Harper's Ferry

When I got on the trail after Luray I only had about 25 miles of Shenandoah National Park to walk. I finally came across a bear within that final section of the park, a yearling of about 150 pounds. It was eating something along the side of the trail, saw me, and scampered off into the woods. Later that day I spotted a very large coyote trotting in the woods parallel to the trail. It didn't see me so I howled like a coyote to get its attention. It froze, ears perked, looking my way. I howled again, but it lost interest and continued on. Although I had seen an abundance of wildlife in Shenandoah National Park I hadn't seen any wild turkeys. I'd be willing to bet that those coyotes have something to do with that.

Not long after leaving the park I found myself at Manassas Gap, with the small town of Linden, VA less than a mile away. My guidebook said great things about The Apple House restaurant and store, less than a mile away. I was hungry and it was nearing dinner time, so I so I started walking down a country road into town. A local farmer, Jerome, stopped and offered me a ride, which I gladly accepted. He ran a small organic farm and sold his things in the local area. He said that the cold spring had ruined his cherry crop, but he was well-diversified, even raising hogs. His hogs were locally slaughtered and cured, and some of them ended up at the Apple House, which was famous for its cured hams. All of the staff there sported t-shirts stating "We have the finest butts."

After a delicious dinner, the weather turned even worse on the trail. It had been raining, but the the temperature started dropping quickly. I hoped that the drop didn't damage Jerome's tomato crop, which he was also worried about. I walked into the evening, looking for a good camping spot. I saw some snowflakes by the time I stopped and was glad I had kept all of my cold weather gear.

The next day was cold, wet and windy, and by the time I had passed through most of the "Rollercoaster," a series of steep ascents and descents, I was ready to get off the trail. Fortunately, the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club ran the Bear's Den, a great hostel housed in a stone mansion.

For $30 you got a clean bunk, shower, laundry, a large pizza, and a pint of Häagen Dazs. I snagged the last pint of chocolate and had a restful night. I also met some interesting fellow hikers; there were about 15 of us staying that night.

I was excited to make it to Harper's Ferry the next morning (Monday the 16th of May) since it was considered the "psychological" halfway point and was home to the headquarters of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC). I was the first one on the trail that morning, heading out the door just after 6:00, following a pancake breakfast with several other early risers. A very nice elderly lady who volunteered at the hostel made us pancakes and coffee. The Bear's Den really was a great respite.

The back side of the Bear's Den.

The trail to Harper's Ferry was not overly strenuous, so I arrived there by 3:00 PM after crossing a bridge with a magnificent view of the Shenandoah River, just before it flowed into the Potomac River. 

I made my way to the ATC Visitor's Center where I chatted with some other thru hikers. The staff took my photo and a printed copy went in albums they maintain. I entered the requested information (start date, today's date, where from, etc.) and started flipping back over the prior week's entries. It was readily apparent that I was travelling faster than 95% of thru hikers, maybe too fast. I weighed myself and my pack using a scale they had for that purpose and discovered that I have lost over 25 pounds since beginning in Georgia. I hardly have any body fat left. I haven't been in the 140's since Army basic training 34 years ago.

I had a talk this morning with several other thru hikers who also felt they were going too fast and should slow it down a little. I'm going to make a slight effort to do that.

The Harper's Ferry area is beautiful. I particularly liked a three mile section of the trail that ran along the old C&O Canal tow path after crossing the Potomac River into Maryland. The old stone locks are still there.

Blue heron.