Date: 2017-06-29
From: Harpers Ferry, West Virginia 

To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: broken clouds

6/29Harpers Ferry, West Virginia to Dahlgren Backpack Campground17.2 miles Total miles:  1040.9I was in bed last night listening to the sounds of young hikers talking outside, when Mechanic came in to tell me Pippi was there.  I immediately got up to see here.  I hadn't seen Pippi since the bear "blessing" on Big Rock.  She excitedly filled me in on the details of her bear sighting.  I stayed up visiting for about an hour.  Eric (now, Pick of the Litter) was also there.  We met standing by the AT plaque atop Springer Mountain, and I have not seen him since. I finally went back to bed around 1:00 and left the younger ones to their own devices. I was up again at 6:30, and Gravity and Kim picked me up at 8:00 to get back to the trail.  We were joined by Gravity's friend, Ralph, who plans on hiking with us to Waynesboro. Ralph is sixty-three and a candidate for hip replacement due to an injury, so it was a tad embarrassing when he blew by me later in the day. Seriously, we hiked together a good part of the day, and he is a friendly, interesting man.  The three of us walked through Harpers Ferry and past Jefferson Rock on our way out of town.  Jefferson Rock is perched atop a rock ledge. It now rests on pillars after being badly damaged by troops during the Civil War.  We then walked past Lower Town and crossed the Potomac River into Maryland on the Byron Memorial Footbridge. We walked beside the railroad tracks but, sadly, no train passed us while we were on the bridge.  The first 2.6 miles of the AT in Maryland follow the C&O Canal Towpath and is said to be the only truly flat section of the trail.  It is remindful of rails to trails, although the towpath was used by the animals used to tow barges down the canal back in the day.  As the trail left the towpath and started up the mountain to the Weverton Cliffs, the flat was over.  As we prepared to reenter the mountains, we were passed by Dory and Splat, who had spent yesterday in Harpers Ferry with Momma and Poppa Dory.  It was great to see them again.  The first climb in Maryland was moderately difficult, but I soon was past the summit, and the trail became appreciably easier. I ate lunch at the Ed Garvey Shelter with Ralph, Dory, Gravity, and Splat. This shelter is quite nice and features a second story that is reached via a balcony located on the back of the shelter.  I climbed the balcony, but no one else was interested in rehearsing Romeo and Juliet.  The 0.4 side trail to water at the shelter is rumored to be the steepest climb in Maryland, but I had plenty of water so I didn't have to check that out.  Maryland only allows camping at designated shelter and camping areas along its 40 miles of the AT, but they do provide ample opportunities along the way.  I made good time to Gathland State Park, which contains an empty tomb, constructed by a man named Gath years before his demise.  Unfortunately, he later lost his fortune and was buried, penniless, in Pennsylvania.  His empty tomb still remains.  The park also is home to the War Correspondents Monument, an impressive structure commemorating the role of news reporters, photographers, and artists in documenting the Civil War.  As I walked past the monuments, I noticed Dory and Splat were at a pavilion with a group of young girls.  Girl Scout Troop 81283 was providing Trail Magic for hikers.  I was offered an ice cold drink and Girl Scout cookies. Thank you, Julia, Carly, Gracyn, and your moms for brightening my day!  The trail continued to allow for good time, and I was soon at White Rock Cliff, which provided one of the views for today.  We decided to bypass Rocky Run Shelter and continue the extra 1.8 miles to the Dahlgren Backpack Campground, which features tent spaces, picnic tables, and a restroom with flush toilets and showers.  Reserved for backpack campers only, there was a good mix of thru hikers, section hikers, and overnight hikers at the campground.  Before arriving there, we also hiked through Fox Gap, looked at the Reno Monument, and read the signs describing the bloody conflict that occurred there prior to the battle of Antietam.  We arrived at the campground at 7:30 having covered 17.2 miles today.  It is hard to believe I am now in my sixth state and will be in Pennsylvania the day after tomorrow.  I felt slow and lethargic this morning, probably a combined result of my zero day yesterday and the heat, but I perked up this afternoon.  It's a good feeling to be back on the trail.