“I am Brave, I am Strong, I can do Hard Things!“
~Winnie the Pooh
Hike from Harpers Ferry to Dahlgren Backpacker Campground
AT miles: 17.0
Ascent: 3213’
Descent: 2514’
Weather: sunny and hot (around 90 degrees)
Sightings: a garter snake, a snapping turtle, and a blue heron
High points: I am now in Maryland!
Yesterday A’s Achilles’ tendon was swollen and really bothering her, so she decided to rest it for a few days. If it is feeling better later on in the week she will join me again on the trail. That change of plans meant that today I was hiking solo.
A’s friend graciously returned me to Harpers Ferry, where I walked for about a block and then immediately crossed over the Potomac River. Both the bridge and the stairs to the bridge were a crisscross of metal, with lots of open spaces to drop cell phones through, so I have no pictures of that bridge.
The AT then joined the C&O canal towpath for 2.7 miles. Talk about easy walking! The path is primarily used for bicyclists, so it was not only straight and level but also smooth, with the Potomac on the right side and the canal and the railroad tracks on the left side. There were lots and lots of bicyclists. The only excitement on this easy section was the very large snapping turtle I saw in the middle of the path looking rather like a moss-covered rock. Right beyond it is a garter snake!
A long train taking coal from West Virginia to somewhere east chugged slowly by me. The big ascent for the day that brought me from the Potomac River valley up into the highlands was a steep climb that brought me to Weaverton Cliffs. The view of the Potomac was fantastic!
One of the big topics this summer is cicadas. The seventeen year cicadas are joining the regular cicadas, and in this region the cicadas are absolutely everywhere. I thought that the holes that we kept on noticing along the sides of the trail were made by hiking poles, but A showed me yesterday that they weren’t quite the right shape. We think all these holes are made by the cicadas when they climb out of the ground! (Neat but yuck!)
The trail ascended South Mountain, scene of the famous Civil War battle. I then walked through Gathland State Park, which most people know as having numerous Civil War era buildings but hikers remember as the place that provides bathrooms, potable water, shaded benches, a trash can, and an electrical outlet! Those things are much needed by hikers but hard to find in the woods, so finding them right on the trail is pretty thrilling!
The trail today was absolutely jam-packed with backpackers. I must’ve seen 50! Apparently section hiking the AT in Maryland is a popular activity!
Today was really hot. I focused on staying hydrated and not tripping. I did have a nice break at this view.
I haven’t seen any daisies on the AT before, but these were growing in a field.
I had been planning on stopping at a shelter, but almost everyone I talked with today was trying to get to Dahlgren Backpacker campground for the night because it has hot showers, potable water, and electrical outlets. So I even though I was tired and overheated, I walked past the planned shelter and I was treated to the lovely scene of mountain laurels bordering the trail.
We have been staying in (not just at) shelters every night since we started at Front Royal, so this is the first night that I have set up my tent in quite a while. I’m looking forward to a quiet private night of sleep!
Today is a great day for a long walk in the woods!