.S. Cellular continued, but eventually I was able to get some calls through. Coming back down the hill, I met Mark coming up - he doubtless thought I had been eaten by a bear or something, I was gone so long. He headed up himself, and I went down and had a nice chat with Journey, discussing whether to quit the trek or not (she was very sympathetic, and also very complimentary of what we had already done). As darkness came on, I went over and yelled up to Mark - and he answered, so no need for me to head back up the hill with my flashlight. After laying out the Spot, and recording the blog entry, we hit the rack around 9:20. So, 18 miles total, plus the extra mile to get up and down the hill for phone calls. Mark fell asleep fairly quickly, but I lay there til about 1:30, still agonizing over my choice to continue or quit. In the end, however, I decided it was the end for me too - though I could do it solo, and would have gone all the way with Mark, I just wasn't interested in doing it alone. I guess there was some relief in that, and I fell asleep soon thereafter. A tough day, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Day 79 - A Nero into Smithsburg
Wednesday, June 24th - Up at 5:15 (first ones up), another perfectly clear morning, 58 degrees, no noticeable breeze. On our way at 6:00, again walking the South Mountain ridgeline crest. Within a half an hour, we crossed over Boonsboro Road, then entered the Washington Monument State Park - another very nice facility. Since there were numerous picnic tables and another full-service bathhouse (that was open), we stopped for a quiet breakfast, with only a rabbit and a sizable murder of crows to keep us company (the entire place was completely deserted, as you'd expect for a Wednesday morning). 
Once we wrapped that up, we headed up the hill to the actual monument, grabbing some water and reading the various plaques along the way. The A.T. split off about halfway up, but we continued on the historical trail to the monument, which we then climbed for the views. After a few pictures, we returned to the trail and continued on our way. It was a real mixed bag on the trails today - some easy stuff, some brutally rocky stretches. We also crossed over a half a dozen roads today, some of them quite busy. Mark's feet are really bothering him - apparently his new boots are too narrow, and are causing him serious pain, especially on the rocky areas.
We reached the Pine Knob Shelter; we dropped our packs and Mark headed down for water and to check the register. Later we passed the "Pogo" primitive campsite; it had a spring there, but otherwise it wasn't a good place to camp (no level tenting area, lots of rocks). Later we threaded our way through a small residential zone, just before I-70, with the trail running along the property lines of several houses. There was also a trail log there (which we signed); again, very few familiar names over the previous two weeks - most of those signing in are section or weekend hikers. I am beginning to wonder just how many through-hikers are actually out here any more - people who should have easily passed us during our 4-day home visit are not in any of the trail registers, and only about half a dozen of the folks we knew (who had
passed us earlier in the trek) are still ahead of us.
Once we passed over I-70 (on the long overhead footbridge that the Troop has gone under a hundred times in my career), we were back in the woods for awhile. Climbing back up the ridge on the opposite side, we were both quite surprised to catch up to Rush Williamson, a Scoutmaster from Maryland and a Contingent Leader for the first one of the Council's Philmont trips this year (Mark knows him very well). He was heading up to Annapolis Rocks to repair the privvy there (and also as a personal shakedown for Philmont). He had through-hiked the A.T. and had more than an hour's worth of advice for us. He split off at Annapolis Rocks, and we continued on. Mark decided to try and get his previous set of boots overnighted to his cousin's house (our destination for the day); after a lot of phone calls (from the top of the ridge), we finally got through, and his mom decided to bring them up to Smithsburg herself. [It was fortunate that we're still close to the Washington area.] The phone coverage in this zone is U.S. Cellular, and (apparently) it doesn't like Verizon very much, so making and receiving calls and voicemails was problematic, requiring multiple attempts.
It got noticeably hot as the afternoon came on, and we had to really hit the water as we were going along. But it wasn't all that oppressive, just hot. Finally descended down to Wolfsville Road, where Carol Fitzgerald picked us up, and 3 minutes later we were at their house (a nice place, set 300 yards back in the woods). So, only 13 miles today, though it felt longer to me. Mark's mom was already there, with Mark's boots, and (after some showers and a load of laundry) we all chatted for a while. David Fitzgerald showed up about an hour later, and Carol took off for an evening function. We headed off with David to a mini-mart and then Food Lion to resupply (and buy some dinner items), then returned to the house. Mark prepped hamburgers on an outside grill for dinner while I did a quick check of email. We continued chatting with David and Mark's mom over dinner about the trail, and then I headed up for bed around 7:00 - for some reason I was really staggering with fatigue today, probably due to the heat. Mark's mom left for Arlington about the same time. David offered to clean everything up, which was greatly appreciated, and he and Mark talked for several hours as I caught some extra sleep. A nice break!
Once we wrapped that up, we headed up the hill to the actual monument, grabbing some water and reading the various plaques along the way. The A.T. split off about halfway up, but we continued on the historical trail to the monument, which we then climbed for the views. After a few pictures, we returned to the trail and continued on our way. It was a real mixed bag on the trails today - some easy stuff, some brutally rocky stretches. We also crossed over a half a dozen roads today, some of them quite busy. Mark's feet are really bothering him - apparently his new boots are too narrow, and are causing him serious pain, especially on the rocky areas.
We reached the Pine Knob Shelter; we dropped our packs and Mark headed down for water and to check the register. Later we passed the "Pogo" primitive campsite; it had a spring there, but otherwise it wasn't a good place to camp (no level tenting area, lots of rocks). Later we threaded our way through a small residential zone, just before I-70, with the trail running along the property lines of several houses. There was also a trail log there (which we signed); again, very few familiar names over the previous two weeks - most of those signing in are section or weekend hikers. I am beginning to wonder just how many through-hikers are actually out here any more - people who should have easily passed us during our 4-day home visit are not in any of the trail registers, and only about half a dozen of the folks we knew (who had
passed us earlier in the trek) are still ahead of us.Once we passed over I-70 (on the long overhead footbridge that the Troop has gone under a hundred times in my career), we were back in the woods for awhile. Climbing back up the ridge on the opposite side, we were both quite surprised to catch up to Rush Williamson, a Scoutmaster from Maryland and a Contingent Leader for the first one of the Council's Philmont trips this year (Mark knows him very well). He was heading up to Annapolis Rocks to repair the privvy there (and also as a personal shakedown for Philmont). He had through-hiked the A.T. and had more than an hour's worth of advice for us. He split off at Annapolis Rocks, and we continued on. Mark decided to try and get his previous set of boots overnighted to his cousin's house (our destination for the day); after a lot of phone calls (from the top of the ridge), we finally got through, and his mom decided to bring them up to Smithsburg herself. [It was fortunate that we're still close to the Washington area.] The phone coverage in this zone is U.S. Cellular, and (apparently) it doesn't like Verizon very much, so making and receiving calls and voicemails was problematic, requiring multiple attempts.
It got noticeably hot as the afternoon came on, and we had to really hit the water as we were going along. But it wasn't all that oppressive, just hot. Finally descended down to Wolfsville Road, where Carol Fitzgerald picked us up, and 3 minutes later we were at their house (a nice place, set 300 yards back in the woods). So, only 13 miles today, though it felt longer to me. Mark's mom was already there, with Mark's boots, and (after some showers and a load of laundry) we all chatted for a while. David Fitzgerald showed up about an hour later, and Carol took off for an evening function. We headed off with David to a mini-mart and then Food Lion to resupply (and buy some dinner items), then returned to the house. Mark prepped hamburgers on an outside grill for dinner while I did a quick check of email. We continued chatting with David and Mark's mom over dinner about the trail, and then I headed up for bed around 7:00 - for some reason I was really staggering with fatigue today, probably due to the heat. Mark's mom left for Arlington about the same time. David offered to clean everything up, which was greatly appreciated, and he and Mark talked for several hours as I caught some extra sleep. A nice break!
Day 78 - Back at it; Goodbye West Virginia, Hello Maryland
Tuesday, June 22nd - Got up at 5:30 and grabbed a final (pre-trail) shower. Then checked email, discussed a few final issues with Marco, and headed off to McD's for a quick breakfast. Back to the house at 6:45, and finished my packup by 7:00. Mark and his son William showed up at 7:20, and we headed back to Harper's Ferry, arriving at the 340 bridge parking lot around 8:30. Beautiful day, clear blue skies and low humidity, with a light breeze. We loaded up and headed out by 8:40, with William departing as we walked away.
We started out along the river for a bit, passing Jefferson's Rock (nice views), then walking through a bit of the Harper's Ferry Historic District (spending a few minutes to read the various plaques along the way). Eventually we crossed the Potomac on a footbridge adjacent to the railroad bridge, entering Maryland (our sixth state!) Walked along the C&O Towpath for roughly 2 1/2 miles, where we saw a turtle attempting to lay eggs (another first for me); there were also some very large mud turtles sunning themselves on logs and rocks in the canal itslf (which was green ooze here). Eventually we cut left over the canal and started up the long climb up South Mountain (which runs nearly across the entire state). The trail runs down the center of the ridge, which is fairly wide and flat. Some nice trail, but also some really rocky sections. Passed (but did not stop at) two shelters along the way, Ed Garvey and Crampton Gap, and then entered Gathland State Park (nice facility).
After getting water and chatting with a few other through-hikers there (none who we knew), we pushed on to Rocky Run Shelter. By this point (early afternoon), it was getting pretty hot, so we dropped our packs and Mark went on down to fill up on water again, and enter us in the register. Happy had been there on the 12th, and Fidget on the 15th - no one else we recognized in the register. Several people at the shelter indicated that our intended destination (Dahlgren Backcountry Camping Area) had some sort of mini-Boy Scout Camporee going on, but we decided to risk it. Arriving around 6:00, we did in fact find one Scout group in residence (Troop 439 out of southern New Jersey), but the other (larger) group was a YMCA youth group. There were eventually a dozen other section and through-hikers camping there. For the day, 17 miles done. The site itself was very nice - a wide lawn, with picnic tables situated on gravel pads, and a full-service bathhouse. And a small rabbit. Despite the name, not exactly a primitive site! There was still plenty of space, so we went ahead and set up, then ate dinner, then went and chatted with the Scout leaders from Troop 439 (they were impressed with our encyclopedic knowledge of Philmont, which they had attended 3 times over the past 15 years). Mark also chatted with several of the other hikers in residence, while I made the diary entry for the day. By this point we had some thin clouds overhead, but it was still very pleasant. Bed by 9:00. A good day, and a good start to the second half of the trek.
We started out along the river for a bit, passing Jefferson's Rock (nice views), then walking through a bit of the Harper's Ferry Historic District (spending a few minutes to read the various plaques along the way). Eventually we crossed the Potomac on a footbridge adjacent to the railroad bridge, entering Maryland (our sixth state!) Walked along the C&O Towpath for roughly 2 1/2 miles, where we saw a turtle attempting to lay eggs (another first for me); there were also some very large mud turtles sunning themselves on logs and rocks in the canal itslf (which was green ooze here). Eventually we cut left over the canal and started up the long climb up South Mountain (which runs nearly across the entire state). The trail runs down the center of the ridge, which is fairly wide and flat. Some nice trail, but also some really rocky sections. Passed (but did not stop at) two shelters along the way, Ed Garvey and Crampton Gap, and then entered Gathland State Park (nice facility).
After getting water and chatting with a few other through-hikers there (none who we knew), we pushed on to Rocky Run Shelter. By this point (early afternoon), it was getting pretty hot, so we dropped our packs and Mark went on down to fill up on water again, and enter us in the register. Happy had been there on the 12th, and Fidget on the 15th - no one else we recognized in the register. Several people at the shelter indicated that our intended destination (Dahlgren Backcountry Camping Area) had some sort of mini-Boy Scout Camporee going on, but we decided to risk it. Arriving around 6:00, we did in fact find one Scout group in residence (Troop 439 out of southern New Jersey), but the other (larger) group was a YMCA youth group. There were eventually a dozen other section and through-hikers camping there. For the day, 17 miles done. The site itself was very nice - a wide lawn, with picnic tables situated on gravel pads, and a full-service bathhouse. And a small rabbit. Despite the name, not exactly a primitive site! There was still plenty of space, so we went ahead and set up, then ate dinner, then went and chatted with the Scout leaders from Troop 439 (they were impressed with our encyclopedic knowledge of Philmont, which they had attended 3 times over the past 15 years). Mark also chatted with several of the other hikers in residence, while I made the diary entry for the day. By this point we had some thin clouds overhead, but it was still very pleasant. Bed by 9:00. A good day, and a good start to the second half of the trek.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Day 77 - Off the Trail for a Few Days ...
Friday, June 19th - Up at 6:30, after watching a re-run of the Nationals win over the Yankees (3 - 0!) 'til after midnight. Took another shower, then went out and checked various email accounts on the hotel courtesy computer. Returning to the room around 7:30 or so, Mark got up and we hit the Continental Breakfast - decent, nothing special. Fortunately for them, we had stuffed ourselves at the Chinese buffet last night, so we behaved ourselves.Went back to the room and started packing (holding our noses). Got a call from Pete at 8:30 - he was already in the parking lot, and had been there for about 15 minutes. So we hustled our gear outside and loaded up, with greetings all around. Since the ATC Center didn't open til 9:00, and Pete hadn't eaten yet, we started heading to Charles Town to grab breakfast - but eventually turned back around and returned to the Center. In fact it was already open (8:50), and so we spent about half an hour there, signing in, getting our "official" through-hiker photos for their 2009 album, and buying the maps for the rest of the trip (I suppose this means we're committed now!) Eventually Pete headed up to a local 7-11 (with another through-hiker - Spoonman) for some something to eat - he bought the through-hiker his breakfast too (instant trail magic!)
Once he returned, we loaded up and headed to Mark's house (in Chantilly), then to my house. I talked with Rick K. (from my agency) on the way - apparently my position had opened up yesterday, so I can now re-apply for my job (which I'll probably do, though apparently there are some 15's in other agencies that are intriguing). Traffic on both 28 and I-66 was heavy and slow, even though it was going on 10:30 by this point - some things I sure don't miss. Pete and I enjoyed a nice chat (He was nearly catatonic, but we did have a nice chat!) on the way to my house, and we arrived just before 11:00. After dumping my stuff, Pete headed off for work at Ireton, and I started in on a "serious" cleanup. Lots to do over the next 4 days. We're back at it again on Tuesday morning. [This blog will not cover the next 3 1/2 days spent at my house.] See ya!
(Ed. - Our intrepid friend has completed 1013 miles in 76 days - an average of 92.1 miles per week and 13.3 miles per day. That's pretty close to 11 Philmonts back to back! If they maintain this pace, they'll summit Mt. Katahdin, the northern terminus of the A.T., on Rosh Hashanah, September 19th, although I suspect that it will probably be 10 days or so before that given their recent pace. My prediction? 9/9/9!)
Day 76 - By the Rollercoaster & on to Harper's Ferry
Thursday, June 18th - Up at 5:30. Despite the heavy rains overnight, we woke to partly cloudy skies, and 65 degrees - but extremely humid (soupy is the best way to describe it). Doc McCorkle and Fantasy Feet also got up, soon after Mark and I. Got out at 6:10, and continued the ups and downs of the Rollercoaster, again on sloppy and slippery trail. Breakfast after an hour, on some convenient "sitting" rocks.The trail stayed rocky til we passed Bear's Den and Rt. 7, then became a bit more reasonable (we decided not to visit Bear's Den Hostel). The gaps were again flowing hard with water. This was very familiar territory for both Mark and I, from various Philmont and other Scouting outings through the years. The temperature rose a bit, but it was still very humid. Around 11:00 we started getting distant booms of thunder, and within 30 minutes we were in yet another torrential downpour. Mark and I both elected to walk through it without rain gear, thereby getting a free (and badly needed) shower; however, the rain also finished the job of completely soaking our boots and socks - so we ended up hiking soaking wet the rest of the way.
Because the creeks were running pretty brownish after all the rain, we held out on water, finally filling up at the Blackburn Trail Center (potable water; Mark went down and filled our canteens). The trail improved dramatically after the Blackburn Center. We pushed on to the David Lesser Shelter (another nice one), where I went down to sign the register. Fantasy Feet was already there (having passed us about 2 hours beforehand). The Register indicated that Happy had been there on the 9th, and Rusty on the 15th; I didn't know anyone else in the listings. After a short break for snacks, we pushed on for the last 8 miles, passing Rt. 9 on the way. The sun came out, and the air was distinctly drier.
We continued on to the Loudoun Heights area, then headed down the switchbacks towards Harper's Ferry. Much to our surprise, about halfway down we met John Kaluta and his friend Melissa, waiting for us to arrive. After greetings, we declined their offer for a ride to the Comfort Inn, and so they took off for the parking lot near the 340 bridge while we walked in (23 miles total for the day, nearly 70 miles over the past 3 days). We crossed the bridge (noisy and busy), threw our packs in the back of John's car, and he drove us the final hundred yards from the A.T. to the hotel. We shared a couple of beers and then checked in, getting Room 109.
After showers and fresh clothes (and some first aid for our feet), we headed to Charles Town for a Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet there, closing the place down at 9:30 (pretty good food, but not as good as the Ming Dynasty at Waynesboro). Back to the hotel, where John and Melissa soon took off. Called Pete to finalize our pickup tomorrow morning; also called Marco to let him know when I'd be returning. We placed our most malodorous items in plastic bags, so the room wouldn't be too nasty, then watched a little TV (History Channel, then a Nationals/Yankees game re-run), then hit the Internet on the computer in the hotel lobby. Then bed. A good day, but we're both very weary.
Day 75 - Our Longest Day & Into the Rollercoaster
Wednesday, June 17th - Moderate rain started up around 3:00 am. Up at 5:30; still raining, so we decided to eat breakfast at the shelter as opposed to on the side of the trail in an hour (which is what we normally do). Left around 6:15, in the rain. The weather today was odd in that we had a lot of wind from the east and northeast, which I associate with nor'easters, not with cold fronts approaching from the west (which is what we had expected from the Weather Channel forecast). Regardless, it blew pretty hard, basically all day long, making the more exposed sections of the hike pretty chilly.
The trails were a mixed bag today, reasonable to start but difficult (later) as we headed into the Rollercoaster. We passed several shelters along the route today - Manassas Gap, Dick's Dome, and Rod Hollow. At 4:00, rather than sit at Rod Hollow (20 miles in), we decided to push on another 7 miles to the next shelter. The rain kept up nearly all day, with a few peaks of sun mid-day and then late afternoon. We saw only one other hiker all day, a southbound day-hiker. So not the best hiking day; the trails were pretty much a slick mud-pit (always a joy),
and each gap had a pretty good flow of water pouring through it. We passed Rt. 55, then I-66, then Rt. 50, then Sky Meadows State Park, all familiar territory for both Mark and I. Eventually we passed a sign for the Rollercoaster (basically an "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter" sort of thing), and pounded up and down the first five peaks (lot of rocky trail), arriving at the Sam Moore Shelter at 7:30. Drizzle was still falling as we arrived, and we were both pretty much a wet mess. "Doc" McCorkle was there; that was it (he was, however, happy to see us, and was also astonished at our mileage (27 miles for the day)). A bit later "Fantasy Feet" arrived, and that was it for the night.
and each gap had a pretty good flow of water pouring through it. We passed Rt. 55, then I-66, then Rt. 50, then Sky Meadows State Park, all familiar territory for both Mark and I. Eventually we passed a sign for the Rollercoaster (basically an "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter" sort of thing), and pounded up and down the first five peaks (lot of rocky trail), arriving at the Sam Moore Shelter at 7:30. Drizzle was still falling as we arrived, and we were both pretty much a wet mess. "Doc" McCorkle was there; that was it (he was, however, happy to see us, and was also astonished at our mileage (27 miles for the day)). A bit later "Fantasy Feet" arrived, and that was it for the night. The rain picked up steadily after we arrived, and so it was pretty noisy (but dry) under the tin roof of the shelter. Later overnight we had a major thunderstorm roll through, and still later a second very heavy batch of rain (but no thunder and lightning for this second batch), both with torrential downpours and lots of wind. So it was not the most "restful" night. We're both whipped, but also elated at having done 27 miles through some tough terrain and tough conditions - good to know we can handle high mileage days when we put ourselves to the test. And we're now within striking distance of Harper's Ferry!
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