Date: 2004-07-13
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Burkittsville MD
Miles today: 53.9

Adam (Gather) called in at 7:00 PM today July, 13th. Harpers Ferry WV, Yahooooo, halfway there.The rain was coming down in buckets yesterday and last night. I was high on a ridge looking out over the Shenandoah Valley and could see almost the entire valley it seemed. I saw the storm coming up the valley, I sat down and started eating my lunch watching the storm get closer. One big black wall coming up the valley. I sat there thinking about the Slimer (Jorma) knowing he was out there in the middle of it somewhere. Then the storm hit where I was, no lightning, a little thunder. The trail instantly became a river, only thing to do was grin and bear it. I started sloshing my way up the trail and came to a shelter. Got in out of the rain and turned on my $4.00 weather radio (works pretty good) severe flood warning in the area, raining three inches an hour. Rain slacked up somewhat and I hit the trail again sloshing my way along soaked.Met up with "Free Bird" " Mountain Goat" "Sardine" "Bear Dave" met many section hikers along the trail. Water is getting somewhat hard to find, heard it was really hard to find on up north, that time of year I guess.Went through the Roller Coaster, several sharp peaks in a row, at the beginning of the ascent a sign read " You are about to enter the Roller Coaster maintained by the trail boss and his merry crew of volunteers, hope you enjoy the ride if you survive " And it was quite a ride took me almost a day and a half to get over them. Ol Slimer is going to have fun with this one.Passed through Keys Gap WV which is the 1000 mile mark on the nose, sat down and celebrated with a Snickers bar, Pine Grove PA is really the halfway point I'm told.Down the trail a ways I had a not so pleasant encounter with a bear. I was walking along and heard a sound, turned around and this bear was running full bore toward me ( this was my most fearful moment so far on the trail) straight at me. Running was not an option, I stood my ground facing the bear as he was coming toward me. Nothing to defend myself with, the bear got about 30 feet from me and veered off and went down the side of the mountain. Ahhh that felt so good when he turned, I was shaking in my boots. After I thought about (once I calmed down) it I think the bear heard me, but didn't see me and was really trying to run away instead he was running at me then saw me at the last minute and veered off. Some of the hikers carry fire crackers with them to scare the bears off, it all happened so fast I don't think I would have had time to light one.One hiker was bit by a brown centipede like thing, his ankle turned black and swelled, heard he had to go to the hospital not really sure what bit him.On this leg of the trip from Front Royal VA to Harpers Ferry WV I knocked out 53.9 miles in 3 days. When I got on the trail at Front Royal it was around noon Sat July 10th, and I rolled into Harpers Ferry around 1:00 pm on Tue July 13th.I never have mentioned what I eat for fear Mom would go into orbit, well for breakfast. I eat two Nutri-Gran bars, one blueberry muffin and water.For lunch, I eat one pack of cheese crackers, one Snickers bar, One Nutri-Gran Bar, two Rice Krispy treats, one Granola bar and water. For dinner I have Liptonchicken and noodles or fried rice and beans (these I have to boil in water) they are dry. One Snickers bar and powdered Gator-Aid. When I first started out I had " Hikers Urge" meaning the urge to eat too much and then starve to death later. I learned real fast how to control my urge, thats what happened to me in the smokies and I ran out of food. For snacks on the trail I have Snickers bars, and trail mix I put together myself when I re-supply.I have a story the Navigator told me, this happened in GA, now you have to remember the Navigator is from New York and for some reason or other had been led to believe we have such a thing as "Red Necks" down south. Well the Navigator was somewhere in Georgia near where they filmed the movie Deliverance and was setting there in the dark writing in his journal, and he had just got through writing as to how he had not come upon any of these characters portrayed in Deliverance. About that time Navigator heard what sounded like an engine running and saw lights coming through the woods. A beat up Jeep rolled up coming through the tree's and these two good ol boys jumped out, no shirts, belly's hanging out. Navigator said the fat lady hadn't sang yet, but he felt like she was warming up, he was getting ready to head out for parts unknown.One of the good ol boys grabbed a grill out of the jeep, the other grabbed acooler. They had Salmon, Trout and hamburger and commenced to cook right there on the spot. They fed about 7 hikers at the shelter. Long story short, no such thing as red necks in the south, just good ol boys.Another story the Trout Group told me and I believe them, this also happened in North Georgia ( don't take this the wrong way Georgia folks, this could have happened anywhere even in Denton.) Anyway the group was on the highway hitch hiking and this clunker van stopped, they got in and sat down on the floor, There were no seats in this thing. The driver was setting on a bucket as was his buddy. The driver had no legs, and his buddy was kinda goofy. The driver was using a ball bat to hit the gas and brakes and was doing a good job, kinda sorta. Well the driver started swerving and going all over the place, the trout group was wanting out of there some kind of bad. The driver pulled into a store for gas and the trout group went inside and begged this man in there to give them a ride. They all slinked around the corner and got in with the other guy and got out of there, the trout group was some kind of scared. This was told to me by the trout group and I believe them.Well I'm here in Harpers Ferry at the kinda halfway point, they took my picture at the ATC Center ( Appalachian Trail Conference Center) and logged me in, I was number 578 to make it that far, many of these got off the trail here so not sure how many are still on the trail headed north. Someone told me out of the two or three thousand who started in GA, maybe 100 or less will make it to Maine. Maybe I'll be one of the hundred who make it. Met "Wipe Out" today, she is back on the trail again, her hiking partner "Nitro" got off the trail here in Harpers Ferry I heard, not sure. Nitro said it just wasn't any fun anymore, I can fully understand how she feels, but me I'm having a ball, can't wait to get back on the trail. Too many people and too much noise here in town.Called home, all ok there Mom told me about the article in the Denton Orator, she said Toni had done a great job, half a front page and one entire page. The link is http://www.dentonorator.com if any of you want to take a peek at it.Brother Jorma (Slimer)also called in from Elk Wallow, he has made 88 miles in three days, I believe he's hitch hiking. I'm in the Comfort Inn here in Harpers Ferry, taking a day off tomorrow. Ol Slimer ( Jorma) now has the chance to make up some ground on me. I have decided not to eat the half gallon of ice cream, because most all who do gets sick and has to lay up here a couple of days and time is not my friend right now. Also I have decided not to do the flip-flop to Mt. Katahdin Maine, I'm going to cross those mountains through snow and ice if I have to. Talked to my friend Will Ward today in Denton, told him what he was missing not being here with me. Well folks I've rambled on enough, thanks to all who have signed my guest book and supported me here on Trail Journals and along the trail. A great big special thanks to Toni Ayers of the Denton Orator for writing such a fine article about Slimer and me, Toni is my friend Josh's sister ( http://www.dentonorator.com ). Gonna get some sleep, fun day tomorrow, get to goof off.Adam (Gather) Hale