Day 84
We woke up and soon were on the subway trying to figure out where to transfer while everyone sped by all around us. We made it at last to Columbia Heights where we hit up Sticky Fingers Bakery. I got a yummy pistachio donut and Nepsis got a yummy cupcake. We stayed for a couple of hours, sipping on coffee. For lunch we went to a Hispanic bakery called Hellers and visited the Museum of Unnatural History. While we were inside it started to rain hard so we dashed to a nearby store to buy an umbrella. We then walked to the zoo and especially enjoyed the golden lion tamarind who sort of looked like me. After the zoo we walked down to Dupont Circle and stopped for a quick dinner at Paneras. We visited the White House and the Washington Monument before taking the subway back to my brother's house to rest from walking around. When my brother and his wife came back home we had a nice time talking with them around the dining room table for awhile before going to sleep.
Day 85
We woke up and had plans for some sightseeing and museums before catching the four o'clock train, but instead stayed in and rested. We did our laundry and watched Modern Family on the Roku. For lunch we got some pizza and wonderful pretzels from the Pretzel Factory that had a wonderful caramel-mustard sauce to go with it. Our resting had to come to an end and so we hiked to Union Station, stopping at a store along the way to resupply. We got some dinner on the train and walked straight from the station in Harper's Ferry to the AT, which took us on a bridge over the Potomac River right into Maryland. The first few miles we walked on a wide, flat path between the river and the railroad tracks. Then the Trail turned and went up. As we climbed it started to rain lightly. After a few minutes Nepsis decided to put on her poncho. I put mine on too even though I would have waited for it to rain harder. Well, as soon as we pulled on the ponchos a heavy rain broke out. It got heavier and heavier and started to thunder and flash lightning. We stomped onward, and in a manner of minutes the entire Trail turned into a small stream. We were soaked. We tried to dodge the puddles, but this was futile. We ended up have to wade through some water that was over our ankles. After a couple of miles the storm stopped and I snapped a few photos before heading on to Ed Garvey Shelter. We thought there'd be hardly any hikers there and looked forward to that, but as we approached we heard a lot of noise. Inside the large two-story shelter were twelve boy scouts. They were very loud as we tried to set up our sleeping gear around them and the older ones kept apologizing and failing to get the younger ones to quiet down. Finally, the scout master came over from his tent and threatened to kick them all out of the shelter if they didn't quiet down. They kept quiet after that and we tried to sleep as another big storm erupted outside.
Miles hiked today: 6 Total AT miles completed: 1025.9 Total AT miles left to hike: 1159.4
Day 86
We woke up wet, changed into our wet clothes and shoes, and hiked in total wetness. The ground was wet, the plants and trees were wet, the air was wet with mist, and the Trail was wet with puddles and moving puddles. The terrain was easy to hike across, but we felt slow in all the wetness. After a few miles the Trail took us through Gathland State Park which had two one-room museums about the Civil War and Gath, a civil war reporter and author. After visiting these we went to the War Correspondents Memorial created by Gath before moving on down the Trail. We hiked along across the ridge line and down before it began to lightly rain. We pushed on up to the Washington Monument State Park for lunch even though it was late. We didn't want to stop until we could get under a pavilion and out of the rain. When we got to the pavilion near the monument itself, we found a bunch of the Warrior Hikers there. These hikers are all veterans who are supported along the way by local VFWs providing food and shelter. As we ate it began to really pour and the veterans mentioned they were getting a meal there in just a couple of hours. We were planning to hike much further, but the rain and wetness of everything really made it difficult to put in many miles. So we stayed and enjoyed fried chicken, mac and cheese, and baked beans safe under a pavilion as the rain came down in torrents outside. After we had our fill and the rain let up we journeyed on. We stopped by the Washington Monument, the first one ever made. It was small and crude, but crafted by some locals who wanted to show appreciation for the first president rather then some kind of big government or big business venture. We hiked three and a half more miles and squeezed into the small Pine Knob Shelter for the night.
Miles hiked today: 16.4 Total AT miles completed: 1042.5 Total AT miles left to hike: 1142.8
Day 87
We woke up and hiked. Everything was still wet, including us. We hiked nonetheless, on flat ground for a few hours. It began raining lightly and we soon pulled into a shelter for a break. Just as we were about to leave it began to pour. So, instead of getting even more wet or wasting time waiting, we had an early lunch. By the time we finished, the rain was done and we moved on. After a few miles we came upon a stream at Warner Gap. The small wooden plank that served as a bridge was completely covered and looked like it was jolted diagonally by the rushing water. We walked across the plank and had to step into the strong current for a few steps and slowly make the few steps to dry land. A little bit farther was Little Antietam Creek which was probably about five times wider than the stream with faster currents and no bridge at all. We stepped in, and the water came up past our knees as we carefully forded across. It was pretty fun. Just after we crossed the creek we passed a man with a camera going south, a road with a parked car, and up a hilly meadow. As we hiked up someone was shouting from behind. It was the man with the camera running to catch up with us. He asked to take our portraits and explained that he was a photographer for a project called Looking at Appalachia. When I find that he has posted the photos of us, I'll certainly provide the link. We hiked on quickly as the skies finally cleared and the sun shined down on us for the first time in a few days. It felt great as we hiked several miles to Pen Mar County Park where we order a large supreme pizza and a 2-liter root beer to be delivered. It came quite fast and we consumed most of it, while saving the rest for later. We got hiking again and soon passed the Mason-Dixie Line, crossing over into Pennsylvania. We hiked a few more miles to Tumbling Run Shelters where Forrester Gump, Wrecking Ball, and Pack Rat greeted us. The shelters were the best I've ever seen. Both shelters were small, and one was labeled for snoring and the other for non-snoring. There was a pavilion to cover the picnic table, the paths to the tent-sites and spring were well blazed, and the privy had four rolls of toilet paper and air fresheners hung up. After a bit of chatting, we quickly fell asleep, the non-snoring shelter all to ourselves.
Miles hiked today: 26.3 Total AT miles completed: 1068.8 Total AT miles left to hike: 1116.5
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