Date: 2018-05-30
From: Bears Den Hostel 

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It has been like waiting for Christmas to get here, but the day finally arrived. That is, the day we put Virginia in our rear view mirror. I was up early this morning getting ready to hike while Which Way fixed me up with a stack of pancakes. It was hard to leave her behind this morning, but she wanted me to keep the train moving while she caught a ride to Charles Town, WV to get her back checked out. A big shout out to Count and Lavender (the trail angels that delivered magic yesterday) for offering to pick Which Way up and get her to the WVU Urgent Care and then to Harper's Ferry. I was out the door before 7:00, determined to make it to Harper's Ferry in time to shower and decompress. Finishing our hike after 6:00 p.m. with little time to unwind, is getting old. I still had three miles and the same number of hills remaining on the Virginia Roller Coaster. With fresh legs and cooler temps I knocked them out with relative ease. Within a half mile of departing Bears Den the trail crossed VA 7 at Snickers Gap. It was rush hour (yes, commuters drive all the way to DC from here) and crossing the busy road was like playing hiker Frogger. On the north side of the road is a small parking area. It was here that I met a friend of mine back when he was thru hiking in 2016. Which Way and I did Trail Magic that morning while we waited for our friend to hike his way to us. Then I hiked to Harper's Ferry with him and we brought him back to DC for a Zero. Doing trail magic was so much fun. Talking and hiking with other long distance hikers provided a great opportunity to pick up a few additional tips as we prepared for our own hike.At mile 1007.4 there was a sign posted that read ¢VA/WV State Line.¢ Finally, after six weeks and 544 miles, we made it. It has been a long slow slog, but we have great memories from Virginia. Places like Damascus, Grayson Highlands, Burkes Garden, Dragons Tooth, McAfee Knob, Shenandoah National Park to name a few. Not to mention all of the wonderful people we shared time with on and off the trail. A big thanks to the U.S. National Parks Service, Forestry Service, Eight Trail Clubs, and 100's of volunteers who maintain the trail in Virginia. Not so fast, the trail actually skirted the VA/WV line for about 10 more miles before finally crossing into West Virginia just before Harper's Ferry. Passing by Raven Rock and the Blackburn Center brought back memories from my 2016 mini-hike. Which Way and I have also hiked a good piece of the trail leading into Harper's Ferry on several different day hikes. For most of the morning the trail was gentle and it was cloudy, misty, and somewhat cool. All of these factors contributed to me making good time to the David Lesser Memorial Shelter, where I stopped to eat lunch¢leftover pizza. Of note were some lush ferns, blooming Mountain Laurel, and a deer that I watched for a few moments.A few miles later the trail crossed WV 9 at Keys Gap. Before crossing the road I looked to my right and saw a ¢Welcome to Virginia¢ about 20 yards away. About the same distance to my right was a ¢Welcome to West Virginia¢ sign. Where did that leave me? The A.T. I guess. After crossing the road, I hit some pretty muddy spots and then rocks, both of which considerably slowed my roll. The rain also began to fall steady, but I didn¢t mind. At least not until I had to hike through some tall, wet grass while crossing under some power lines.The rocks continued to Loudon Heights, where the trail turned down the mountain and headed towards the Shenandoah River. The trail was wet and steep at times, but I still made it quickly to the Shenandoah River Bridge. Which Way and I have walked across this before and talked about how cool it would be to do it on our AT hike. Only, she wasn¢t with me today. I still enjoyed the moment, as I crossed the heavily trafficked bridge, watching a dozen rafts float down the swollen river below. From the WV side of the bridge it was a short walk up U.S. 340 to the Quality Inn where Which Way had reserved a room for the night. She had walked down to the road and was waiting to celebrate with me. After a quick shower we headed into Harper's Ferry and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) HQs. The trail continues about a half mile from where I crossed the bridge, paralleling just above Shenandoah St., crossing over Jefferson Rock along the way. It then crosses into the historic town of Harper's Ferry at High Street. Harper's Ferry National Historical Park, has 19th-century buildings, a Civil War Museum and John Brown¢s Fort, a key site in an 1859 abolitionist raid. The location where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers meet, known as The Point, offers views of Maryland and Virginia. The ATC HQs is located about a half mile off the trail, uphill from the historic district. It is where hikers go to register their progress on the AT. That is one reason that Harper's Ferry is referred to by some as the ¢psychological halfway point¢ for NOBOs. We registered as NOBO hikers numbers 441 and 442 to arrive in 2018. Espresso & Clover and Snow Angel had registered earlier the same day. It is tradition for the ATC to take A.T. hikers¢ pictures in front of the building and post them in their official record book. We happily obliged. The next time we will register our hike will be at Mount Katahdin in Maine. After finishing up at the ATC we walked down the hill to grab some dinner and ice cream. We then walked along Shenandoah Street, working our way back to the hotel. Plod Along and Grandma Shorty were just finishing their hike and entered the hotel lobby a minute after we returned. A quick update on Which Way. The doctor said she has inflammation in her mid-back from a prior injury. The doctor prescribed a round of steroids and set WW up for some physical therapy tomorrow. She also strongly recommended that WW rest for 5-7 days. That means no carrying a back pack. So, here¢s the plan. Which Way will pick up a rental car tomorrow and will follow me along for several days as I continue the hike. When it makes sense to do so, she might join me (without a pack). I plan on taking a Zero in Boiling Springs, PA. If she is healed, Which Way will resume her hike again then. She can always come back and fill in the gaps later. Please pray that she gets the healing that she needs to continue to Katahdin. We may have 4 states and 1K miles in the books, but there is still a lot of hiking to do. That makes us the lucky ones. Peace & BlessingsNext StepElevation Data:Ascent - 3,250Descent - 4,280Grade - 7.0Weather:Day - 75 / ShowersNight - 68 / ShowersOver the Horizon: Pine Grove Furnace State Park