Date: 2008-06-17
From: Harpers Ferry, W. Va.

To: 1 mile north of Washington Monument, MD
Miles today: 21.1

I woke up at 5:15am and started the coffee brewing machine on and started packing up my stuff.A real strong storm blew through at 11 last night. I was sound asleep when I heard hail hitting my window along with high winds. Like I always say....backpacking is rough! :-)I had breakfast at the motel. It was a little better than a Poptart.I talked to Clotheline while I was eating, then started talking to a couple guys riding their bicycles from DC to Pittsburg. They were having lots of fun on this 4th time they've done that ride. The one guy said he thought about doing the AT once, but quickly realized it wouldn't be the life for him.He said he got paid to sleep on the ground when he was in the Army, but that no one would pay him now, so he'd rather ride a bicycle and sleep in motels. :-) (does Mrs Gorp have a brother?) Ha!I checked out of the motel and started walking north on the Appalachian Trail at 7:20am.I realized just how bad my old shoes were. I felt like I was walking on a bed of spent mountain laurel blossoms with my new ones. (refer to pictures sent in today)I walked by Jefferson Rock and took a couple pictures, then by the ruins of St Johns Episcopal Church.I walked by St Peters Roman Catholic Church and got a picture of that.Lots of history and old buildings in Harpers Ferry, but not a lot of places to stay or eat...especially on a Monday night. Of the three places I usually eat at, not one of them was open, so I settled for popcorn and Cheetos for last night's dinner. :-(I think I forgot to mention in yesterday's journal that I got out of VA. It wasn't too bad...I just started walking through VA last month. I walked into WV yesterday and now I've already walked ALL the way through that state and crossed into MD this morning. I'm moving! ;-)I had data service when I checked on the C&O Canal Towpath, so I stopped walking and sent in a couple dozen pictures and yesterday's journal entry.I Rosie met me at Weaverton Rd right at 9:30am. I gave her a big hug...it was great seeing her again!She gave me an ice cold Coke, we talked about 20 minutes, then I loaded up a fanny pack and walked into the woods at 9:50am.This is the 3rd time she's come out and slacked me through a part of MD. I promised Rosie I wouldn¢t fall down this year. She had to take me to urgent care a couple years ago for some stitches. :-)It's an absolutely gorgeous day for a walk! I keep thinking of Mother Nature and Smokestack sitting in their recliners when they could be walking on a cool day like today! ;-)I ran into Makin Time and Privy Keeper who started walking north in central VA.I couldn't believe it when I realized I was on top of South Mountain already! It seemed like I just floated up that two mile climb. I really had to keep checking to make sure, but the climb was over and I had some flat walking for a while coming up.Today was perfect...my feet felt great from the cushioning of the new shoes, I climbed a mountain like it wasn't even there, it was noticeably cooler and breezy out....and there were NO BUGS! Life is good! :-)I stopped by Ed Garvey Shelter, took a picture of it, signed the register and used up another smiley face sticker and walked on. I remember spending my 50th birthday at that shelter. I walked up on Christmas day and woke up to my birthday the next day with 6 inches of beautiful new snow. I ended up staying the whole day...it was postcard beautiful! (that was a year or to ago) ;-)I¢ve noticed some friends are still using my guestbook as a message board, but at least now they are saying something about me...and it's even nice sometimes! :-)I got to Crampton Gap at 12:30pm. Rosie was parked there doing a sudoku. She had packed lunch and had a couple excellent hoagies with lots of meat on them. She got full, so I ate half of hers. :-)I had a Coke and some potato chips.What an awesome beautiful day...made even better having a good friend like Rosie slacking me and meeting me with food! :-)I walked on after about 40 minutes. I climbed a gentle grade for the next 4 miles, stopping at White Rock Cliff for a picture, then summited Lamb's Knoll.I had an easy walk coming down off Lamb's Knoll and my thoughts went back to the pink 3X panties and the pink spork that my ol' buddy Chief sent me in a care package to Harpers Ferry. I wasn't so much thinking about his excellent taste in undergarments and eating utensils as I was think about my ol' buddy Chief wandering around in the lingerie department shopping for just the right pair of 3X pink panties....just think of the security cameras that were watching him and the guards alerted to someone like him holding those garments up for inspection before his final decision of purchase. (I'm really laying here in my tent and laughing out loud at that thought) :-)I came to Dahlgren Campground and saw Brown Bag, Professor Longjohns and Mary Poppins. I think they all took advantage of the showers.I stopped just long enough to fill my water bottle for tonight. I knew if I didn't that I might not remember when I walked on after thanking Rosie.I got to Turners Gap and Rosie was there waiting. She said that the Old South Mountain Inn didn't open till 5 and it was just 4pm. I needed to resupply since there was no place to shop in Harpers Ferry. She took me into Boonsboro and we found a Weis grocery store.That was perfect because I wanted to buy enough food to get me to Boiling Springs, PA.I shopped and got three nights and four days of food, then when we got back to Old South Mountain Inn, it was just opening.We roughed it...Rosie had scallops and I had prime rib. Tah, tah, tah.....   :-)I REALLY enjoyed today! Thank you soooo much Rosie for coming out and slacking me through your area again!Rosie said there was a hill between Turners Gap and the Washington Monument and would only take her five minutes to drive there. She could meet me there and then I could resume my backpacking. How could I resist? :-)It was a two mile walk for me and the hill really wasn't all that bad.The thing that shocked me most was the number of large trees that had recently been blown down. There must have been a hundred along that two mile section. It was from that storm that blew through when I was in Waynesboro, VA a couple weeks ago.The trail maintainers had already been out and cleared the Trail. Those volunteers do more work than I think anyone realizes!The park was closed, so Rosie met me about half a mile before it. I got my pack out, gave Rosie another big hug and thanked her for a great day and I started walking north at 7pm.THANKS ROSIE!!! :-)I climbed up to the Washington Monument and took a picture, then headed on.I was walking along and run into a sobo hiker about 20 minutes past the monument.He looked at me and asked if I'd hiked the Trail before. I said that I had and he asked if I was Stumpknocker. I said yes and asked him his name....it was Foxtrot! My goodness, I hadn't seen him for a few years now....and he put on a few pounds.He said he didn't recognize me at first because I had put on a few pounds. Ha! :-)We talked about 25 minutes. We both headed on our way because it was starting to get late.The last time I saw Foxtrot, he had just gotten back from one of his walks in Alaska. He goes out for about 6 weeks and said he had about 5 days before he got out of the woods. He was walking along some young willow trees and a grizzly charged him. He fell back and the grizzly bit him in his calf, then ran back into the willow trees.By that time, Foxtrot had enough time to get his bear spray out...and he needed it because the grizzly evidentially thought he tasted pretty good and charged again. This time the bear spray made the bear decide to leave.The part of the story I liked best was that when he when he did get out of the woods and in to see a doctor, the doctor told Foxtrot that he could probably fix his leg so it didn't show much of a scar from the teeth marks of the grizzly. Foxtrot said..."NO...I want the scar!"Hey Foxtrot....great seeing you again and good luck on your walk this year! :-)Another GREAT day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)