06-11-13 Somewhere on South Mountain

As much fun as it was to relax, explore the sites and have Mom and Dad spoil us, it was time to get back to the trail.

After my favorite breakfast--eggs over medium mashed together with cheese and hash browns--we were back at old town Harper's Ferry to pick up the trail where we had left it.

Dad couldn't find a parking spot, so just Mom accompanied us over the Potomac River trestle bridge into Maryland. We said our "good-byes" to Mom and turned to leave. But wait. What was that? My Dad, running down the tow path. What a treat! We all continued along the path north. The time inevitably came though, to say our final goodbyes--Thank you Mom and Dad for the wonderful visit!

The Appalachian Trail shared the route with the C & O Tow Path for a couple of miles. Before the railroad, mules used to walk the tow path and pull ferries up the adjacent canal.

We hiked the South Mountain ridge line through Crampton and Fox Gaps, both sites of Civil War battles. Also, we explored the Gathland State Park, which highlighted the role of the newspaper correspondents and artists of the Civil War.

We settled in for the night at Dahlgren Backpack Campground. We're definitely spoiled here--level tent pads, restrooms AND showers.

06-10-13 Somewhere near Charles Town, West Virginia

Rain, again. I was thankful not to have to hike in it today. We drove over to Charles Town, West Virginia to look around. Charles Town was founded by George Washington's youngest brother, Charles.

We saw the courthouse where John Brown was brought to and tried and convicted for treason. Also nearby was where he was hung.

We saw Charles Washington's house, "Happy Retreat," surprising, for sale. Looked for a flyer to see an asking price, but none were available.

Had an early dinner at a local restaurant in Harper's Ferry. Scurried back to the campsite during the thunderstorm and enjoyed a quiet evening tucked away from the rain.

06-09-13 Together in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia

Had a lazy morning then proceeded to old town Harper's Ferry. We hung out at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for awhile and ran into DNA's dad, Stan. What a treat it was to catch up with him!

Harper's Ferry, West Virginia is very historic. Situated between the Potomac River and Shenandoah River it was a strategic point not just during the Civil War but also for the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

We walked around the preserved buildings and saw where John Brown, the abolitionist, was caught during his raid. Peaked inside many other buildings they've preserved for the National Park.

Late in the afternoon, Morning Kid and Bamboo joined us at the campsite and we cooked out for dinner.

06-08-13 Together with Mom and Dad

Started early on the trail and saw three deer. Today we walked along the ridge line between Virginia and West Virginia and made excellent time.

We reached the sign for the final two miles into Harper's Ferry at 11 a.m. Unfortunately, I was also expecting a "Welcome to West Virginia" or some sort of sign, but none was present. Regardless, I was still excited.

We continued our decent, now fully in West Virginia, and shortly after saw some familiar faces in the woods-- my parents! Definitely NOT dressing the part nor smelling the part, they had hiked in to meet us. After a heartfelt hug, we turned around and hiked the final length into town.

We crossed over the Shenandoah River and into the outskirts of town. A small side trail lead us to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy where we signed in and got our hiker numbers.

We walked back to the Appalachian Trail and hiked to old town Harper's Ferry for a late lunch. With full bellies, we made our way to the Harper's Ferry KOA to reunite with our long-lost cat and settle in for the night. Our hiking buddy, Shaman joined us later in the evening.

06-07-13 Riding the Roller Coaster Together

Today we hiked the remaining ten miles of the "Roller Coaster. The Roller Coaster is a 13.5 mile stretch of trail with ten ups and downs and a reputation of being difficult.

Fortunately, the Roller Coaster did not pose us much problem. Instead, it was our second day of rain that brought the misery. We'd find out later it was thanks to Tropical Storm Andrea.

Not only did we hit the 1,000 mile marker, but we also reached the Virginia, West Virginia border which we will follow for the next the 15 miles.

To get out of the rain for the night, we stopped at the Blackburn AT Center. The caretakers, Chris and Caroline, were very welcoming and fixed us a spaghetti dinner. Thank you!

05-11-13 Together Along the Virginia Ridge

There was fog when we woke up; do you think it follows us? Luckily it was warm and the fog quickly lifted.

Upon checking out, we found out that the free shuttle back to the trail is only available when the driver is awake, usually around noon. We started walking down the street towards the trail and saw Danno. He asked if we needed a ride which we thought was a joke at first. Turns out he had to rent a car in order to get to a specific outfitter for his shoes. The agency did not have anything to rent him except a 12 passenger van, the perfect shuttle vehicle. Thank you Danno!

The trail skirted town, an industrial plant, and the landfill before a big climb back into the ridges. At first it was an easy traverse and we had a wonderful view for lunch. The trail knows when you get complacent though and treated us to a few miles of rock scrambles.

Much of the ridge today was actually the border between Virginia and West Virginia. For whatever reason, the books don't recognize this fact and West Virginia gets cheated Appalachian Trail miles (WV has the fewest of the 14 states which the AT travels).

The weight from our recent resupply finally took its toll and we were wiped around 17miles in. We heard thunder and as soon as we set up the tent; downpour. Waited it out for dinner and again, downpour as soon as we finished. Happy not to be wet, we called it a day to the sound of more rain.