Date: 2006-10-15
From: Washington Monument Rd

To: I-70
Miles today: 9.8

Crampton Gap, Gapland Rd to Washington Monument Rd Parking lot S 9 Miles Boonsboro Mt. Rd to I-70   N 0.8 MilesToday is Sunday October fifteenth. We spent last night in a Greenbriar State Park again for the third night. And it got pretty cold again. We found out later, down to freezing. It was fine. We decided to drop first car off at Gathland State park at Crampton Gap, Gapland Rd. We left Terry's car there, so we could have lunch at it later. And we drove back around to Reno Monument road. We got on the trail at 10:10am. We are doing the southern half of todays 9 mile hike first. It was a beautiful cool crisp day, totally sunny, not a cloud in the sky. There was a lot of people out for a Sunday, lot of cars at the trailheads; we met a number of people on the trail. The trail was good and a lot of areas it was on an old road. And it wasn't too bad as far as boulders and such went. At ten twenty five, after a mile, we came to the Rocky Run shelter side trail. We didnt do it. They finally take you around to the east. And then finally go west and you look up, and you can see the towers up on top, they don't ever take you actually up there. Right after that you come to the White Rock Cliff, we get there about eleven forty five. Decided to enjoy the scenery for a while, in the sun. We stayed there fifteen minutes, till twelve o'clock. And then we started down. And after about fifteen minutes there was a trail to the Bear Spring cabin, and there was another couple sitting there we talked to. I just remember going down mostly, after that on an old road. What we always say about Maryland is ¢if they have an old road they'll take you on it, and if they don't do that, they just put white blazes on trees". So it's either good or bad. At one twenty we made it to the side trail to Crampton Gap shelter, which we didn't do, because it's too far off. And at 1:35 we came back to the car on Gapland rd. We read some of the Plaques that they have, about the area and about the Civil War . And then we decided, instead of having lunch there, we go back around to Washington Monument Road parking lot and we had lunch in the car. So after we got done with lunch we started walking. We left there at 2:25 and at two thirty; they took us up and down and across monument road. At 3:10 it was Turner's gap and we just paused there and read stuff. And then we went on down to the Dalegren backpack campground and used the privy. Toilets came in real handy. We both managed to use them. But other than that it was nothing special, showers didn¢t look particularly clean, even though they are free to backpackers. So we stayed there about five minutes and then we were off. And just a really nice old road, gentle up, and then you come over the crest and go down and come out back to our car, at 3:45 on Reno monument rd. We picked up the other car, and decided to try to get another 0.8 miles in tonight. So we drove around and parked Terry's car at the I-70 parking lot. and then we drove in the rental car to the trail crossing on Boonsboro mountain road.  We get on the trail there at 4:35pm. And we take a little walk through Greenbrier State Park. You come out right next to a house on Boonesboro Mt road , and then it goes down and you go across I-70 on this foot bridge. Then the trail takes off down by the highway bridge over I-70 and then you have to turn and go up to the parking lot. So we came out there at five o'clock. We went back and picked up the rental car and we put some clothes and towels and soap and all that in there for tomorrow. And we left that car back over there at I-70 and now we came in the Hagerstown. And we got a Super Eight motel for the night. And we went out and right across the street was Subway. Fine dining.