Date: 2005-04-09
From: Pine Knob Shelter, Md

To: 1 1/2 miles S of Keys Gap, WV or Va???
Miles today: 30.9

30.9 miles todayStealth tenting1 1/2 miles S of Keys Gap, WV or Va??? Today started out as normal...coffee and breakfast. I'm not sure why, I just wanted to start walking. I was going to read for a while. My plan was to walk about 17 miles to Garvey Shelter and spend the night there, but plans change. ;-)) I got started walking at 6:45am. It didn't take long before I was walking across the footbridge that goes over I-70. I stopped and signed the register on the other side of the road, then hiked on. It was beautiful out this morning. Probably in the 40s, though I didn't check. In about another hour, I was at the Washington Monument. I didn't realize it, but I had never walked up to the top of it before. Well I did today. It was cool the way it was built entirely out of stone. It had a circular stairs also built out of stone and you were completely surrounded by stones walking up to the top. It was a pretty cool place and had some nice views. It was built in 1823, I think. I watched a deer from there for a while and then went down by the rest rooms and found a phone to send in my journal entries. I walked on and came up to a nice stone church at Turners Gap. Across the street is an old upscale restaurant that my book says served some president in the 1800s. I wanted to eat there too, but it was too early. I walked down to Dahlgren Backpackers Campground. My Wingfoot book says it's the only area along the trail with free showers and it was open all year. All year except today and it looked like it had been closed up for a while. I was only going to wash my shirt anyway because I just had a shower a few days ago. I walked past Rocky Run Shelter without stopping and then I walked by Crampton Gap Shelter too. There were tons of people out today on the trail. It warmed up and the sun was shining on a weekend and the trail got crowded. It was funny because about half the people I saw were sitting down taking breaks. I guess it's been a long winter indoors for most of them. :-)) I stopped at Gathland State Park and got water and even got a coke from a working soda machine. It must be getting warmer out. Most of the soda machines don't work in the winter. A girl came walking by and stopped to talk a while. She was out training to try and do the Maryland Challange. That's when you walk from Pennsylvania through Maryland and into Harpers Ferry, WV on the A.T. in one day. It's about 42 miles long. While she was talking to me her nose started to bleed. I promise I didn't do it Mom. ;-)) She left and I continued to eat my lunch. I had a nice bench in the sun and it felt great!! After lunch, I walked on to Ed Garvey Shelter where I originally planned on staying for the day, but it was still 7 hours until sundown and that seemed too long. I signed the register and talked to a girl that was staying there with her dog, then I hiked on. (I noticed in Wingfoots book that the Hilltop Hotel in Harpers Ferry has a weekend buffet) I hiked down past Weverton Cliffs and then walked the 3 miles on the C&O Canal Towpath. While I was walking down the towpath, I passed two old ladies...probably 53 or older. ;-)) They made, uh, comments about how nice my legs looked and about my tan. What do you do when something like that happens??? Well, I tightened my butt cheeks and did my best John Wayne walk, but it probably looked more like Daffy Duck's waddle. I picked up my pace and got away from them!! (With a smile on my face) I crossed the bridge into Harpers Ferry, WV. and first went up to the ATC office, but they are closed on weekends. I mosied on up to the Hilltop Hotel and sat out front. I figured they wouldn't start the dinner buffet until 4pm and it was only 3:30. I started talking to a guy and his wife about the trail...not sure how that subject came up. ;-)) He mentioned that they have a good buffet here and I said I'm waiting on them to open. He said they were serving it right now. I said "seeeeeee ya" and disappeared inside. Within just a minute or two I was enjoying some fried chicken. I had vegetables and a salad too. I think I did good because I only had two plates and a piece of cherry pie and a piece of cake with ice cream. I left the waitress a bigger tip than usual because I didn't get to wash my shirt today. I walked back by the ATC office and took a self portrait then hiked on. I got across the Shanendoah River and was climbing the mountain towards Louden Heights when I ran into Hydro Heidi. She said we had met before on New Years Eve on Springer Mountain. I appologized for not remembering and explained about the Jack Daniels Hippie made me drink that night. We talked for about 30 minutes. She may be the first thru hiker. There was another girl named Snowbird that was supposed to be ahead of her, but I didn't see her and she didn't sign any registers. I walked on and passed Keys Gap, then walked another 1 1/2 miles before I decided to set up my tent in some nice soft leaves. Heidi had said the shelter that is just another 30 minutes ahead of where I'm at was pretty busy, so I guess I'll start stealth tenting again. I did get to see quite a few deer today...lots of white tails running away from me. The chicken I ate today must have been salty because I've been pretty thirsty and I haven't run across any water that I felt safe about drinking. That means I won't get my coffee in the morning until I find water. :-(( Sometimes life can be so rough.Another great day on the A.T.