Date: 2010-05-27
From: Rocky Run, MD

To: Annapolis Rocks, MD
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

From TrailPhone:"Hey. It's 9 o'clock eastern time. I'm at the Dog Run Backpack group camp. I'm going to take about 30 minutes to shower and head on up the trail. Pounded out 10 miles yesterday to Rocky Run Shelter. My left knee was causing me a little problem. Seems to be a little better with walking today. I was really dehydrated last night and this morning. I didn't really feel like eating. I've choked down 2 liters of water last night, another 1 or 2 this morning. If I stop early, I'm going to stop at Pine Knob Shelter. Depending on how I feel at Pine Knob, I may go ahead and press on to the Pogo Campsite, but I'm not going any further than Pogo today. Other than that, it's been a beautiful day. Getting up early really came good yesterday. The high was 92, had a heat index of probably close to 100. I really should not have been hiking. Probably explains why I'm feeling kind of miserable, but I'm seeing some interesting stuff, a lot of frogs. I saw my first snake yesterday, a little black snake, 6 inches long, a little dot behind it's head. It looked poisonous, but other than that, things are going well. Bye bye."UPDATE: Got up about 7 a.m. and started breaking camp and fixing breakfast. Ate some oatmeal with freeze dried apples. Still couldn't stomach eating the Fig Newtons I would normally eat at the office. Left Rocky Run about 8 a.m.About 9, we entered the Dahlgren Backpack Camp Ground. Found the mens room and enjoyed a long hot shower and shampoo. We even "did laundry" by rinsing out our t-shirt and shorts. We attempted to shave with just water as a lubricant and managed to start what later became an ingrown hair. After showering, we met "Veggie" a female AT soloist and vegetarian.Around 10 a.m. we had reached the Gap where Dahlgren Chapel and the Mansion Inn stand. Took some requisite photos and resumed our hike along very level and rock free trails.About noon, we found ourself entering into Washing Monument SP. After a short walk uphill to the museum and monument parking area, we took a short break and sat on the low stone wall fronting the parking area. Big mistake. Not only did we embed numerous tiny evergreen bits into our t-shirt and back, but we also maneged to embed the same in the pad on our backpack. Even removing our shirt and buffing our back brought little relief.We topped off our water bottles and ascended up the gravel trail to the monument, which also is a section of the AT. The sun was now nearly overhead, but we found some shade on the view side of the monument, doffed our pack and had our scheduled lunch break. Today we enjoyed a packet of tuna in oil to which we added a packets of mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. The extra salt and mayo was a blessing and we repeatedly thanked those office personnel who graciously donated their condiments. After lunch we took a quick trip up the tower and took yet another requisite photo of the view.From the park, the trail begins a sharp downhill with large water bars. Sometime around 2 p.m. we were feeling the effects of the heat and decided to pull off to the side, pitch our hammock and take a nap. We awoke around 3:30 pm. just in time for visitors. First, the volunteer PATC trail patrol was on their return leg. (We saw them at the water faucet while resting on the wall in the park, but didn't recognize who they were.) They asked about my water status and if I knew where water sources were. I showed them my elevation sheet with water holes highlighted green. I told the patrol I planned to stop just across I-70 at the next shelter. Then, Lil Dipper and Redwing passed by and the patrol recommended we overnight at Annapolis Rocks and cook dinner while watching sunset from the rocks.I ambled on down the trail and popped out of the woods facing a pair of homes with a man riding back and forth cutting grass. Where was the trail? No blazes to the right or left, no marks on the pavement and none of the trees on my side indicated a turn. Curious... The I saw the blaze across the street. The AT ran between the two homes between two garden borders. At the rear of the homes, the trail took a sudden left turn down wooden steps made from railroad ties. Then a sudden right and we were crossing I-70. I had passed under this very bridge in 1991 when I drove my family from New Jersey to Arkansas following my return from Operation Desert Storm. Today, I was back and headed north with a full pack. As I crossed a car honked their approval and encouragement.Immediately after crossing I-70, I lost the trail once again and found myself in a parking lot. Someone in the lot directed me back towards the bridge I just crossed. The AT circled right and down under the bridge and followed the freeway for about a quarter of a mile. Then up. Lots of up...After a short climb up from I-70, we found the blue blaze trail to the shelter and water. As there was still several hours of daylight and we had no immediate need of water, we continued to climb. Somewhere along the climb we met Josey. Josey was headed to Annapolis Rocks. We jokingly mentioned watching for us and if we didn't arrive to send help. As Josey departed, we continued to climb. Eventually as the skies grew dimmer, the trail flattened and we suddenly found ourselves surprised by a sign announcing the blue blaze trail to Annapolis Rocks. Down! The only problem with "down" is that it means "up" first thing in the morning. We started down the trail and first found a privy, one of two according to a camp sign. We located the camping area trail and started looking for a good place to hang for the night. Area 5 met our needs and we hastily made camp. Grabbing our food bag, cook set, fuel, and water bottles we headed for the spring and the rocks. The spring was a piped spring with water just gushing our of the hill. Josey was camped just below the spring and the second privy was just downhill and downwind. Josey led the way to the rocks where we both met COB. While COB and Josey enjoyed the sunset, I started water boiling for dinner. We started with hot pork ramen soup and followed with some hot mashed potatoes. We were starting to get an appetite back and ate all the soup and most of the potatoes. We packed up our mess kit and took yet another requisite photo of the sunset. Following COB back up to the camping area, we inquired as to his trail name as COB is a Navy term meaning "Chief of the Boat". Nope, COB was a navy guy. His family gave him the name and it stands for "cranky old bastard." laughing, I found myself thinking it wouldn't be long and my own family might take to calling me "COB"Thus ended the third day.