Date: 2017-06-26
From: Sam Moore Shelter Tent Site 

To: David Lesser Memorial Shelter Tent Site 
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: light rain

6/26Sam Moore Shelter Tent Site to David Lesser Memorial Shelter Tent Site 14.2 miles Total miles:  1,014.4I was up early this morning because, even though it was to be a relatively short mileage day, there were two places I wanted to visit.  Also, the first half of the day would still be on the Roller Coaster, so I expected some tough going.  Gravity and I were on the trail by 7:45 and made reasonable time considering the three miles to Bears Den Hostel consisted of three hills on the Roller Coaster.  Bears Den was built in 1933 by local stonemasons for a wealthy Washington physician. It was styled after medieval European castles.  After the death of the physician and his wife, the home was vacant for twenty years before being purchased in 1984 by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, who later sold it to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.  It opened as a hiker hostel in 1989.  It is a fascinating structure and features hostel bunks, a campground, and a rustic cottage.  They also sell ice cream.  I purchased a pint of Caramel Apple Pie ice cream and ate it at a picnic table shaded by a pavilion. I washed it down with a root beer.  Bears Den is a wonderful place, and I'm glad I stopped to visit even if I didn't stay there.  I then "rode" the Roller Coaster down the hill to Snickers Gap, which is on VA Highway 7.  While the AT is usually content to stay in the woods, there are times when it follows and crosses major roads.  We hiked along the shoulder of this four-lane highway for about a quarter mile and then crossed it at Pine Grove Road. There was a blind curve close to the crossing and care was definitely required.  I ended up running across, although the oncoming cars weren't really all that close.  It was then back into the woods to continue on the Coaster.  The hike consisted of working over and around countless rocks, and Gravity took a photo of me on one section.  You can tell it is the trail by the white blaze painted on a rock under my foot.  This was a relatively flat transition section between hills, so we decided to stop by a fallen log to eat lunch.  It was here that I met Chuck Squared, as I call them.  Chuck and Chuck (they share the same trail name) are a wonderful couple from Georgia who hike a section of the AT every sunmer.  This year they hiked from the James River and will finish their section tomorrow in Harper's Ferry.  I am so glad that I asked them about their unique trail names.  The Chucks told me it is a term of endearment taken from Macbeth ("My dearest Chuck").  The term is also used in Wuthering Heights, and, of course, it is a term of endearment that Peppermint Patty uses for Charlie Brown. It turns out that both Chucks are high school Literature teachers. We hiked together for awhile and shared examples of our favorite books and ways to help today's students relate to classic literature.  I am so happy I got to meet them and wish them all the best in both their careers and in eventually completing their section hike of the entire AT.  After lunch it was up another very rocky hill, and, at Mile 1,006.3, I passed into West Virginia. The AT crisscrosses between the Virginias for a few miles, and I won't be permanently in West Virginia until tomorrow, but it was a strange feeling to be in a new state after several weeks and 550 miles in Virginia.  I enjoyed Virginia and never suffered from the dreaded "Virginia Blues," but it is exciting to be in a new state.  I set a bit of Beau free in our new state and continued up the hill to Crescent Rock. My first impression of West Virginia was that their rocks weren't much different than Virginia ones.  There was a gorgeous view from Crescent Rock as the weather was again perfect for hiking today. I paused for awhile to enjoy the view and chat with several day hikers. It was here that I met another type of Trail Angel.  Miss America is a two-time thru hiker who is working this summer as a Ridgerunner.  Supported by both the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club,  her job is to hike the trails, offering assistance and guidance to hikers.  Miss America, who hiked in 2014 and 2015, is obviously passionate about the trail, and we had a tremendous conversation about thru hiking, Ridgerunning, and the joys and challenges of both.  As one of the challenges, I helped her pick up little shards of glass left from a broken bottle that someone thoughtlessly brought and left at Crescent Rock.  As I've mentioned before, anyone who would like to support the work of Miss America and the other Ridgerunners as they help protect and enrich the AT community, please consider supporting the ATC.  They, along with the volunteer hiking clubs like the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club,  are what keep the AT alive and well.  After bidding farewell to Miss America, I descended the last hill and completed the Roller Coaster.  The hiking became somewhat easier, and I made my way to the side trail leading to the Blackburn AT Center.  This is another beautiful building owned by the PATC and managed by Cheryl and Tim. Also built by a wealthy physician, the Blackburn now offers hostel services and camping for hikers. I enjoyed a glass of sweet tea, a soda, and some fresh cantaloupe, which was so delicious.  I had a chat with Cheryl, and she told me about the facilities and about her art.  I had a great visit, but it was starting to get late in the day, and there were still 3.2 miles to go to our planned campsite. The last few miles today were a mix of easy and very rocky trail.  I saw eight deer, but none were interested in photo opportunities. Near the end of the day, I passed a rock overlook and got a neat photo as the sun was beginning to get low in the sky.  I arrived at the camping area at the David Lesser Memorial Shelter at 7:30, and Gravity showed up a few minutes later.  We had a long, rugged walk down to the spring for water, and it was after dark by the time all the camp chores were done.  We are only 6.9 miles from Harper's Ferry and plan on getting an early start in the morning to get there before noon.  I hope to get a place at the hiker hostel at the Town's Inn, which is located in "Lower Town." I'll visit the ATC headquarters tomorrow and get my picture taken and placed in the thru hiker registry.  Gravity's wife, Kim, will meet us there.  We'll take care of resupply tomorrow, and I plan on taking a zero on Wednesday so I can spend all day being a tourist in historic Harper's Ferry.  We'll hike into Maryland and beyond on Thursday.