Date: 2016-06-30
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Stealth Campsite near Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: broken clouds

Even though I was exhausted when I pulled into the hostel, I didn't sleep very well. There was a box fan in the bunk room that kept me awake and I kept fighting to try to go to sleep. I finally did but woke up early and went to the kitchen to make my breakfast. The standard fare at the hostel is make your own pancakes. I scavenged a little milk to drink but was really wishing for an ice cold glass of orange juice.I took off about nine and didn't plan to do too many miles today. Before I left Bears Den I grabbed my uneaten gelato from the freezer and double wrapped it in aluminum foil to insulate it. A perfect mid morning snack. Harpers Ferry was 20 miles away and I didn't want to get there after 5 and have the ATC office and post office be closed. My plan was to get close so I could get there early in the morning, get my picture, my mail picked up, get some lunch in town and move on to Maryland.It was cool again this morning and it felt really good to walk. I still had several miles of the roller coaster but it was so much easier in the cool morning air and having rested. After an hour or so of walking I found a rocky overlook and pulled out my gelato, pistachio gelato. I sat in the warm sun on the rocks, savoring my gelato, as several other hikers came by, and they looked at me with disdain, and a little jealousy.Shortly thereafter I came to the West Virginia/Virginia border where Castaway and Perry were sitting. It wasn't very prominent and we would end up walking along the border most of the day- left foot in West Virginia, right foot in Virginia. There was a nice overlook at the top of the climb and we got some good pictures. For the rest of the afternoon the trail was fairly level and I kept leapfrogging with FloMo and Monkey Leg, Castaway and Perry, and Songbird and Badger. The air was cool, the sun shining, and the trail was fairly level hiking along a high ridge. A good way to end Virginia. I stopped at the David Lesser Shelter for a late lunch and water. While the trail had been mercifully level, there weren't any water sources along that ridge. The spring was 0.3 miles down from the shelter, a steep descent and climb with a bladder of water. At the shelter FloMo and Monkey Leg were eating lunch, as well as another young hiker "2.0".I only had about 3 more miles to go to WV 9 highway and there was a convenience store only 0.3 off the trail. My plan was to make that for dinner and then hike toward Harpers Ferry and find a campsite. Coming down toward WV 9 was a little emotional, I was nearing completion of the Virginia section and warm memories were flooding over me. The sun was getting lower and the town of Charles Town, WV was visible to the west. I reached WV 9 and found the Welcome to West Virginia sign and took a picture, as well as the Virginia historical sign. Virginia had been good to me with many friends that had met up with me and provided me a ride, a room, a meal and a hot shower, airplane rides, not to mention a beer or two.I met up with Castaway and Perry again at the Sweet Springs store and got a fried chicken dinner. Not bad for convenience store food! There was a nice couple that pulled up as we were eating and offered us fruit for trail magic, thank you!!The sun was getting low as I took off for the trail. The trail was easy and my belly was full, probably too full. I passed up several stealth campsites and finally found one that I though looked good. The Yogi's were camped there and I set up my tent and hung my food bag quickly as it was getting dark. I ended up doing 17 miles and was only 3 miles from Harpers Ferry, a good day of hiking.