Date: 2007-06-20
From: Crampton Gap Shelter

To: Wolfsville Rd. Maryland 17
Miles today: 20.5

The incentive today was to get to The Free State Hiker Hostel which costs $31.50. I understand Maryland's nickname is the Free State, but I imagine the hostel owners get alot of ribbing about the contradiction. I hoped staying there might be a good opportunity to connect with other Thru Hikers. By the way, we never saw the snake that supposedly lived in the rafters of the Crampton Gap Shelter! I left the shelter at 6:15 am and hiked to the closed shelter to get water from the spring. It's a good thing I didn't try to stay there because it was all boarded up. I continued on to the Washington Monument, where I took a 45 min break, sending and receiving e-mail at the pay phone. A section hiker very kindly bought me a coke. I had a hearty snack and enjoyed visiting with section and day hikers. I used the time exposure on my camera for the first time, and it actually worked. I remembered several of the locations where Richard and I had met Tucker and Nuge as we slacked for their 4 State Challenge 40 mile hike in 2003. I hiked alone all 20 miles, seeing no north bounders, but there were many hikers going south to Harpers Ferry. It was nice to see a Mother and son, Father and son, two brothers (one about 12) and 5 middle age women. The trail today was often road width. Sometimes it was as flat as a high school track, and other times the boulders were so big you had to watch every step. I got in "the zone" and just hiked a little faster than usual, about 2.5 mph. I walked across the enclosed hiker bridge over Rt 70 where truckers are known to honk at Thru Hikers. I gave them plenty of encouragement, waving my poles and they responded enthusiastically. I saw from the highway side that the bridge sign read The Appalachian Trail. I saw a tiny black snack about a foot long and pencil width in diameter on a ridge trail. It had white markings like a bicycle chain. I also saw a few deer and a painted box turtle. The black rasberries and wild strawberries (no taste) are ripe. I saw what a mess a mulberry tree makes as the fruit ripens and drops. The constant breeze was great at keeping the bugs away and the body temperature comfortable, in the 75-80' weather. At the end of a long day, hiking is like snow skiing. It is easy to get sloppy and catch an edge, trip and do a face plant. The rockiest and hardest part of today was at the end, so I was very cautious. I arrived at the Hostel at 3:15 and met Raincheck, whose family lives in England. I noticed 501's pack in the bunkroom. He had mistakenly left his raingear at the last shelter and had contacted a Trail Angel to drive him close to the shelter to retrieve it. But, as luck would have it, the raingear was gone. I felt badly for 501's misfortune. The Trail Angel brought him to an Outfitter to get a new jacket. I showered and did a load of laundry. The bathroom scale indicated that I have dropped another 5 pounds, to be a loss of 40 lbs since March 31. Carrying a pack weighing 30 lbs is really not a big deal for me anymore, though I would never refuse an opportunity to slackpack! The Reed family of 5 picked the three of us Thru Hikers up at 6 pm (my bed time!)and brought us to an AYCE buffet restaurant. We filled our plates and then some. Skiman had a Dr.'s appointment today to get his swollen ankle checked. They recommended that he stay off it for 2 weeks because it is sprained. He plans to rejoin me to hike on the AT around July 7, after the family reunion in NH. He will join my husband, Richard, at some point next week in PA, and they will return to NH together. The only glitch is he has my tent, but I think I can get along without it for another week. It will be nice to have 501's company tomorrow.