Date: 2008-04-18
From: 1000 Mile Mark, Stealth Site, WV

To: Harpers Ferry WV
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

Start: Stealth site .3 past David Lesser Shelter, WVEnd: Harper's Ferry WVMiles: 9.1HotelWhoopie!! It was so warm last nite...57 degrees when I woke (at 5:15) thismorning. I used my sleeping bag as a quilt like the good ole days. I got upan hour early so I could have time built in for breaks, because my feet stillaren't used to all the pounding. I'll admit though, my pack has felt great allthis time, so I'm glad about that.I did hear some GI-normous beast in the woods around me last nite...oh,actually, it was just a deer, but man anything sounds huge when you're outthere by yourself in the middle of the nite! I knew it was a deer because iteventually made that weird squawking sound that I never knew deer made until Istarted hiking this trail.So it was up, packed, and headin for Harper's Ferry by 7:00 this morning. Man,how exciting the past few days have been. I'm finally going to be in Harper'sFerry TODAY!!! The hiking was really great. A few places were very rocky, butfor the most part, it was flat or downhill and easy hiking. I ran into a guynamed Bob, from NY. He just started from Harper's Ferry and was heading toDamascus. Really nice guy. I also passed a father/son and the little boy hada look of torture on his face. They had these HEAVY looking external framebackpacks and just as I got to the son, he rolled his ankle. I smiled andsaid, "Don't worry, I do that about 50 times a day out here."There was one small hump to climb just after Key's Gap, but I've been able topower up these little climbs with no problems, which quite honestly is veryencouraging, because for some reason, I expected this to feel the way it did inGeorgia and whereas the climbs can't compare to Georgia/NC, I know even thesewould have killed me back then.I was supposed to meet Karen at noon at this grassy area at the bottom of thehistoric district. We had actually been here last year when we went to thehammock hangout weekend, and we had played frisbee here, so unlike meeting inFront Royal last fall, we both knew where we were headed.I was making awesome time. I allowed about 5 hrs knowing I'd need breaks, butbefore I knew it, I was at WV-32, which is just 2 miles from Harper's Ferry. On my way down to that road, I saw this totally adorable chipmunk and got agreat pic of it.So I go a bit futher and there's the Shenandoah River in all of her glory andthe bridge for US 340 that goes over it. Oh gosh was it beautiful. It wasalready 76 degrees at 10:50 a.m., and I was just hiking with this huge smile. Not only was I almost there, I knew Karen would be here by noon. So, I'mwalking across the bridge, just enjoying it, cars zooming by. I stopped totake some pictures, and about halfway across I see another hiker approachingme. She looked like a day hiker w/a small daypack and the closer I get, Irealize it's Karen!!! She had gotten here really early with plans to meet meon the trail and surprise me! When I realized it was her, I just took offrunning. It was so cool to be totally surprised like that. I was still about amile away from the place we were going to meet.We took some pics and walked back to where my truck was parked and we ran intoMargaret, Ann, and Ken! They are great people and we all shot the shit forawhile and admitted we were all gearheads. (When I first met Margaret and Ann@ Bear's Den Hostel, they both immediately went for my LL Beanwatch/compass/thermometer...which made me laugh and told me they loved geartoo!). I hope I keep running into them...probably will with the way this trailworks.So Karen hiked with me to the ATC headquarters. So cool to finally be there. We walked in and the worker directed me to the hiker room where there was acomputer, all of the polaroids in books from past hikers, and the coolest thingI've seen, the sign that was on top of Mt. Katahdin up until 1999.I got my picture taken outside and you'll never believe what # hiker I am thisyear...Lucky Number 13!!!! There's been 1 "carryover" SOBO (which makes mewonder why nobody calls them carryover NOBO's), there's already been 11 NOBO'sthis year (crazy crazy people had to start in January..brrr) and then me.I got out last year's book and found all my buddies, Persistent, Fuzzy Monkey,He-Man and She-Ra and it was so cool to be able to show Karen pictures of allof the people I talk about. I also loved the 3-D topographical map of theentire AT they have there. I've decided I want one for our living room.So some tourists show up and the worker is going through his spiel and then Ihear him say, "And there's a hiker right there." This cool guy from Irelandcomes up and starts asking all kinds of questions and told me his father hasalways wanted to hike the AT, so I gave him the whiteblaze and trailjournalwebsites to pass onto his dad. I bet his father is out here in less than 2years! It was cool talking to the guy.Finally we headed back to the trail, I still had about .5 miles to get to ouroriginal meeting place, and I needed to go to the outfitter and get anotherfreakin spoon, so Karen said she'd go back to the truck and drive over to pickme up after I was finished.You all have to understand that I was in Harper's Ferry last fall and felt thishorrible sadness, because I didn't really know when I'd be able to hike intothis town. It means so much to me to be here and enter this town officially asa hiker, but I had forgotten (don't ask me how) how after only a few days, youhave to go down stairs sideways, and there were lots of those. I passedJefferson Rock, which was pretty neat to thing that he sat right there, andthen finally made it to High Street. I made it to the outfitters and of coursehad to exercise retraint. I asked Laura where the spoons were, but they onlyhad sporks. She's a great saleswoman, because I had told her I've broken 2Lexan spoons and she managed to talk me into purchasing a folding titaniumspork. Yes yes I know...ONLY a gearhead needs this right? I do love it thoughand justified the splurge as my prize for getting here, and being able to attachit to this memory (how am I doing w/the rationalization for spending $15.00 on afreakin SPORK!!!) LOLAs I was walking up to the outfitters, a guy in this total hippy van drove upand asked if I was hiking and was about to offer me some help, but I told himthat for once, I had it covered, and I thanked him. I'm sure I've seen himbefore, but don't know who he was.So with my new spork in hand I walked out and Karen honked at me and was comingdown the road. I hopped in and off to Martinsburg we went, which was theclosest town that had a hotel that could guarantee a non-smoking room for theweekend (seriously? what's that about?). I felt bad though, because eventhough I had showered @ the hostel, I was already smelling hiker skank, so Itold her I couldn't eat lunch in a public place before I cleaned up (suchself-control I exercised huh?).We checked in, and of course you know that first shower (ok, well second showerof this leg) feels SO SO good. I felt like a human again. The pack explodedin the room, gear is everywhere as usual, and then it was off for FOOD!!!! Weended up at the Outback Steakhouse and man did I shovel it in. They have THEbest cheese fries by the way, so I got those, a salad, steak, baked potato, andour awesome server, Patty, brought FREE cheesecake!! mmmmmmmm To eat as muchas I want to again without worrying about caloric intake is SO nice.After dinner we went to Wal-Mart (which I can't stand really, but was my bestchoice for resupply) and every single time I go into one, I'm reminded why Ihate them. So many people who shop at Wal-Mart are so damn angry and pissy. The energy in there was horrible, people yelling at each other, people on thephone arguing, just so negative and angry. We got in and out as quickly aspossible and now we're getting ready to play some cards.Tomorrow, we're going to float down the river in innertubes. I guess the wateris still really cold so we have to wear wet suits, but neither of us care. Itshould be really cool to be in the water.I am totally exhausted and am so looking forward to this time of rest. So thereya have it...I finally made it to Harper's Ferry, and I'm enjoying myselfimmensley folks. I will admit, on day #1 I had a few moments of gettingoverwhelmed (Before I mailed them up the trail, I looked at the topo's for theWhite Mountains in NH and about crapped myself). I just had to stop and remindmyself, the goal isn't Maine, the physical goal for now is Harper's Ferry andguess what, I made it just fine. Next goal will probably be inPA...wow...can't believe it. Ok, gotta go, the cards are being dealt.~Certain