Date: 2008-07-08
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 3.4
Weather: few clouds

Today was a tough day. After grabbing breakfast, visiting the Post Office and stopping in for my last time at the ATC, I didn't make it further than downtown before the day took a toll on me. I have already hiked a few of the miles north of Harpers Ferry because the hostel that Pre and I stayed at before was north of the city -- confusing, but just trust me on this one. So, my plan was to cut back to the Hostel via a cool short cut that I know that really isn't much of a short cut and then get back to the trail the same way we did last time. I think I save a mile in the whole process. But, I stopped into the Secret Six Tavern for a quick snack instead of hiking out of town. Pre and I had spent almost every day in that place playing Rummy and eating bacon cheese fries. Before I even sat down I became overwhelmed with home sickness for the first time on trail. I guess it really is the first time that I have felt absolutely alone and the frustrations of being sick on top of the fears regarding time constraints and being so far away from the hikers I know on the trail just hit me all at once. I called my mother and I was crying before she even picked up. Sometimes I really do hate being a girl susceptible to unknown emotional revolts. If I had anything to do it I wouldn't have been sitting at a table by myself crying about I don't know exactly what. But, I didn't have anything to do with it. I just cried. I ate alone and talked to my mother about anything and everything until there wasn't any battery left on my phone -- and that didn't help because now I felt even more alone. So, after a few hours I was forced to head out of town. I had to make it somewhere that day. So, with red eyes and a long face I made my way over well known trails to the hostel where my spirits were not lifted at all. All I wanted to do was stay at the hostel but my funds nor my stubbornness would allow me to. I was determined to make it back on the trail whether I felt like walking or not. Did I mention the temperature was 95 degrees? Let me tell you about how fun hiking in 95 degree weather is. None. So, I did hang out around the hostel for the heat of the afternoon before I finally began to head towards new trail. Progress, maybe that is what I need to make me feel better. For the last week I have felt like I was merely covering ground that in some way I had already covered. Now, I was finally about to make progress. The hostel is in Maryland so another state down -- something to make me feel better about my day? As I approached the trail head I came across a father and his two kids who had been out hiking for a few days and after answering a dozen questions or so a "real" hiker, named Superman, came up. I could no longer procrastinate -- I had to finally hike some real miles. I followed Superman up to the shelter and got to know yet another new face. Superman had started later than anyone yet and he was averaging a pretty remarkable number of miles. A 30 mile day wasn't unreasonable for him; actually probably on par. Maybe exactly what I needed to get my butt back into gear: a challenge. I agreed to wake up before the sun rose in the morning to set out on some big miles. I fell asleep that night feeling a little better about the day. I hadn't gone very many trail miles that day but I felt like I had overcome a lot.