Central/Northern Virginia____The Appalachian Trail____Pennsylvania
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Tuesday, July 10, 2001
Harper’s Ferry, WV-Ed Garvey Shelter
Today’s Miles: 7
Trip Miles: 1002.7
Had a great day in town, just galavanting around, happy to be there. Some more people I hadn’t seen in a few weeks caught up – too many to mention. A guy called Blue Moon drove Sugardaddy, Eggman and I to a Super Walmart out of town to resupply, and showed us a cool swimming hole on the way back. I had my picture taken at the ATC HQ, and I think I was about the six hundredth thru-hiker to be through there. I visited the outfitter, ate a good stromboli, stopped by the library, and it was quite late by the time I was hiking again, over a bridge where the Shenadoah and Potomac Rivers meet. The trail followed the C&O canal and Potomac River for a few miles before going back up into the mountains. It required some night hiking to get to the shelter. I was suspecting that anybody there would be asleep, but I was greeted by the Italion Scallion, entertaining a large family with wide eyed kids – he had their full attention with old fashioned campfire stories! A classic scene.
Wednesday, July 11, 2001
Ed Gravey Shelter-Campsite
Today’s Miles: 25.90
Trip Miles: 1028.6
Started early today, but unfortunately, I think it was too early. I hiked an hour or two and took a long nap until almost one in the afternoon. Moved on about seven more miles until Turners Gap, where I caught Madcow and two other friends whom I hadn’t seen in a while, only to learn they were meeting parents in a few hours and getting off the trail. Madcow and I had dinner with them, and it was so sad to see them go. It always is.
It was there that he and I had a crazy idea – to hike all night through the dawn, and get to the Pennsylvania border. I want to get there so badly, it’s my home state, so we decided to go for it. We climbed up to the first Washington Monument, in Maryland’s state park. It’s not the popular monument, and was built well before. It’s just a tall stone tower with steps inside like a castle, winding to tht top and a view. Madcow and I waited there for the sunset, raided a nearby soda machine, and vanished into the night.
The most spectacular part of the night was crossing a footbridge over I-70. There was a streaming line of headlights and taillights in both directions, and countless stars above. A trucker managed to see us, even in the dark, and beeped the horn! It was a beautiful night, and the moon didn’t rise until very late. We saw some deer that were fascinated by our headlamps, simultaneously frightened and intrigued … like a deer in headlights! It was just getting light in the east around five in the morning when we collapsed at the first flat site we saw. We didn’t make it to Pennsylvania.
Thursday, July 12, 2001
Campsite-Deer Lick Shelters
Today’s Miles: 12.9
Trip Miles: 1041.5
I’M IN PENNSYLVANIA!
Mama, I’m comin’ home!
The weather is perfect – blue skies, breezy…and it’s supposed to stay like this for a week! YEAH!
I spent the late afternoon in PenMar Park with Madcow and some random, young local kid, playing there for probably the whole summer. He had such a dirty mouth for a little kid. I promised him I’d check out the South Park movie when I get home.
And then there was nothing left to do but finally cross the border, cross the Mason Dixon Line, into Pennsylvania.
Yes!
at PenMar Park
Central/Northern Virginia____The Appalachian Trail____Pennsylvania
