My Trails

6/26/12 – 1028 miles
I left Harpers Ferry about 10:00 am, crossed the Potomac River, and walked the C&O Canal Towpath into Maryland. Blue Sky was on the motel computer as I left and told me he would be along soon. I had a short day planned so I walked along slowly enjoying the morning. Shortly, I came upon a cyclists stopped by the path eating some berries off a tree. I asked him about them and learned they were mulberrys. I tried a few and studied the tree so that I could recognize them again. They were quite tasty.

The trail for the next 100 miles will be familiar to me. It is the section where Karen and I have done all our AT hikes the last few years. Even though I’ve walked through here before, it still looks different. There is always something new to see. The advantage I have over other hikers is knowing where the good water sources are and having the correct change for a coveted, hidden soda machine.

There are a few hikers doing the “four state challenge” where you start at the border in VA, hike through WV, MD, and cross just into PA, a distance of 46 miles, and you have to complete it in one day. I think they were going to start at midnight. You can probably imagine that they are all young guys.

6/25/12 – 1017 miles
One thousand miles. Two and a half million steps. Its amazing what the human body can do.

I was up first at the hostel and made myself coffee and pancakes. It was 21 miles into Harpers Ferry but I knew I could make it easily. I was almost past the roller coaster and the next section of trail was mostly flat. The hiking went well and I only stopped for lunch, a blueberry bush, and a picture of the 1000 mile marker. It was about 4:00 pm when descended Loudoun Heights, crossed over the Shenandoah River and entered Harpers Ferry, WV.

Harpers Ferry is home to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, headquarters for the trail, and the psychological half-way point for hikers. At the ATC you sign a register, get your picture taken, and are assigned a number in the list of thruhikers. I am number 669.

Tonight I am staying at the Econo Lodge and will head out tomorrow. I met Blue Sky after I checked in – he is at the same motel – and we walked downtown for dinner and ice cream. I enjoy a relaxing rest at a motel every once in a while but the motels keep getting more expense as I travel further north. I may have to lengthen my motel intervals. Nah!

6/24/12 – 997 miles
You may not believe this but I swear it’s true. There are pop-up rocks on the trail. Most of the time they lay flat on the ground, but just as you step over them, they pop up, catch your toe and send you into an uncontrolled, stumbling run down the trail. I’m pretty sure I heard one of them snickering as I finally caught my balance and turned in disbelief.

I’m staying at the Bears Den Hostel tonight. They have a hiker special that includes bed, shower, laundry, pizza, ice cream, soda, and pancakes in the morning, all for $30. There are four other hikers here so the oven is kept busy.

The worst thing about the roller coaster section of trail is the rocks. I didn’t mind the hills – I’m used to those – but the rocks make the trail an obstacle course. My feet hurt at the end of the day.

I stepped on a scale at the hostel and found that I’m down to 170 pounds, a loss of 35 pounds since the start. I have to figure some way to stop loosing weight. Eventually, it will start to deteriorate my muscles and rob my energy. That’s the dilemma with burning 5000 calories a day.

6/23/12 – 979 miles
The motel provides a free shuttle back to the trail so I didn’t have to worry about hitch hiking this morning. It was 8:30 by the time I got back on the AT, later than I like to start but still earlier than many other hikers get going. At least the oppressive heat wave had passed, it was only supposed to be in the 80’s today.

I think my pack is on the heavy side again. With my ravenous appetite and craving for certain foods, I had a stuffed food bag. I also picked up a pair of light shorts at the second hand store, and Karen ordered another shirt for me to replace the one mice chewed up in the Smokys. There are other small things I keep adding, also. All the little ounces add up to pounds before you know it.

I’m camped at a shelter called Dicks Dome. It was made by the Boy Scouts a few years ago in the shape of a geodesic dome, quite unique in design but reeking in wasted space. There is only room for four people.

Tomorrow I enter a section of trail called the Roller Coaster. The builders and maintainers in this area are very proud that they challenge hikers with continuous up and down trail. Most of the hikers that have done the Roller Coaster say it is more annoying than much of a challenge to us at this stage of our hike.

I only have a couple more days to Harper’s Ferry so Karen and I pushed back the meeting place for our hike to Pen Mar Park at the Pennsylvania / Maryland border. Nate will also be joining us on our hike which makes me happy.

Don’t be worried if I don’t answer your questions, I rarely answer any questions. I tried to email you but your address must be wrong. All I can tell you is nobody you know but Blue Sky is still on the trail. I see no posts from Metric, Sticks, Knife, Gabe, John in the registe