Date: 2008-06-20
From: David Lessar Memorial

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: scattered clouds

We were up and at ¢em at about 8:30ish. It was a bit crisp, but once we started moving it really warmed up. It was another perfect day for hiking. It was a really pleasant walk to Harpers Ferry.   We make it in really good time. Brad busts out the video camera for the big day. We cross the Shenandoah River (on a bridge) and it is really quite amazing to have made it here, to THE Harpers Ferry!! This is considered the psychological half-way point of the AT.We head to the ATC offices. We meet Stitches, a woman who thru-hiked a couple years ago. We drop our packs and go out for lunch with her and Bilko, who we met last night. He is a section hiker and has been doing the Trail for the last 14 years; chipping away at is one summer vacation at a time. Talk about dedication! We devour our lunch and enjoy the company of new faces. Then Stitches drops us off at the Outfitter. We pick up our food drop, my new journal and my boots. Unfortunately, the boots are way too tight and there is no way I can wear them. (They were boots that I had been wearing at home prior to the hike) So, I check out new shoes. The lady working there reprimands me when I tell her my current boots make my feet feel like they¢re in vices. Apparently, that¢s a good way to fracture all the little bones in your feet. She says if I¢ve never broken, sprained or injured my ankles, then there is no reason to wear boots. And so I try on trail-runners. I try on a Montrail and a Vasque. This is such a tough decision and my body temperature actually rises as I start to sweat and panic a little over this big decision. I get advice from Brad, the shoe lady, Baltimore Jack and Bilko. I go back and forth, walk around, and pray to myself to please make the right dang choice! This is such a big deal (for me). In the end I go with the Vasque VST because it is more comfortable. The Montrail felt a bit stiffer. I hope this is the right choice¢¦We walk back to the ATC office and I wear my new shoes. I don¢t feel like a hiker anymore without my boots. It¢s true ¢ I feel cheesy in my low-tops! We go through our food drop and while I go to the post office to mail home my boots, Brad goes to the grocery store (via ride from Stitches) for cheese, wraps and starbursts. I send some pocket mails home to Mom, check my e-mail, talk to Phoebe on the phone and then firm up plans with Sadie. Only 16 days until we get to see Sadie and Lucy!!! I am so excited; I could run the whole way there!We have our photo taken and make it into the official 2008 book. We are now in permanent AT hiker history! This is awesome, and I have such a giddy feeling! We stop and eat one more time before we leave town. That¢s right ¢ in and out! Finally, after 1,000 miles we finally do it!We go over the Potomac River, which serves as the border of West Virgina/Maryland. Woo-hoo! Leaving town we follow the C&O Canal Towpath for about 3miles. It is flat and a piece of cake, which is welcomed considering how full our bellies are. The canal that runs alongside it is full of turtles that we watch along the way. Some are sunning themselves on rocks, others on trees fallen in, and even a couple are swimming. The water has a thick, bright green coating of something, I¢m not sure what. It¢s from the trees, we guess. We have a decent sized climb but it has switch backs and isn¢t too bad at all. We take a short side trail to Weverton Cliffs. It gives a view of the river and just over a knoll I assume is Harpers Ferry. We meet the Maryland Ridge runner here before heading on to Ed Garvey shelter. It is beautiful! It is made from huge logs and has two stories. It¢s great. We stay inside and there is no need to cook because we just ate before leaving town. We meet Todd and Susan a couple from GA out for the night. Bilko is here, too. We stay up late laughing and laughing telling stories of the characters we¢ve met on the Trail. It was the longest day of the year today, which on the Trail means hike naked day. We didn¢t see any nude hikers, fortunately. Tonight there is a gorgeous harvest moon. Big, full and bright orange!