Date: 2006-03-29
From: Keys Gap

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: broken clouds

Wednesday, March 29, 2006First night sleeping in the Element. Comfy mattress. Compared to the Accord, plenty of headroom.Just as Roger, Joe and Lynn are leaving, Amoeba comes into the kitchen. Redwing makes her a cup of decaf.Redwing is going to Trail Days, is Amoeba? Amoeba doesn¢t know yet. Yesterday Hopeful saw a fox streaking across a pasture on the way back from leaving Amoeba at Keys Gap. This morning Redwing saw 2 deer. Probably they go down in the valley to eat and return to the ridge to sleep. Hopeful and Redwing inspect the Element. Redwing thinks it¢s a little like the old VW camper busses. So does Amoeba. Much smaller, though, and no stove/refrig.Redwing sees the PCT book on the front seat of the Element and asks if she¢s planning to hike that trail. She¢d like to hike it, but not alone. She still hasn¢t found a hiking partner for the PCT.Goodbye for now Hopeful, Redwing and BTC. Great new AT memories. A big big big thank you.On the way to Keys Gap, Amoeba calls Mountain Goat. She¢s better but not better enough to hike. Maybe she¢ll hike her last miles in MD in 2 weeks with an AMC group.At the start, Keys Gap, a cardinal.The first spider web of the season, across her chin.Melodious birdcalls, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet. Chui, chui, chui.Second spider web, across her upper lip.Wow! 2 pheasants, definitely pheasants, walking along the trail. When they sense Amoeba, they fly off a long ways to the right, out of sight. Vinca abloom both sides of the trail. Spring beauties. This is the 4th year Amoeba has watched the arrival of spring on the AT. Veronica, red dead-nettle, wild onion or chives.Harper¢s Ferry. Half the town seems to be For Sale.To the Hilltop looking for upload access. None. The desk clerk is a very cheery man. Big John, a volunteer, is at ATC headquarters. He¢s working on a 500-piece compilation and mailing that Amoeba can help with. Big John will take her back to her car at 5PM. That spares Amoeba an in-and-out hike. Yes!Big John, also known to some as Fluffy, will be starting a NOBO thruhike on April 18.John is at ATC headquarters too. Amoeba met John last year at the Cabin, the same day she met Redwing and Hopeful. John answers her questions about the devil¢s racecourse, yes, it¢s a river of rocks without soil around them. Perhaps an underground stream underneath. The AT follows state lines between WV and VA and between TN and NC. The mileages are approximated. In many places you don¢t exactly know which state you¢re in.Lynn, Joe and Roger come in! A big hello to Amoeba. They tell her they¢ve given her a new trailname: ¢Walks in Crocs¢. No trailnames for themselves yet.Katherine comes back from lunch and helps with the mailing. The 3 of them get the job done exactly at quitting time (5PM).   Just then Laurie Potteiger arrives from a hike. It¢s great to see Laurie again.Laurie and John, is there anything else I can help with? Yes, on Friday you can put loose photos in albums.Fried chicken for supper at Cindy Dee¢s Family Restaurant on Keep Tryst Rd. Then over to the hostel. It¢s Lisa¢s one year anniversary managing the hostel. Congratulations, Lisa!Amoeba has Family Room #2 all to herself.No upload because last year the hostel¢s computer got zapped by lightning.