Date: 2018-06-19
From: Manasss Gap Shelter

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 54.0

Oh the suspense of it all! Sit back whilst I tell the remarkably unremarkable tale of The Lost Days...Friday, June 8US Rt. 522 to Manassas Gap Shelter 10.7 miles The weather was clear and warm when Uncle Phil & Aunt Ellen dropped me off at Rt 522 after a nice breakfast. It was a great zero, thanks!!!This is the day I disappeared from the journal. My water resistant iPhone X was no match for the recent wet weather. I had gone to a Verizon store and successfully claimed a new one through insurance but it wouldn't be delivered (to Bay Head) for a few days. I declined the non-Apple "loaner" phone they offered because I felt it could complicate the photo and data transfer and mine seemed to be drying out slowly. I reckoned it would get me through till I got the new one. WRONG! That evening after a few bright green flashes the screen went black. Fortunately it came back on occasionally over the next several days allowing me to get in a few calls and make plans for the coming week. I decided not to update this journal for a while to preserve the phone and took notes each day on paper...how primitive.Saturday, June 9Manassas Gap Shelter to Rod Hollow Shelter12.9 milesAnother nice day with thunderstorms in the evening. I saw Napoleon briefly as he hiked past my campsite in the morning. I thanked him for some food tips he gave me last month. A dozen or so Boy Scouts were hiking this part of the trail with their leaders, I saw them every day for a while. There were also a few groups of Japanese tourists out for the day.While eating lunch a big filling fell out of my tooth. Great. That'll require a dentist.Sunday, June 10Rod Hollow Shelter to Bears Den Hostel9.9 milesOn this dreary day I planned to go 13 miles. Because my phone GPS trail guide was unavailable I didn't note when exactly I passed mile 1000 but the weather had me in a non celebratory mood anyhow ...da,da,da,da... if I must. By mid afternoon it was pouring so hard I decided to stop early at Bears Den Hostel, just a stones throw from the trail. Bears Den is a visitor center and hostel operated by the Patomac Appalachian Trail club. It's an old, classy looking stone building with immaculately manicured grounds. As I approached I imagined those inside chatting politely while sipping tea and eating tiny sandwiches. Perhaps I was right because a sign on the door said:"Closed for private event, thru hikers use back entrance."Behind the building there was a door to the basement, probably a former servants entrance. Another sign: "Thru hikers only. No day visitors or scouts beyond this point." The door had a push button lock with a note explaining how to get the entry code from my hikers guide by subtracting the mileage of one specific landmark from another. Very secure, what could they be hiding in there? No matter, it wasn't locked. Inside was a small "mud room" piled high with wet shoes, socks, and packs. The odor was impressive. The interior door was equipped with a floor seal to contain the smell, kinda like a space station air lock. I removed my wet things and opened the door to see filthy hikers sprawled out on well worn couches, chairs, and bunks. Among them: Honeybun, Crush, Buck, No Filter, and aptly named Trenchfoot (eewwww!). Wet gear hung from the bunk ends. As at most hostels a wall was posted with prices for the accommodations, common sense rules of conduct, useless WiFi login info, off color hiker art and humor, and a big "2018" poster board to sign and memorialize ones stay. A locked interior door leading upstairs bore another sign: "This door will open at 5pm and close at 9am." I hit the spartan but clean shower then joined the others watching a movie while we awaited release from our dungeon. At exactly 5pm the door opened and we all stomped up the stairs. The upstairs didn't smell and was equipped with a big kitchen, comfortable furniture, large dining tables, and two bunk rooms for those not belonging to the exclusive downstairs club. On the walls were paintings of spectacular views, inspirational hiking quotes, and photos of squeaky clean, hyper attractive people enjoying the outdoors (usually taken through a frosted lens with some dandelion fluff floating by). Pamphlets, books, and periodicals were available to help plan ones dreamy hike. Our amiable host and dungeon master, Glen, called everyone into the small gift shop to collect our fare. The $30 "hiker special" included a bunk, shower & towel, laundry, use of the kitchen, a frozen pizza, one soda, a pint of iced cream, and a self cook/clean pancake breakfast. It was a good night. The others reported that I did not snore. Monday, June 12Bears Den Hostel to David Lesser Shelter11.2 milesAfter we all pitched in making pancakes and cleaning up I hiked out into the dreary weather while the others stayed back watching Shawn of the Dead. The weather soon improved nicely and by days end they all had passed me again. I think this was the day I hiked through the famous "Roller Coaster". It's an infamous stretch of trail named for its relentless "PUDs" (Pointless Ups and Downs). I found it quite refreshing to only hike uphill for 10 minutes or so before going downhill again. Back in Georgia and NC it seemed I walked uphill for days! There was also a long level section with sharp rocks sticking up ominously called "The Devils Racetrack". So it's level and all I have to do is step around things? HA-HA-HA!Tuesday, June 12David Lesser Shelter to Harpers Ferry, WV9.3 milesThis day I FINALLY left Virginia and hiked into Harpers Ferry, the symbolic halfway point on the AT (the literal halfway spot is a bit further north). I had long planned to travel home for my parents 60th anniversary party on Saturday the 16th and from Harpers Ferry I could get there by train. There are many people (including friends Melissa and Steve in Harpers Ferry) who have offered to help me during my travels but not having a reliable phone made it difficult to coordinate so I decided to travel without the help. I'm remain thankful that it's available though!When I got into town I went to the ATC headquarters to have my picture taken for inclusion in their 2018 hiker book and bought some copies as my phone no longer took pictures. After a nice dinner I stayed the night at a hotel where I booked Amtrak tickets back to Jersey on Wednesday. June 13-19 Harpers Ferry, WV to Bay Head, NJ and back.0.0 trail milesI left the hotel at 5am to catch the local train to DC. From there Amtrak got me to Newark then NJ Transit to Bay Head and a short walk home. After being gone so long I thought it might be weird going home but it wasn't. I think traveling "the long way" by train helped.I had a great week with Joyce, family, friends, firefighters, and with my parents to celebrate their big 60th anniversary. I got a new phone, a new bigger backpack, some fresh bug proofed clothes, drank some beers, and rested my knee. I also got to my dentist and as I feared Mr. Tooth requires major work so I will head home again in a few weeks for that. Ahhh...root canal and summer at the Jersey Shore. What could be better!Today I reversed my train route from last week and am now back in Harpers Ferry ready to walk. Wasn't that exciting! Shall we continue? I think yes!Back on the trail tomorrow...