Date: 2005-06-20
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Annapolis Rocks
Miles today: 24.6

On the trail at 8:30 after breakfast at the Hilltop Hotel's breakfast bar. Good food at a good price.   Dandylion and Pogo left this morning as planned on the train bound for D.C. Pogo took over my bed and they decided to leave their equipment there in the room while they were gone.    I moved along the Tow Path along side of the now abandoned C&O canal and the railway that made it obsolete. I noticed that there were a number of bridge abutments crossing the Potomac River just below Harpers Ferry that were no longer in use. The new highway was loaded with automobiles zipping on by (talk about your noise pollution). Transportation in all phases of generations were there in front of me. Foot path, water canal, the river itself for that matter, rail lines, many different roadways, all the way up to the present Interstate. Today we could pass by this unique location in a matter of seconds. I bet in the past it took months just to get here. The Irony of it all boggles the mind.   The tow path was not marked well as I found out. There were times that I even doubted that I was even on the AT. At the end of the path, where the AT went off and North, there was a sign saying that the AT markers were intentionally left off of the path. (kind of confusing to say the least, the AT is a park now isn't it ?). No sign saying such a thing was seen as I left Harpers Ferry. Oh well, river to the right and a rail line to the left. This critter could only go one way. It wasn't long before I was sitting on Weaverton Cliffs looking South towards Harpers Ferry and over the area I just hiked.   I took a late Lunch at the Gathland State Park. There was a war monument there dedicated to all war correspondents. I remember either hearing, reading or seeing something about it on an AFN (Armed Forces Network) television commercial when I was stationed in Germany. Overseas they do not have regular commercials, just infomercials (the kind that tell you trivia). Now here the thing was right in front of me (It is such a small world). I took a picture of it that was dwarfed by my finger in the lens (I can not begin to tell just how many pictures I lost that way).   I moved on and decided to stop in at a Biker Bar called the Dog Patch Saloon just off of Interstate 70 and US 40. There I had a light supper and ran into Buttah, Leviathan and Protieus. We were only introduced to each other the day before so I went unnoticed. They were funny to watch since it was obvious that they were enjoying the happy hour and by looks of it, had been happy for quite some time. AC DC was playing on the Juke Box with a song that was referring to a portion of a man's anatomy (or was it talking about having large parties?). Regardless, the talk was about the song "Big Balls". One of the three (I will not mention who) decided to show the entire bar that in fact, "He had the biggest balls of them all". I am quoting a line from the song mind you, no insult intended. Later on up the trail when I started hiking with these guys, we talked about that day. Yes I busted their...er...chops on that day's entertainment.   I departed soon after and walked to the "Pine Knob Shelter". The shelter was to close to the road for me though. At the shelter a father and three screaming kids were sitting around a garbage fire. Not for me so, I figured I would sign the log book and move on. I found out that I was hiking in the same day as my two friends, Fig and Just Visiting. They must not have stopped at Harpers Ferry. I figured we would bounce in to each other before long.    I ended up at the campsite at Annapolis Rocks. There were little campsites all over the place that gave you the feeling of isolation. I did not recognize any names that were signed in the registration book. I set up camp and soon was fast asleep. It was a long but nice day (I was only 16.3 miles away from the PA state border).