Days 88-98

June 29 to July 9

Front Royal, Virginia, to

Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Pennsylvania

Day 88

Front Royal, VA, to Fire Trail Road

The weather today ranged from overcast with light rain, to hot and humid, to an evening thunderstorm.  Plus, it rained all night.  

Trail Angel Gumbo

We received trail magic in the form of a ride to the trailhead by Gumbo, who is planning to hike the AT when he retires in a few years.  Providing trail magic is his way of gleaning information about trail culture and equipment choices.

The trail was hilly but in great condition.  I, on the other hand, was a bit out of sorts all day.  I had some rather nasty stomach issues.  At one point, I considered heading to town, but I continued to hike and managed to reach my goal for the day.

We passed through a lot of green tunnel today.

The biting knats were out in force.  It's pretty much impossible to escape those little bastards.  I did put on my net face mask to prevent the bugs from climbing in my nose, ears, eyes, and mouth.  I considered putting on a long-sleeve shirt and long pants, but it was just too warm. I slathered on more DEET in hopes of quelling the onslaught.  It sort-of worked.

There were several running springs along the way, so there were no water issues today.  Many of the springs are equipped with a pipe to direct water flow.  The pipes do make collecting water simpler.  

I stopped by the Manassas Gap Shelter fill up my water bottles from the spring located there.

Manassas Gap Shelter

It is definitely berry-picking time.  Ripe blackberries and raspberries are abundant.

Day 88 Trail Profile

We camped near Fire Trail Road at mile 988.

Day 89

Fire Trail Road to Sam Moore Shelter

The weather today was hot and humid.  I drank seven liters of water and electrolytes to try to keep hydrated.  I'm pretty sure that I was sweating more than I drank.

I came across Boy Scout Troop 455 from Rockville, Maryland.  They were backpacking in preparation for a 50-miler at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico.  I remember going to Philmont in 1973.  Those boys are headed for an adventure they won't forget.

Boy Scout Troop 455

Some folks picking berries informed me that the berries I thought were raspberries are actually wine berries, an invasive species.  All I can say is that they are a very tasty invasive species.

I encountered a large Black Snake (Black Racer) today.  It was a rather docile critter that was interested in investigating my phone.

I started hiking the dreaded "Roller Coaster" today.  The Roller Coaster is a 14-mile stretch of very steep, slippery, rock-covered climbs and descents.  I'm about a fourth of the way through the Coaster and will complete it tomorrow.

Day 89 Trail Profile

I passed the 1,000-mile AT trail marker today.

I'm camped at the Sam Moore Shelter.  I arrived around 8:30 p.m. to find that I'm the only one here.  There were so many bugs that I decided to pitch my tent in the shelter to avoid the bugs and the high winds that had cropped up.

Sam Moore Shelter

Day 90

Sam Moore Shelter to David Lesser Memorial Shelter

There was something eerie last night about being the only one at the Sam Moore Shelter, which is tucked deep in a hollow.  There was no moon out, and of course no lights.  For some reason, this situation seemed different than pitching my tent in the woods.  It reminded me of a lot of grade B horror movies. 

The tired thru-hiker stumbled into the shelter late at night . . . it was pitch black . . . mayhem ensued . . . the hiker was never seen again . . . all that could be heard were the forest night sounds.

I did stay in the shelter, and there were so many bugs that I pitched my tent inside.  The layer of mosquito netting protected me from the bugs and nefarious evildoers. 

View from Bears Den Overlook

I made it out of the Roller Coaster, and I'm very glad.  The Roller Coaster was a definite torture test of steep ups and downs.

I made it through Virginia, and now I'm in West Virginia.  Virginia seemed to never end.  If anyone tells you that Virginia is flat, he or she has either never been there or is lying.

Day 91

David Lesser Memorial Shelter to Harpers Ferry, WV

Last night I was the only person in the David Lesser Memorial Shelter.  I arrived late, so I dropped my pack and proceeded down the 1/4-mile path to the shelter's water source to fill my water bottles.  It was dark by the time I got back to the shelter.  I took advantage of this and pitched my tent in the shelter.

David Lesser Memorial Shelter

Today was a beautiful day for the nine-mile hike into Harpers Ferry.  The trail was clear of obstacles and generally tended downhill.  Because I didn't have far to hike today, I had a leisurely breakfast and even enjoyed two cups of coffee.

It was interesting stepping out of the woods and crossing the bridge over the Shenandoah River.  The folks racing in their cars seem to have no idea of the peaceful AT less than a mile away.

I stopped at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to see where I placed in the thru-hikers who have made it this far to date.  I'm number 1050.  They took my picture and put it in the thru-hiker ledger.

I did take advantage of the cold drinks and popsicles that were in the Conservancy.

I ran into Tidy, who we had leap frogged with several times on the trail but I hadn't seen in a couple of weeks.

Tidy at the ATC

I'm staying at the Halfway Hideaway Hostel.  I'm in a bunk room with five other hikers.  The accommodations are fairly nice for a hostel.

I went looking for some dinner, only to find that the restaurants within walking distance were closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  I ended up piecing together my dinner from the 7-ELEVEN.

The boneless chicken wings, chips, banana, and Coke Slurpy were actually pretty tasty.  Maybe it was because I was very hungry, or maybe they were really that good.  Either way, I enjoyed my meal while sitting at a picnic table outside of the 7-ELEVEN and watching folks driving in and out of the parking lot.

Day 92

Slack Pack:  Foxville Rd., MD 77 (mile 1,058)

Southbound to Harpers Ferry, WV

I slack packed southbound today.  It ended up being an unexpected 28-mile day when I thought I was hiking 20 miles.  Luckily, the temperature was in the high 80s, there was no rain, and there was plenty of water along the way.

When I looked at my map, I discovered that the AT crosses over MD 70 and 77.  It appears that I was dropped off at MD 77 instead of MD 70, which added about 6.5 miles to my hike.  My shuttle driver was a thru-hiker who was doing work-for-stay at the hostel and wasn't very familiar with the local roads.  

I also added about 1.5 miles to my day's total by taking blue-blaze trails to see a variety of historical sites.

I passed through West Virginia into Maryland today.  Only a very small section of the AT is in West Virginia, essentially covering a few miles in and out of Harpers Ferry.

This stretch of trail passes through a myriad of historical landmarks from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.  All of this history slowed me down because I couldn't resist stopping and looking at the monuments and reading the plaques.  I found the Washington Monument, which overlooks Boonesboro, Maryland, to be very interesting.  It reminded me of a large vase or a charcoal kiln.  

  

Washington Monument

View from Washington Monument

I also discovered a monument to General Reno along the way.

Reno Monument

I passed Commando near the Washington Monument as he made his way north.  Sally is meeting me in Harpers Ferry on the 4th of July and will be staying through the 7th.  Commando decided to continue hiking instead of zeroing for several days.

Commando Northbound

Seeing firsthand the places where the Civil War battles happened was enlightening.  This is some very tough and beautiful country.  It's hard to believe that tens of thousands of people died here during the war.

There is a large arch erected by the War Correspondents to commemorate people on both sides of the Civil War who died in the conflict.

The last few miles along the Potomac River were flat and fast.  Various groups of people had set up camps to stake out locations for tomorrow's 4th of July festivities.

When I crossed the railroad bridge over the river into Harpers Ferry, it was about 9:30 p.m.  The historical site was pitch black with no street lights.  It was strange passing these historical buildings in the dark under the glow of my headlamp.

Day 93

Independence Day Zero

Harpers Ferry, WV

I took a Zero today.  I have been staying at the Halfway Hideaway hostel in Harpers Ferry.  I awoke early on the 4th of July and decided to go for breakfast at the Country Cafe.  This place is definitely a piece of Americana that the locals frequent.  I enjoyed watching how the waitress, who was dressed like Rosie the Riveter, seamlessly moved from table to table, taking orders, filling coffee cups, and serving food.  Equally interesting was the clientele:  the long table of old men discussing politics, families, firemen, and, of course, thru-hikers.

The food was great too, as was evidenced by my Denver Omelette and what I observed others enjoying.

While I was waiting for Sally to arrive, folks at the hostel loaded up a truck with inner tubes and headed to the Potomac River for a tubing excursion.

Sally arrived around 2:00 p.m.  We did a little exploring, then checked into our room.  We later went to dinner, then watched fireworks from our air-conditioned room and ate junk food.  It was delightful.

Leaving the Office for Harpers Ferry

Day 94
Foxville Road, MD 77 (mile 1,058) to
Pen Mar County Park

We hiked a Nero today.  I slack packed while Rocky tried a different pack and I tried new boots.  Today was Rocky's first day back on the trail since his injury, so we took it kind-of easy.

Sally dropped us off on Foxville Road to hike northbound from the spot where I had hiked southbound two days before.  

As we were unloading from the car, a thru-hiker named Foghat appeared out of the woods.  

Foghat with Titanium & Rocky

After Rocky and I started, Sally gave Foghat a ride to Dollar General and a pizza place a couple of miles away.  Foghat thru-hiked as far as New Hampshire last year before he was stopped by an injury, and he has made a couple of other long thru-hiking attempts.  He estimates that after making it to Maine this year, he will have hiked about 5,000 miles on the AT.

Rocky hopped out of the back of the car and didn't give his siblings, Zap and Rosie, a look back as we started out.  He seemed to enjoy being back on the trail.

The weather was hot and dry, and the trail was moderately hilly.  Nothing new here.

We encountered a large black snake.  When I got close to the snake, it coiled into a striking position and vibrated its tail in some dry leaves.  This is the first time I've seen a black snake emulate a rattlesnake.

By the end of the hike, it was easy to see that the new pack Rocky wore today doesn't fit him properly even after multiple attempts to adjust it.  It was just too big.  Sally brought his old pack along, so we'll be going back to that one for now.

Note from Sally:

While we waited for Titanium and Rocky to finish their hike today, Zap, Rosie, and I explored a little.  We visited the Washington Monument and took a beautiful drive through small towns that paralleled the highway--such as Sharpsburg, Maryland--between Harpers Ferry and Pen Mar Park.  

Finally, Rosie and I let Zap snooze in the air conditioning while we met the hikers as they came into Pen Mar Park.

Day 95

Zero in Harpers Ferry

Saturday was a recuperate, resupply, and repack day.  And this pet-friendly hotel had a pool that was actually big enough for a few laps (we kept the dogs out of the pool though).

Day 96

Pen Mar County Park, Maryland to

Tumbling Run Shelters in Pennsylvania

Sally dropped Rocky and me off today at Pen Mar Park before she headed home.  On the way we stopped at a local pizza place and ordered a grilled chicken sandwich.  We had a picnic in the park.

There was a dance band playing at the park.  Some danced while others just enjoyed the music.

Note from Sally:  An AT thru-hiker's memoir I was listening to on the way home from the year 2000 described coming upon this same dance band on the Sunday of July 4th weekend.  This is definitely a Sunday tradition at Pen Mar Park!

Sally, Zap, and Rosie walked us about a half-mile up the trail to the Mason-Dixon Line (the entrance into Pennsylvania) before turning around for the park.  Now Rocky and I are in Yankee territory.

Mason-Dixon Line Register Box

Good-bye!

This was Rocky's first day back on the trail with a full backpack.

It was a scorcher today.  It was 95 degrees, very humid, with a heat index of 105 degrees.  We hiked about nine miles and took frequent water breaks.

We made camp near Tumbling Run Shelters.  This was the first time I fully pitched my new Durston X-Mid Pro 2 tent.  The tent weighs just 21 ounces with the stakes.

Tumbling Run Shelters

Note from Sally:

Zap, Rosie, and I made our way back to Pen Mar Park and enjoyed some ice cream from the nice dairy vendor there, who gave the dogs little cups of vanilla on the house.  We then began the 8-hour drive home.  When you travel the distance on the freeway, you can't help thinking, "They've hiked a long, long way!" (from farther south than we live, of course).

Day 97

Tumbling Run Shelters to Quarry Gap Shelters

We're in the middle of a heat wave.  The heat index for today was 103 degrees.  The air is kind-of chunky and hard to breathe.

Luckily the trail was in good shape with only a few large hills and water along the way so that Rocky could cool off.  There were several sections of green tunnel.  Even in the heat, we managed to hike 14 miles.

We did encounter a very healthy rattlesnake near the tent platforms at Quarry Gap Shelters.  With a little coaxing, it went on its way.

Quarry Gap Shelters

Day 98
Quarry Gap Shelters to
Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Pennsylvania

Today was the hottest day we've encountered so far.  It was 97 degrees with humidity of 96% and a heat index of 107 degrees.  At times I felt like I was going to melt.

The mountains here are more rolling than we have experienced so far.  That doesn't mean that there aren't some steep climbs because those are definitely in the trail mix.

At the Shippensburg Road trail crossing, some kind soul left an ice chest full of cold water.  That was an especially thoughtful act of trail magic.

Trail Magic!

We're halfway to Mount Katahdin.  To my surprise, there are two halfway markers for the AT:  the historical and the actual markers.  The length of the AT varies from year to year based on trail modifications and changes.  The actual halfway point for 2024 is a faded paper sign that could be easily missed, whereas the historical marker is grandiose in comparison.

Halfway Point Marker 2024

Historical Halfway Point Marker

We also passed by the 1,100-mile marker today.

At Pine Grove Furnace State Park, our destination today, we stopped by the Pine Grove General Store and watched a few guys try to tackle the half-gallon ice cream challenge for thru-hikers who have made it halfway.  One succeeded.  Being lactose intolerant, I didn't even consider it, but it was fun to watch.

We stayed at the Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel in hopes of having a non-dehydrated meal and cool night's sleep.  They served homemade turkey pot pie for dinner, and pancakes, eggs, and potatoes for breakfast.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHT FROM COMMANDO:

Note from Sally:  

Commando has posted Episode 12 of his YouTube video series, 5 Million Steps.  This episode has Titanium in it often before  Commando moved a little farther north on the trail at Harpers Ferry.  Titanium and Commando communicate often, and we plan to continue following Commando's journey through his wonderful videos.  Here is the link to Episode 12:

https://youtu.be/pw8A_NMWDzo