Date: 2015-09-23
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Blackburn Trail Center
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

9/23/2015Treadway: 4/10Weather: Sunny and warm 3/10Stats:20.19 miles 7:04:132.8 miles per hour 1701 c3004 feet up 2746 feet down 40777 steps Narrative:Now that I have more time to write, I would like to elaborate further on the many SoBos I met in Pennsylvania and Maryland. At Outerbridge Shelter on 9/13, I met Chick Pea, Milk Man, Sunnyside and Blackbeard. I later learned that the last three all went to high school together in Long Island. Another thru-hiker told me they are chatter boxes, talking amongst themselves all day long on the trail and in the shelters. I also met Pabst at Outerbridge. The next night was Eckville. There I met Swampy, Woodstock, Desolation Row and Baby Blue. The next morning, I met Foxtrot at Pinnacle Rocks, then ran into Woodstock and him at the bar in the Port Clinton Hotel that night. Foxtrot looks like the actor Billy Crudup. I told that to Woodstock and she agreed with me completely. The next night was 501, no thru hikers there. The night after that was the campsite before Peter Mountain Shelter. No one else there. The next day at the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon I met Walrus, Nat Geo and Fireball. They said they were heading to Cove Mountain, but I had that shelter all to myself that night. The next night was in Boiling Springs and there were no other hikers there. The next night was at Birch Run, which I had all to myself. The next night was Raven Rocks. In the morning, I met Ramrod, Bee Sting and Spark, and I ran into Float. The next day Wayfarer whooshed by me on the trail. He is the strongest hiker I have seen on the trail so far. He told me he went up Quirock Mountain in the dark and the rain the same night I did and camped a half mile before Raven Rocks at the end of a 38 mile day. I think I am reasonably able to tolerate physical pain and hardship, but Wayfarer blows me away in that category. Ran into Ramrod and Wayfarer again at Ed Garvey Shelter. So here's what happened today. Up at 5:40 am, on the trail around 6:40 am. Off and on rocky descending from the shelter for the first 2 miles, then smooth and flat on the P & O Canal tow way to Harpers Ferry. Had breakfast in town below, then walked up to the ATC Headquarters, where I had my picture taken and ran into Ramrod, Float and Wayfarer. I also ran into All The Way, a NoBo I met in Garfield Shelter. He summitted Katahdin the previous week. After sorting through my resupply box, which included my new shoes, and writing 8 postcards, I weighed myself and was pleased to learn that I weighed exactly the same as when I started. From ATC Headquarters, I went to the post office to mail back my old maps, then had two slices of pizza, a Coke, ice water and a calzone at Mena¢s. After lunch, I got ready to start hiking outside the restaurant and ran into Wild Thing, a NoBo I met in Stratton. He looked like he gained a few pounds and said he summitted Katahdin on August 7 and that he was now living in the area. I resumed hiking at 2:30 pm, and it was hot and the sun was on my face. After descending to the bridge and crossing the Shenandoah, I began the steady climb up to Loudoun Heights. After the trail leveled, it was mostly rocky for a mile and a half, then became more smooth the rest of the way to Blackburn. The descent of 240 feet down the blue blazed trail was not bad. The caretaker stamped my AT Passport and gave me a ginger ale. I slept in the hiker bunkhouse and met section hikers Hawk Man, from Connecticut, and Beetle, originally from Concord, California.