Date: 2005-06-17
From: Harpers Ferry, WV (Hilltop House Hotel)

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: scattered clouds

DAY 98 I still had to make a decision about my knee this morning. Do I rest it further? Do I end my hike? Do I continue? In the morning, I talked to the doctor I saw two days ago. She told me the x-rays showed fluid in the knee, but no fractures. She recommended taking the anti-inflammatory drugs, wrapping it, elevation and rest. Since nothing was broken, I was willing to chance further damage to the knee to stay with Rocky. I decided to continue at least to the hostel two miles further up the Trail. It would be almost three miles of easy walking before the Trail turns up hill toward Weaverton Cliffs. We walked through old Harpers Ferry to the bridge over the Potomac River. It was a pleasant morning for hiking. Rocky admired the old stone buildings in the historic part of the town. As we passed a construction site a stone mason told Rocky she was beautiful. I told him, ¢You¢re right!¢ Everyone loves Rocky, including me.We crossed the bridge into Maryland. This is our sixth state on the Trail. The Trail follows the old C&O Canal Towpath for the first 2.6 miles in Maryland. It was easy walking, which was just fine by me. We encountered a mother and daughter, Judy and Libby Graham, on bicycles headed downstream, in the same direction we were. They are in the midst of a multi-day bike trip along the C&O Canal Towpath in to Washington. The mom, Judy, was pulling a luggage wagon with her bike. I was quite curious about the mechanics of their trip. I had been thinking about a bike trip on the C&O Canal since I read about it back at Mountain Harbour Hostel during my five Zero Days there. Rocky asked Judy to carry my pack on her luggage wagon. So I was slackpacked by a bike for about two miles, as we walked and talked with Judy and Libby. When we came to the turn off from the Canal Towpath, I decided I would continue at least to the next shelter, so I shouldered my pack again. We stopped for lunch at an overlook with a view of the Potomac River. It was a beautiful day, with a beautiful view, and I¢m with a beautiful companion. I just don¢t want to leave the Trail. I recalled the feeling I had many days ago back at Thomas Knob Shelter in Virginia: I don¢t ever want to go home. I just want to go up and down the Trail forever with Rocky. I talked, wishfully, with Rocky that if we ever got to Katahdin we should turn south and keep hiking together indefinitely. However, I knew that eventually reality would rear its ugly head. We continued a few more miles to the Ed Garvey Shelter, arriving early in the afternoon. This is a beautiful two level shelter, with a balcony. In a reversal of past roles, Rocky went to get water this time. The water source is almost a half mile down hill, at the base of this ridge. I hated to have Rocky do that for me, but I don¢t need the one mile walk up and down the mountain.For days we have been eating restaurant meals and dinners prepared by others. Tonight was the first time Rocky used her new MSR Superfly stove, a canister stove similar to mine. It had been mailed to her back at Waynesboro, Virginia.As the afternoon and evening have progressed we have been joined by other hikers. By bed time there are nine of us in the shelter. We have relative privacy in the upper lever of the shelter. I am loving and cherishing every minute I spend with Rocky. I am resigned to the fact that this will end soon. It will hurt when we part.