Date: 2006-05-07
From: Harper's Ferry WV (Comfort Inn)

To: Turner's Gap (Super 8 Motel)
Miles today: 18.1

8:11 pm Today was an easy slackpack fromHarper's Ferry. Lockjaw left at 6 a.m. to complete the miles early and meet his aunt. We went to Wal-Mart, then got out of town by about 9:30. First thing we walked along a canal, which meant it was perfectly flat, which was kind of boring. Then after a 1000-foot climb that was easy, the day was a cruise. I hiked alone all day. I stopped in at the first shelter for a snack, and saw about 25 Mexicans there. Day hikers, I guess, but it was very confusing. We stopped for lunch at a historical park place, which had soda machines that didn't work. I hiked alone again to the gap, where Lockjaw and his aunt were actually waiting for me with drinks and snack. His aunt was quite a character, very different than his mom. A little later the others and Betsy showed up. Team Steve kept hiking, and Betsy drove the rest of us to a random town, where we're staying at a Super 8 or Motel 8 or whatever it's called. We're getting really sick of being in town. Tomorrow we'll slack again, but then camp. It really sucks that my parents are coming when they are, because we were going to have a treat of town, food, beer,etc. and now we've had it already and it's getting old. I think we're going to spend one night in a hotel, and the other on the trail. I hope they're up for that. I'm excited for my parents to visit, but with so many visitorss and town, I have a know in my stomach over what the others will think/feel/want. We had dinner at some family restaurant, now we've just watching TV. I think it'll be an early night even though it was a very easy day. It was a fast day though; we averaged at least 3 mph while hiking. Two days ago was the day that we first met up with Betsy. We hiked from Dick's Dome (a weird, roundish shelter with bats and bat-sized beetles flying around it)to Bear's Den, a lovely hostel. In the morning Lockjaw and I hiked to the shlter (Rod Hollow) and got there long before we thought we would. After lunch we started the "rollercoaster", an up-and-down section of trail that has 500-ft climbs and descents, one after another, for about 13 miles. Oh, and before lunch Lockjaw and I saw two turtles engaging in coitus in the path before us, which was something different. As we approached, they both closed their shells, and he fell off and onto his back. Embarrassed, I picked them both up and put them by the side of the trail. Poor things. Anyway, as we were on the rollercoaster we say anotehr new and interesting sight. I heard young voices, then came through the trees to see about 15 preschoolers there in the woods. What the hell? They were there with two techers. They were quite outgoing and asked us lots of questions and seemed to be having a great time. After a few more hills in blistering heat, we reached Bear's Den Hostel, where we met Betsy, ate snacks she provided, hung out for a bit, and then drove to Harper's Ferry to spend the night in a hotel. Yesterday Betsy slackpacked us from Bear's Den back to Harper's Ferry. We got a very late start, close to 11:00. We stopped for lunch at Blackburn A.T. Center, which is kind of a lodge/hostel thing. Some Cub Scouts gave us cookies and we chatted with the caretaker, Redwing, who also gave us sodas. We saw a billion Boy Scouts over the course of the day, in at least 3 separate large groups. Near the end of the day, we hit the 1000-mile mark, a very exciting moment. 8.5 miles from there to Harper's Ferry. I decided to fly, and I did, taking only 2 hours. As I finished the roadwalk to the hotel, Boomer pulled over. We had invited him to a 1000-mile dinner, and he lives nearby in D.C., so he came. We all talked and carried on, and I had a delicious veggieburger with mushrooms and swiss at the pub we ate at.