Appalachian Trail Section Hike #7 – Harpers Ferry, WV to the Mason-Dixon Line
Dates: 3/31/06 – 4/2/06
Participants: Tim, Jeff & Mike
Thursday March 30th
Tim and Mike drove down to my house after work, arriving at 22:30. After sorting through their gear and having a quick beer, we all hit the sack around midnight.
Friday, March 31st
We had a full day of hiking planned, so I woke up Tim and Mike just before 04:00. We were on the road towards Harpers Ferry by 04:11. Even with a quick stop for breakfast and fresh sandwiches for lunch, we arrived in Harpers Ferry just past 06:00. I parked my truck just up the block from the ATC headquarters so that we could take the short .25-mile blue-blazed trail directly to the AT. This was a simple plan for someone who had been to Harpers Ferry before and knew where the trail ran through the town. Unfortunately, it was entirely too complex for two sleep-deprived hikers from Massachusetts. Since Tim was checking out the ATC HQ and Mike was finishing his final pack adjustments, I headed off and told Mike that I would wait for them at Jefferson Rocks.
Just before I started dropping down the side hill towards the AT, I looked back and saw Mike & Tim heading in the wrong direction. I yelled and caught their attention while motioning for them to follow me. Apparently, they didn’t. I arrived at the junction with the AT and waited for a few minutes. They didn’t arrive. Then I turned left to head for Jefferson Rocks. After taking a few pictures and waiting, they still didn’t arrive. Knowing that they had a map and directions, I decided to continue to the bottom of town where the trail crossed the Potomac River. Although the forecast was for sun and 70’s, it was downright chilly as I stood on the point where the Potomac meets the Shenandoah.
Almost an hour after I started, I finally saw Tim & Mike heading down the trail towards me. It turned out that my fellow hikers eventually found the blue-blazed trail, turned right on the AT, walked a few tenths in the wrong direction, realized their error, and finally figured out which direction they should be heading. So much for getting an early start!
After crossing the river, we had an easy few miles on the flat and wide C&O canal path before crossing under Route 340 and preparing for the day’s biggest climb – the 1000’ ascent of the southern flank of South Mountain. The trail through Maryland follows the spine of South Mountain for almost the entire length with only occasional descents into the gaps. We made great time on the well graded switchbacks and soon arrived at out first stop of the day – the Weverton Cliffs. The guidebook described them as a must-see and we were not disappointed.
The view from the Weverton Cliffs
From there, it was a steady hike until we reached the Ed Garvey shelter. It was superbly constructed and so new that it was only listed as “Proposed” in the guidebook. We decided that it was a perfect place to enjoy lunch and dug into our fresh subs while basking in the sunshine. Just before we departed, a young couple arrived for a few minutes and then promptly departed. They were heading for PenMar Park and seemed to be on a tight schedule.
Our next stop was planned for Crampton Gap and Gathland State Park where it was reported that a soda machine would be waiting for us along with rest rooms. My pace had slowed after lunch so Mike and Tim arrived before me. The good news? The frost-free water pump was operational and the water was cold. The bad news? The rest rooms were locked and the vending machines were turned off until spring. Hey…it IS spring! At least there was a porta-potty available, although it was only a slight improvement over digging a cat hole in the woods. We accepted the disappointments and headed northward.
It wasn’t a killer ascent out of Crampton Gap, but my feet began to feel tender inside my boots. Also, it was getting warmer and the trail was inflicting its toll on my out-of-shape body. The ascent of Lambs Knoll was tough and the descent to the Rocky Run shelter trail was even tougher. Tim and Mike were waiting for me at the trail junction and we had to make a decision: stop here and spend the night in the shelter or push on for another 1.8 miles and camp at the Dalhgren Backpacker Campground. Normally, my feet would have made the decision for me to stay put. But this time, my stomach and mind voted for the extra two miles since there was a treat waiting for us at the U.S. 40 Alt. road crossing – the Old South Mountain Inn. I forced down an energy bar while Mike ate some chocolate to give us enough stamina to grind out the final segment of the day.
We arrived at the campground at 17:50 to find one tent present. After pitching our three tents and getting suitably cleaned up for dinner, we triumphantly strode the 0.2 miles up to the Inn and sat down for a welcome meal of salad, prime rib, vegetables and baked potatoes. And beverages – I gulped down several glasses of water, two Cokes and a tasty Heineken Dark. We ambled back to the campsite around 20:30, stopping for water along the way. I made a quick call home and fell fast asleep just as the raindrops began to fall on my tent fly.
Saturday, April 1st
The Dahlgren Campground
I woke up a few times during the night when the rain intensity increased but got a great night’s sleep. At 06:00, I heard a few muffled voices and peeked out of my tent window to see the two young hikers from yesterday breaking camp. They certainly weren’t very sociable but I guess they were on a mission to finish their section hike as quickly as possible. I slowly organized my gear and ate some breakfast while waiting for Tim & Mike to emerge from their tents. We enjoyed a very leisurely morning with coffee and hot chocolate and didn’t depart the campsite until 08:25.
The first task of the day was to climb back up to the top of the ridgeline. The overnight rains had only damped the trail a bit and cloud cover kept the temperatures cool – perfect for hiking! After a short two miles, I arrived at the parking lot for the original Washington Monument. Once again, the restrooms were locked and the soda machine was inoperable. At least the porta-potty was in a little better condition. The bad news was that the frost-free tap was also not working. This was especially bad for Mike and Tim as they had limited the amount of water they carried from the campground. I headed out first for the summit and the short side trail to the monument. Fortunately, it was open and the views were outstanding! As I was getting ready to depart, I met a group of people working on a geo- caching project. One of the gentlemen asked me if I ever considered combining the hiking with geo-caching and I explained that I don’t often have the time or the energy to pursue anything other than the next landmark on the trail while I’m hiking.
Washington Monument Northwest View
Mike and Tim took a longer break at the Monument and I wasn’t sure how far behind me they were. I stopped at one of the road crossings for 15 minutes and apparently just missed them. After stopping to sign a trail register and crossing I-70, I turned around and saw Mike coming up behind me. The two of us continued onto the Pine Knob Shelter and Tim joined us a few minutes later. There was a large youth group just getting ready to depart the shelter as we arrived. One of the leaders told us that they were heading for the Annapolis Rocks campsite. After a 45-minute break for lunch, we filled up our water bottles from the nearby spring and continued northward.
As I headed up to the top of the ridge, I was passed by numerous hikers. As it turns out, they were all headed for Annapolis Rocks. Now I understood why the ATC had imposed limits on the number of campers at this site. I guess it is too accessible from the U.S. 40 trail crossing. We stopped briefly at the side trail to the campsites but decided to pass on the spring as it was .25 miles each way. We did stop for pictures at Black Rock Cliffs before pushing on towards our goal for the day – the Cowall shelter.
Tim and I caught up to Mike at the privy for the Pogo campsites. His feet were really starting to hurt him and he was doing his best to give them a rest. After a short search, I found the gushing spring and filled up both of my quart bottles before heading onto the worst part of the trail for the day. When the guide book states that the trail becomes ‘rocky’, you really don’t know how bad it will be. Well, it was bad! My feet were also staging a protest and I realized that I hadn’t packed nearly enough vitamin I on this trip. I downed a quick 600 mg and kept pushing for the shelter. It seemed to take forever to reach the point where the trail began its drop into the gap where the shelter was located.
My joy in reaching the end of the ridge was soon replaced by the torture of a steep descent over rocky trail. Once again, I pulled into our destination at 17:50. This time, there were three other groups present. We decided to pitch our tents around the shelter instead of imposing ourselves on the hikers that had arrived earlier. Tim and Mike found some semi-level spots near the shelter and I opted for a level tent pad site that had been constructed on the slope of the hill. After setting up my tent and preparing my sleeping pad and bag, I made an important call – to the local pizza parlor. They confirmed that they did deliver to the AT road crossing just 0.2 miles back down the trail. We agreed on an order of two pies and called it in with a delivery ETA of 40 minutes. Tim agreed to perform the pick-up duties as he could tell that Mike and I were in no shape to do any more walking for the day.
Tent Site Ensign Phillip Cowall shelter
Now is a good time to describe the different groups at this shelter. One couple was tenting at a pad next to mine. Once they got their tent erected and their food hung from a tree, they disappeared into their tent and we never saw them again. Another group consisted of a husband & wife, their brother-in-law and their Weimaraner. They were good natured and we enjoyed conversation and jokes with them throughout the evening. And then there was Jim.
Jim is basically a homeless man who spends his time hiking between the shelters of northern VA, MD and southern PA. He told us that he goes into town when his supplies run low and gets a motel room so that he can clean himself up. When we ordered the pizzas, Jim made a comment that we weren’t very good pioneers. Of course, that didn’t stop him from eating a few slices. We tried not to make jokes at his expense but it was a little too easy. He did have a lot of knowledge about the trail and had obviously hiked more than the Virginia – Pennsylvania section, but he still seemed to be a few ounces short of a quart.
After dinner, we broke out various alcoholic beverages in an attempt to lighten our loads for Sunday – no sense carrying what you can drink! The temps were dropping and the winds were picking up, so I headed back to my tent as soon as all of the bottles were empty. I didn’t sleep as well as the previous night due to my aching feet and the strong winds. Still, it felt good to be lying down instead of hiking. I had already moved my watch time one hour ahead for Daylight Savings so it was after 22:00 before I fell asleep.
Sunday, April 2nd
Even with the time change, I woke up around 06:30. It was just light enough to see, so I started packing up my sleeping bag and pad. Since my tent goes in the bottom of my pack, I chose to pack up everything else and move it over to the picnic table at the shelter. After breakfast, I folded and packed my tent before loading the rest of my stuff in the pack. By the time I was ready to go, only Jim and the faceless couple in the tent still remained. After a quick visit to the privy, I set off for the Mason-Dixon Line at 08:52.
My feet were really aching this morning from the pounding I had put them through the previous two days. And to make matters worse, the first two miles of trail were part of a relocation project so there were no landmarks listed in the guidebook. I caught up with Mike & Tim at the first road crossing of the day but decided it was a good time for me to take a vitamin I (ibuprofen) break. I swallowed my last two caplets and tried to calculate how far I could hike before they would wear off. I wasn’t optimistic of finishing the day without pain…
Shortly after completing the relocation route, I came to the spring where I expected Tim and Mike to be waiting. The spring was weak and they were nowhere to be seen. I continued for a few hundred feet and found them waiting between a fast-moving stream and the next road crossing. While I filtered two quarts of water, Mike wondered out load if he could hike any further. He finally agreed to try a few more miles (with some pain-management help from Tim) and set off for the last two climbs of the day – the short hump over Buzzard Knob and the steep 700’ ascent of Quirauk Mountain. Tim and I followed a moment later. It took me 50 minutes to climb to the crest of Quirauk but then the trail mellowed considerably. I could see Tim just ahead of me and made some good time as the trail slowly ascended to its highest point in Maryland at 1880’. At the intersection with the High Rock trail, Mike was laying on the ground with his feet on top of his pack. After a short break, we agreed to walk the 0.1 miles to the High Rock overlook for lunch. This had to be the best decision we made all day! The panoramic view of southern Pennsylvania’s farmlands was well worth the climb to this elevation.
We spent a good 30 minutes chatting with the various people (mostly bikers) that had driven & ridden up to this spot. As we prepared to head back to the AT, Mike made the decision that he would take the road down to Pen Mar Park while Tim and I followed the trail. Also, we discussed the idea of finishing the hike at the Mason-Dixon Line instead of pushing for the first shelter in PA. I called home to float the idea of an early pick-up only to remember that my family was out of town for the day. There was nothing left to do but keep pushing for the state line.
The descent into Pen Mar Park was sadistic considering how much pain I was feeling in my feet. The funny part was that Tim and I had conspired at our last water stop to keep pushing Mike “until he cried.” Now I was the one gritting my teeth with each step. The trail dropped steeply down a rock face before turning parallel to the ridge and then climbing part way back up. My remaining water was getting warm and I could see no sign of a park through the forest. Finally, I looked to my left and saw a rail line. The guidebook stated that the trail crossed a rail line right at the state line. This simple discovery changed my outlook completely and I caught up to Tim just before he emerged into the open grass of the Park. We found Mike lounging (not crying) in a pavilion along the trail and joined him for a break. After dropping my pack, I loosened my boot laces and immediately felt sharp pains as full blood flow returned to my feet. It was all I could do to hobble around the pavilion in an effort to find a comfortable spot to rest. At this point, we officially conceded that our big 4-day hike was going to be reduced to three days. We sucked. I called home and arranged a pickup for late in the day.
Tim set out to find the actual Mason-Dixon Line and I finally built up the stamina to do the same. It was a little difficult crossing the railroad tracks wearing my flip-flops but there was no way that I was going to wear my boots again today. After completing the trail in Maryland, I returned to the Park via the paved roads so that I would be able to guide my wife to our rendezvous spot.
We killed time by people-watching and discussing some of the sights and people we had seen. My wife called right on schedule to let us know that she was only a few miles away. By the time we walked up to the parking area, the park was deserted. Within a minute, she drove up and we loaded all three packs into the back of the van and took a quick run up to the road to the High Rocks viewpoint. My family enjoyed the view although it wasn’t nearly as clear as it had been during our lunch break. We all piled back into the van and made a bee-line for home. After quick showers, Mike and Tim headed for home while I relaxed with a dog in my lap. It was a tough hike for all of us but at least we completed our goal of finishing Maryland in one trip.
Mileage Summary – 17.9 miles on Friday, 14.9 miles on Saturday, and 9.5 miles on Sunday. Total AT miles: 41.4. Cumulative AT miles: 247.3.
Trail Summary – manageable elevation changes but the rocks killed our tender feet.
Hiker Count – The two section hikers on Friday, bunches on Saturday around Annapolis Rocks and a few day hikers on Sunday.
Wildlife Count – Squirrels, raptors and a rooster near the Cowall shelter. Tim saw two deer.
Blister Count – Where to begin…. It looks like I will always get a blister on the inside of my right big toe. The oddities were blisters on the bottoms of both feet and a blister on the 2nd tow on my left foot. I’ve never had one there before. I can only guess that it was a combination of socks, insoles and loose boot laces. At least I didn’t have any falls!
Lessons learned – We need to be in better shape. Friday’s 18 miles were doable only because the terrain was benign. Having a restaurant meal afterwards helped too. Saturday’s 14 miles was reasonable and necessary after the long day Friday. By Sunday, the damage was done and we were all lucky to finish without any permanent damage to our feet.