Date: 2003-06-25
From: Keys Gap, WV

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: few clouds

It was really warm last night. I can get used to sleeping on 70 degree nights. I planned on getting into Harper's Ferry yesterday, so I didn't have food for today. Oh well, condiments for breakfast again. It is easier to get going when it is warm so I was off by 7am. I didn't have water, either, but soon I would be in town. The walk was very pleasant, and soon enough, a side trail took a sharp left and just 20 yards up a hill I went from the forest to being in a historic college. I kept my eyes open but I didn't see a diner, convenience store, or even a soda machine. The Appalachian Trail Conference headquarters is located in the center of town. When I arrived there, they took my photo and added it to their book. I am the 430th thru-hiker this year. There were about 2,000 to 2,500 that started from Springer. From there, I went to the post office to get my mail drop. While I was there, I got to meet Eva and she asked if she could give me a ride to Wal-Mart for groceries. I first declined, but she insisted and said she would bring me back. How could I turn that down? I am really surprised to find out that this town isn't hiker friendly. The closest grocery store is 6 miles away. There aren't any hostels, just Bed and Breakfasts. The campground is over 2 miles away. The biggest thing is they give fines for hitch-hiking. Whose rights are you taking away by hitch-hiking?   I went nuts at Wal-Mart and got about 20 pounds of fresh fruit and sandwich fixings. When Eva dropped me off back at the post office, I went through my gear and sent some more things home. I sent some of my clothes, an emergency blanket, my ground cloth, all the meals that were sent, half of my book that was already ripped in half, and my old radio. I need the room for food and it should stay warm for a while. Next, I went up the street to a pizza shop. Ah, finally food and drink. This is the first time I could order a cheeseburger sub. When it came out, I almost cried. It looked so pretty sitting in a long shallow wooden bowl. There were 4 half patties nestled in lettuce, tomatoes, and onion. When I split it apart, there was a gob of mayonnaise along the bottom. It wasn't garnished with as much as a pickle, but then what garnish could possibly do it justice. I slowly devoured it, savoring every bite. When I left, I bought more to drink because I felt dehydrated.   I went to the gear outfitter and bought a new knife to replace the one I lost and a new mouthpiece for my water bladder because something chewed on my last one. There is something called a "purist". And that is how you have to say it. You have to use your finger to make quotation marks when you say "purist". Everyone used to be "purists" but now we are in the minority. A "purist" doesn't cheat by skipping sections and walks every inch of the trail. Now, people think you're some extremist psycho Nazi hiker if you¢re a "purist". I think it comes from the extreme guilt they are facing and justify it by labeling the non-cheating hikers. I could have missed a lot of mud 2 days ago by road walking about 1/2 mile, but I am a "purist", so I got muddy. Today I found myself paralleling the trail in town. I could have just said I walked the miles and went straight to the trail instead of walking back across town (uphill) to where I left it. It sucks sometimes to be a "purist". The walk back was really hot and I stopped at the ATC headquarters to chat with other hikers. Carolina Cruiser was there. He has been making a documentary of the trail and filmed me checking out a textured map of the trail. I said my goodbyes and got back on the trail. I never got a shower or did laundry so I'm really going to stink in the heat next week. The trail goes through a very historic section of Harper's Ferry. This town has so much history because the Potomac River and the Shenandoah River join together here. It was held by both the North and the South during the civil war. It had a manufacturing boom, plus when rivers were used for commerce, it was a major trading center. The buildings are made out of the rocky cliff it sits on. There was so much to see, but I only saw where the trail went through the historic park. There was a set of stairs that were carved out of solid rock. The streets are stone, the sidewalks are brick and the buildings are beautifully done in more of the abundant rock. I came upon a giant boulder that is balanced by four pillars on an edge of a cliff. Thomas Jefferson visited here and said the view was "worth a trip across the Atlantic¢. That's just how I felt, too. Not of the view, but back in the pizza shop staring down at that luscious cheeseburger sub. It was worth hiking 1,000 miles from Georgia for. I crossed a long footbridge into Maryland. Yes, West Virginia is history already. There were only 8 miles. I say if you¢re going to take me through a state, please have a grocery store within walking distance. I think they are trying to preserve the quaint feel of the town because they had a funeral home. If a town is big enough to die in you should be allowed to eat first. Next, I walked between an abandoned canal and the very swollen Shenandoah River. The forest is submerged under flood waters and I thought about washing up. Looking at the class 4 rapids, I pictured myself clinging to a flooded tree being rescued via helicopter. I decided I don't stink that bad, and kept out of the flood waters. On the other side of me was the canal. It, at one time, ran from Washington, DC to Cumberland, Maryland. It must have been an incredible task to build a canal. The railroad beat it by 8 years and the canal, with all the work that went into it, was in vain. Turtles seem to enjoy it, though. I got in and out of town and still did good miles. I am in good shape to get to the halfway point by the end of the month. It was a very good day. Peace,DutchThe memories of an old man are the deeds of a man in his prime.