Date: 2004-06-17
From: Harpers Ferry Hostel

To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up in time to bid my friends farewell at 5:45 a.m. before they drove down to finish 19 miles in Shenandoah Park. We had hugs all around and I could not help feeling a little teary. They will not head north until after the weekend and since they will be going slow to spare Stomach's feet I may not see them again on the hike. The Walking Stomach and Little Tree and Ann have been great company and we had a wonderful time hiking the past few days. I will miss them.I stayed around for the AYCE breakfast before leaving at 8:30. I made good time, stopping at the Edward Garvey Shelter and Gathland State Park to eat. The park is both the site of part of the Battle of South Mountain and of a monument to war correspondents.About 1:30 the sky clouded over and thunder began rumbling. Most seemed behind me so I guessed that if I hurried I could avoid the worst of the storm. Then a lightning bolt struck some ways in front of me. "No Fair!" Still there was little I could do but hurry along, mindful of the recent severe storm. Suddenly there was a bright flash ahead followed almost immediately by a loud thunderclap. YOW! That one got a yelp out of me and sent me scrambling for cover. Yup, I was frightened! It had to be within a quarter mile of me.   From next to a log I gathered my wits. It was not going to protect me from lightning and I really could not predict where the next bolt would hit. I decided to get up and keep moving. The sun broke through and there seemed a lull. That sent me scurrying even faster, as there was a cluster of three towers ahead and I wanted past them before any more lightning showed up. By then I was drenched but I had been too busy with the lightning to pay attention to that.Fortunately another thundershower did not follow and I and the Trail slowly dried out on the way to Dahlgren Backpack Campground. This is a neat spot with about six tentsites and hot showers and flush toilets. All for free! Even better, just .2 miles away was the Old South Mountain Inn restaurant.I signed the register and took a quick shower and changed into my clean long pants and top. Then I headed to the Inn for supper, taking my pack for safe-keeping. While waiting for the Inn to open for dinner I read the signs scattered about detailing the Battle of South Mountain. One in particular got a laugh out of me:A resident of Frederick described the Confederate soldiers as follows "I have never seen a mass of such filthy strong-smelling men. Three in a room would make it unbearable, and when marching in column along the street the smell from them was most offensive... The filth that pervades them is most remarkable... They have no uniforms, but are all well armed and equipped, and have become so inured to hardships that they care little for any of the comforts of civilization... They are the roughest looking set of creatures I ever saw, their features, hair and clothing matted with dirt and filth, and the scratching they kept up gave warrent of vermin in abundance." Another observer described the Confederates simply as "a lean and hungry set of wolves." Skip the part about being armed and substitute mosquitoes and poison ivy for vermin and it makes a remarkably accurate description of AT thru-hikers!The Inn goes back to colonial times and was a favorite haunt of Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. I had a nice prime rib dinner and a slice of berry and rhubarb pie for desert. It was fun to have such a nice restaurant in the middle of nowhere right next to the Trail!While there I ran into Stretch. He and I ended up having the campground to ourselves. It was just a bit creepy because there were shattered trees about and every now and then a big limb would come crashing down in the woods. Fortunately the tentpads were in a large clearing.