Date: 2009-07-11
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

In the wee hours of the morning, I awoke underneath the train bridge to people coming down off the other foot/train bridge in order to bicycle along the canal route, which runs a good distance along the Potomac River on the Maryland side. I knew that I had to get moving so that I would not get caught or in trouble, so I packed up my belongings at 6:30 am and headed off. Harpers Ferry has a ton of history ¢ especially during the Civil War period ¢ and I began to tour the historic district, learning various facts about the town, itself. It is situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers where the U.S. states of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia meet. The town is located on a low lying flood plain created by the two rivers, it is thus surrounded by higher ground on all sides. Historically, Harpers Ferry is best known for John Brown's raid on the Armory in 1859 and its role in the American Civil War. The Civil War was disastrous for Harpers Ferry, which changed hands eight times between 1861 and 1865[8]. When Virginia seceded in April 1861 the US garrison attempted to burn the arsenal and destroy the machinery. Locals saved the equipment, which was later transferred to a more secure location in Richmond. Arms production never returned to Harpers Ferry.Because of the town's strategic location on the railroad and at the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley, both Union and Confederate troops moved through Harpers Ferry frequently. The town's garrison of 14,000 Federal troops played a key role in the Confederate invasion of Maryland in September 1862. General Robert E. Lee did not want to continue on to Pennsylvania without capturing the town, which was on his supply line and would control one of his possible routes of retreat if the invasion did not go well. Dividing his army of approximately 40,000 into four sections, he used the cover of the mountains and sent three columns under Stonewall Jackson to surround and capture the townThe Battle of Harpers Ferry started with light fighting September 13 to capture the Maryland Heights to the northeast while John Walker moved back over the Potomac to capture Loudoun Heights south of town. After an artillery bombardment on September 14 and 15, the Federal garrison surrendered. Lee, because of the delay in capturing Harpers Ferry, and the movement of Federal forces west, was forced to regroup at the town of Sharpsburg, leading two days later to the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest single day in American military history.Shortly after the end of the Civil War, Harpers Ferry, along with all of both Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, was separated from Virginia and incorporated into West Virginia. The inhabitants of the counties as well as the Virginia legislature protested, but the federal government went ahead anyway, forming the West Virginia "panhandle" of today.I was in great need of some water and the use of public facilities, so I headed over to the train station. For a good hour or so, I sat down on a bench inside and began eating some very juicy mangoes, bananas, and fruit-cupped yogurt for breakfast. It was delicious. During this time, I struck up a conversation with an older couple ¢ Rich and (the woman¢s name escapes me at the moment) ¢ who were from Harpers Ferry and were very familiar with the Appalachian Trail. We shared some great stories and we both exchanged questions about life in Harpers Ferry and life on the AT. I then hiked on the Appalachian Trail, all the way back to where I got off to hike the blue blaze, heading to the ATC. I have still considered myself a purist, but in certain cases, I don¢t think that I have to hike .1 miles back when I¢ve already done a .2 mile blue-blazed section to get to a viewpoint. I guess it is all what people make of it: Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH)!!! I then climbed the big hill, headed back to the ATC for a short visit, and then started walking the one mile to the library. While there, I did my best to respond to emails and messages on Facebook regarding my birthday and I had some other loose odds and ends that I had to take care of. Tom and the kids arrived later on than expected, but it was just great seeing familiar faces again. Tom explained that they had to get back home, so I was only able to spend a short 45 minutes with them, but I understood. I was very grateful for his visit and also for the fact that he lugged my trail food, Endurox, and trail gear up with him, at which time I could quickly look through in order to find out what I needed. I took the kids into the ATC headquarters and showed them the map of the AT on the wall and its significance for being one of the longest treks in the world (obviously a relative comment). They then dropped me off at the train station, where I sat out close to the tracks and began eating seasoned tuna from the bag. It wasn¢t all that good, but I was in good spirits, so it didn¢t matter much. All I was looking for was to get some protein in my body so that I could have the energy to push on to the first shelter in a short while. Instead, I went across the street to ¢Scoops¢ an ice cream parlour and complete local joint for tourists. One woman began her order and I could tell immediately that she was from Scotland. As she walked over, I struck up a conversation with her and she told me that she was over with her mum visiting friends in Virginia. It was a short conversation, but it was great to have some good-hearted Scots closeby. My heart had warmed. Walking out of town, I met up with the woman¢s mother and we began chatting away about Scotland and the Appalachian Trail and traveling on one¢s own. She reminded me entirely of my grandmother (Granny Hutch). I ended up getting a picture taken with her and, at some point, I¢ll try to upload a photo to match the story. One could tell that she was truly a great person. We parted ways and I began my trek northward, leaving Harpers Ferry on my own, but knowing that friends would be not far ahead. I walked next to the C&O Canal, which runs parallel to the mighty Potomac River. I made it to Ed Garvey Shelter before dark and managed to meet two thru-hikers and a group of section hikers (Greg, Greg¢s sister, and Greg¢s sister¢s friend). They turned out to be great people and I certainly enjoyed hearing their stories and attempting to answer their questions about the trail. Late at night, a thru-hiker ¢Just Dan¢ came on into camp. He was from Fairfax, VA, but had some family up in PA. He started the trail only on May 23 and had been cruising at a 25 mpd pace since Springer. Just Dan told me that he was getting a bit burned out and that he knew that he wasn¢t hiking the way he wanted the AT to be hiked, so he will be getting off the trail once he gets into Pennsylvania. Him getting off also had to do with financial constraints and not enough time to finish, so he would be heading back to college in the fall. I enjoyed talking with him for that short period of time and I really hope that he is able to find some quiet time to enjoy the peaceful nature and sanctity of the AT.