Date: 2014-06-16
From: Charles Town, WV

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: clear sky

We slept in until 9am and then all took showers and packed our gear before checking out of the motel. It took us less then five minutes to hitc a ride back to Harpers Ferry from a guy in charge of the local school systems. He brought us right to the ATC. I started searching all the books from later years to find friends that have hiked. Shortly after we walked down to the historic district and got a beer and burger. I had at least six glasses of water while we were there. It as 85 degrees at 10am and is now over 95 degrees by 1pm. I got my gear at the ATC and hiked out around 3pm. I was hoping it would cool off but it never did. It actually got warmer and muggy because of thunderstorms in the area. The AT going through Harpers Ferry is very cool! A must see. I crosses the bridge connected to the rail road tracks. I am now in Maryland! 5 down, 9 to go! I was already soaked just walking the flat 2 mile bike bath before the trail shot straight up the mountain. I only had four liters of water on me to last until tomorrow morning. There was no water for 7 miles to the shelter and then none for another 3 miles after that. There was a spring .5 miles downhill behind the shelter but it was straight down and I was doing my best not to hike that. Right before the hill started, there was a warning sign about Copper Head and Timber Ratlle snakes in the area. Apparently they love all these rocks. The terrain for tomorrow looks pretty easy although you never know what the rocks will be like. I only have 35 miles left in Maryland before I enter Pennsylvania. There a lot of people at the shelter tonight. I'm camping close by next to Ponds. I know most of them including Beirut, Maverick, Flinch, I Believe, Ponds, and Beirut's aunt and uncle who are out for a few days to hike with him. Many others camping within a few hundred yards of the shelter as well. I ran the last mile or so here as I could feel the thunder in the ground under my feet so I knew it was really close. The storms stayed all around us until dark which was nice. I ate dinner by the shelter and talked with Flinch for a bit. It is so cool to so her kicking ass out here. This is Moose's mom (for those of you who remember my 2011 journal). I lived next to her for years in Maine. She is 62 and has not only gone far beyond where Moose made it, but also where her son Kevin (Toretto) made it last year. I love it! She's a machine. They went to bed pretty early and we hung around the fire by our campsite for a bit. I called it a night around 10pm. It is still very hot and muggy while laying in my tent. The wind has picked up so that helps a little bit to cool me off. There are more bugs here compared to anywhere else I have camped this far. My guess is because of the mass amounts if small green plants that cover the ground here. I'm shooting for Greenbrier State Park tomorrow since they have camping and a good sizes lake according to the guide. I will be filling up all my water storage at the Gathland State Park about 3 miles away. The heat is supposed to be around for at least a few more days. A lake, camping, and piped water is all I need to beat it. I am looking forward to knocking another state off my list.