Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Week 11 Pics (pt 2, Harpers ferry)
Cowboy camped the night before crossing the border
Monday, June 28, 2021
Week 11
6/21 Dick's Dome shelter 987, Summer Solstice
6/22 Camped past Raven Rocks 1010, technically WV. 1000 miles, and the rollercoaster
6/23 4 mile campground 1022, just outside Harper's Ferry, cowboy camped
6/24 hotel near Harper's Ferry 1025
6/25 Rocky Run Shelter 1042, MD, had the shelter to myself
6/26 Annapolis Rocks 1051, Camped and hiked with a friend
6/27 camped just past the Mason-Dixon line 1067, about 230 miles of PA till NJ.
Plenty of wild berries have been ripening. This past week I got to eat black raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, blueberries, and wild cherrys. A nice way to complement dry hiker food, and fun to look out for. I've been watching the berries ripen for a while, and now they've finally made it. Next is to get an edible plant guide and see what else I can find.
I passed a lot of milestones this week. There were the 3 different state boundaries: Virginia -> West Virginia -> Maryland -> Pennsylvania. The distance boundary, passing 1000 miles. And the time boundary, spending 75 days on trail on 6/24. I think the sight of the Shenandoah river, and crossing the bridge over it to Harper's ferry affected me the most. I was already in West Virginia at that point, but the river crossing and seeing the Potomac river really made me feel a combination of home-coming and at the same time being far away from where I started.
Doing the Maryland section was nostalgic. I had hiked part of it as a boy scout, and I got to see and recognize the same parts of the trail as I went by.
Monday, June 21, 2021
Week 10
6/13 Paul C Wolfe shelter 860, wet slippery rocks Cookie Challenge last day
6/14 Quality Inn of Waynesboro 865, just before the Shanendoah National Park (SNP) and I-64, split
6/15 stealth camping spot 876, near Turk Mountain. Start of SNP hiking.
6/16 camped near Simmons gap ranger station 900, camped right off the road, played hacky-sack at a shelter.
6/17 camped near Blackrock view 926.3, Marathon day!
6/18 pass mountain shelter 946, two dogs at the shelter instead of camped
6/19 Tom Floyd shelter 969 arrived at night, hiked with my mom, brothers, and dog for a short climb
6/20 Front Royal 972, Great hiker room at the brewery with free laundry and showers, split a motel
This week I hiked through the shennies (shanendoah national park). Its a park that's setup for motorists, who drive the skyline drive and can stop at restaurants and lodging along the way. And the AT runs beside the road for the whole 105 mile length. There were many places to buy overpriced snacks, and so many day hikers. At one point a family drove up to me, and asked where they could go to see the bears. Definitely a culture difference for us thru-hikers. The campsites were also packed at night. Looking forward to getting back to the normal trail.
Harper's ferry, and the end of Virginia awaits!
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Week 9 pics (part the second)
Bored at the Laundromat
