Date: 2005-09-06
From: 1 mile north of Booneboro Mtn Rd, MD

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: clear sky

21.2 miles todaySleeping in a real bedComfort InnHarpers Ferry, WVI'm in West Virginia!! I didn't sleep too well last night. I couldn't find a comfortable sleeping temperature. I'd cover up and get too warm, then uncover only to wake up a little later too chilly. I went back and forth like that all night. I woke up at 5:15am and stuck my stove outside and used the last little bit of denatured alcohol I had to heat the water. It turned out to be just enough fuel to do the job. I ate breakfast and drank my coffee and was packed and walking by 6:25. I wasn't sure how far off the trail I ended up last night. It was dark when I was in the forest looking for a flat spot and I walked around a while before I found my home for the night. I ended up being only about 100 feet from the trail, so it was easy to find it this morning. It wasn't quite light yet in the forest and I scared up a couple of deer that were bedded down not far from me. About 5 minutes later, I walked by a doe that just stood there and watched me walk by. I saw another doe when I got to the Washington Monument. There's a phone there, so I sent in my journal entry and checked my email. A day hiker came by me just before I left the Washington Monument. He acknowledged me, but was moving pretty fast and didn't slow down. That was ok with me because he took over the job of clearing the spider webs off the trail. I fell into a good pace behind him and everything was going good until we hit the first hill. He slowed down big time. I wanted him to stay in front of me, but he was having a time of it climbing that hill. I passed him and later I crossed Rt 40. Moosie had better timing than me when he hiked through here because he got here on a Sunday when the restaurant right next to the trail has a buffet. I walked by thinking that I would be pretty hungry by the time I got into Harpers Ferry because of the little bit of food in my bag. I walked by Dahlgrens Campsite and was passed it when I heard my name being called. I went back to see who it was and it was Rosie...Trail Angel Rosie!!! When I didn't get an email from her this morning, I had given up on that fried chicken. Well, she had brought me breakfast since we didn't connect last night at the trailhead. She had some pastries, cantalope, grapes, peaches, bananas and cokes. I was busy eating and still trying to talk enough in between bites to be sociable. After all, I had just met Rosie. :-))) She said that if I wanted, she could take my pack and slack me to Gathland State Park. I was thinking; "Hummm, I just met Rosie for the first time and she wants to take my backpack, but she did bring donuts!!, so.....yeah, that sounds great!!" :-))) It was nice to walk without a pack on my back again. It only took me 2 hours to cover the 7 miles. I passed the day hiker who had passed me while I was eating breakfast. We talked while we were walking and he said he did a thru hike with Warren Doyle in 2000. Rosie was waiting for me when I got to Gathland with more cokes and fruit. She said she slacked LWOP The Dewdrop last year. We talked about him a while and had a few good laughs. I know Rosie liked slacking me a whole lot better than she liked slacking Dewdrop. She didn't exactly say that, but I could see it in her eyes. ;-))) She said she could slack me another 8 miles to Weaverton Rd. That sounded great to me!! I took off and in another 2 hours I was walking down the hill and saw her waiting on me. She had fried chicken!! Woohoo!!! I ate fried chicken and had a quart of chocolate milk and another coke. This was all from a lady who has just been reading my journal. My only question is; "How did she know I liked fried chicken, cokes and chocolate milk??" :-))) I'm not used to being pampered like this, but I could sure get used to it. :-))) Thanks Rosie...you made a good day great!! I was really glad to meet you and hopefully we'll run into each other again. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! Rosie left and I walked the last 3 miles of the day's hike along the C&O Canal Towpath into Harpers Ferry. I got to say hello to PK before I crossed the bridge from Maryland into West Virginia. I ran into 2 former thru hikers today that were out doing a 2 week section hike. Their names were Bear Charmer and Bucky. We talked about 10 minutes near Ed Garvey Shelter. I walked to the blue trail that went to the ATC office and when I got there, I saw Mara Factor and Lorrie Pottieger and a volunteer who I met in New England on the trail last year. We all talked for a while, then I went and picked up my bounce box at the PO. I stopped back and had my picture taken for the Class of '05 photo book. I was surprised that I was only the 18th sobo to come through this year. I hadn't thought too much about how many were in front of me and most of those are about a week ahead. I walked up to Hilltop Hotel, but wasn't happy with my reception there, so I walked down to the Comfort Inn and got a room. I ordered Italian to be delivered and sat back and answered all the emails I was behind on and then sorted through my bounce box for the next part of the hike. I called Frogcaller and Lew and talked a while, then called my Mom and Dad...they were glad to hear from their fine baby boy. :-))) Thanks again Rosie for being so kind today and helping me along on the trail. That really mean't alot to me.