Date: 2005-05-22
From: Storer College Campus

To: Harpers Ferry Hostel
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: clear sky

Miles hiked today : 4.42.2 AT miles + 0.6 miles of side trail + 1.6 roadwalk miles I woke up this morning at 5:00 a.m. and had slept fairly well. I didn't want to wake my fellow hobos, so I quietly read the data book for a bit until my alarm went off at 6:00 a.m.I packed up and while packing, Handlebars and Wingit woke up and packed as well. They ate breakfast, after which we roadwalked to a convenience store. I had chocolate milk and then we went to a small restaurant for a mediocre breakfast. Afterward, we walked back to the ATC Offices and waited 15 minutes for their door to open.At 9:00 a.m., we were greeted by Heather, an ATC employee of 3 days, who had thru-hiked the AT in 1994. I had my photo taken for the 2005 hiker "yearbook" and found out my hiker number : 88. I also found out that 369 NOBO hikers completed the trail last year. We hung out at the ATC Offices for a bit and when Keith, a section hiker we'd met 2 days ago at Dick's Dome Shelter showed up, he kindly gave us a round trip ride to a grocery store in Charles Town, about 4 miles away.   I bought ice cream, potato salad, cheese, peanut butter, tortillas, and strawberries, eating the ice cream and potato salad upon returning to the ATC Offices. Happily, hikers are allowed to leave their packs at the ATC offices while exploring the museums and historic section of Harpers Ferry, which is what I set out to do.I left the ATC Offices around 12:30 p.m. and stopped by the outfitter to buy new bootlaces on my way to visit the many museums. One of the most interesting was the John Brown museum and while exploring the other museums, I met some young gentlemen dressed in periodic clothing. They were working in the jail house that issued "town passes" to civilians in Harpers Ferry during the Civil War. The passes were to be made available for inspection at any time by Union soldiers stationed every 30 yards throughout Harpers Ferry. To obtain a pass, citizens had to report to the jail house every 30 days to swear a oath of loyalty to the Union, as well as sign a document swearing loyalty. If you didn't sign or swear, you'd be jailed immediately. Furthermore, if you were considered suspicious looking, the Union soldiers had the authority to fatally shoot first and ask questions later. Probably not the best place to live at the time.After the museums, I returned to the ATC Offices and lounged until around just before closing time. At 3:50 p.m., I was hiking back to the AT and at 4:10 p.m., I was standing at Jefferson Rock, which offered an excellent view of the water gap below. Continuing on, the AT led back through the museum district and I passed 2 antiquated churches I'd missed earlier. One was in ruins, though the other is being restored and mass is held there each Sunday.At 4:30 p.m., I was standing at the edge of the Potomac River and entered Maryland via the Goodloe Byron Memorial Footbridge, leaving West Virginia behind. 5 states down, 9 to go! At 4:55 p.m., I was at the side trail to the Harpers Ferry Hostel, climbed a steep hill, and arrived at the hostel at 5:05 p.m. The underside of the toes on my left foot were still a bit tender, as was the unerside of my right foot. The new bootlaces, however, helped quite a bit and with some care, I'm sure my feet will soon be back to normal.Check-in time at the Harpers Ferry Hostel is normally at 6:00 p.m., though Dusty, one of the proprietors, allowed us to check in early. The total cost for a bunk, laundry, and a $5 AYCE bluebrry pancake breakfast was $24. After securing my bunk, I hit the shower and did a load of laundry. I then made a big dinner in the attempt to rid my pack of some weight and sat down to journal for a bit.After journaling, I lounged around and did basically nothing for the rest of the evening. I had intended for today to be a zero day, though due to the bit of hiking I did, it became a "nero," or "near zero." That's fine, as I was able to relax for a good portion of the day and accomplished everything I wanted to.Bedtime at 9:45 p.m.