Date: 2010-06-17
From: Thornton Gap

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I didn't really investigate Harper's Ferry last night as I arrived reasonably late and it was quite hot. I walked to the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conference) which is the organisation which runs the AT but it was shut so I just got a medium pizza (the diet is still on!) and watched some tv in my hotel room. It's the nicest (cleanest hotel) I have been on since Georgia I think. The breakfast that they offer is really good with cereal (didn't eat that!), hard boiled eggs, yogurt, self made waffles, Danish pastries, bagels (which for once were not too sweet), hot chocolate and juices. It was supposed to be a "continental breakfast" but surpassed my expectations.Mum arrived in the morning after a long trip from Sydney via San Francisco. We had a lot to do so she wasn't allowed much rest. I am a hard taskmaster and I am the leader of this expedition. First we headed to the ATC to pick up a package I had arranged to have sent there. We checked out the information on offer and I decided with the help of "Peter Pan", the person on duty, that I would have my photo taken on the way back into town. Every thru hiker has their photo taken as Harper's Ferry is the half way point town and it's a tradition. Then we went to the post office where the employee who gave us our parcels almost passed out under the weight of the food I sent from Pearisburg. Mum was very careful with the gear she brought. I didn't allow her any luxury items and everything had to be lightweight. After going through all the gear and food, we headed into the downtown area of Harper's Ferry. It's a very spread out town and there are no real services for hikers in the downtown (internet, laundry, cheap food...) so many hikers only stop by the ATC. A deli had been recommended to us in town and indeed, the food was not bad. Reasonably healthy and fresh. Mum had a grilled chicken salad. She abhors fat, sugar and anything vaguely looking like junk food. Haha how things will change when all that is available are greasy burgers. After a few days hiking she'll be eating that to get the calories just as I do!There was a John Brown wax museum which I would have liked to visit but we were too busy getting final gear for Mum at the outfitter. I then needed to do laundry and had to walk another 1.5 miles in the opposite direction to the local campground. I spoke to a local or should I say that he spoke to me. I had no idea what he was saying due to his thick accent. I understood bits and pieces about a broken lawn mower and him changing the two small wheels and the two large ones. He told me that someone had just overdosed and died in the campground. I had heard fire trucks, police and ambulances headed down so that might have been true. He also told me that bears had been seen just out of town and that he had a mate who found claw marks in his back yard so he covered a tree in honey to see if it was a bear. Gee. On the way back to the hotel, I passed Bolivar battleground. The area still looked like it would have many years ago. I could imagine the fighting really easily. I also saw Stonewall Jackson's HQ which is now a B&B. Harper's Ferry was deeply affected by the Civil War I believe because every second house seems to be of historical significance. Pity my bro was not here to provide me with all the details.Tomorrow we'll head back to Thornton Gap to do one last day in the Shenandoah before we start the Roller Coaster and the remainder of Virginia.