Category: Appalachian Trail

Saturday Sept 25th, 2021, 0625-1810 Rod Hollow Shelter to Shenandoah NP, SOBO AT mm 1227.730.5 miles7000 gain, 5220 loss The coyotes were howling overnight. They have such a wide variety of sounds… these ones really could imitate wolves. It was kind of creepy. I slept fitfully too, tossing and turning a lot. I woke up with a migraine, probably because I smacked my head hard on the upstairs bunk while going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. But I didn’t let any of these factors stop me from pulling a big day. My goal was to get to Shenandoah National Park by the end. What a delightful trail it was most of the day. Things started off a[…]

Friday Sept 24th, 2021, 0615-1810 WV/VA border to Rod Hollow Shelter, SOBO AT mm 1197.426.2 miles5800 gain, 6000 loss The katydids lost their edge by the morning, so I was able to hear a bit too much highway noise. I hoped the trail would become more remote soon. It was pretty chilly when I started in the morning, so I wore my fleece for awhile. I stopped at the first shelter to use the privy and who should I find still asleep there? Honeydew! He just woke up as I was whispering greetings to another SOBO, Sweet Tea. It was nice to meet up with the both of them. I thought Honeydew would be way far ahead but he’d taken 3[…]

Thursday Sept 23rd, 2021, 1730-1845 Harpers Ferry to just south of WV/VA border, SOBO AT mm 1171.34.1 miles1250 gain, 450 loss I probably should have just combined this day with the other posts for my nero and zero in DC, since not a whole lot happened. But for continuity sake, I’m writing it separately. I woke up for the second morning in a row in a comfy bed in a lovely home. Lightning from the storm woke me around 3 am, making me so happy to be safe inside. I was very lucky to be able to stay with my friends for a zero, coinciding perfectly with the heavy rain. It was really coming down all night and in the morning.[…]

Tuesday Sept 21st, 2021, 0600-0820 Ed Garvey Shelter to Harpers Ferry, SOBO AT mm 11676.5 miles318 gain, 1165 loss It was an easy downhill, then stroll along the Potomac and C&O Canal for about 3 miles into Harpers Ferry in the early morning. The small historic town is said to be the spiritual halfway point of the trail and is headquarters for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the non-profit organization that oversees the AT. This is where hikers get their pictures taken for the AT class yearbook. Upon arriving town, I had time to grab a breakfast sandwich, then head over to the ATC office. A volunteer and former SOBO AT hiker greeted me, inducting me into the hall of fame as[…]

Monday Sept 20th, 2021, 0700-1800 Raven Rock Shelter to Ed Garvey Shelter, SOBO AT mm 1160.729 miles4715 gain, 5300 loss My shelter mate snored all night but it didn’t even bother me. At least he was a consistent snorer…no crazy snorts or such. Just like the katydids, it faded into white noise. The morning brought a cool breeze, great for knocking out a series of gaps and hills at the beginning. Then some flattish and cruisy sections brought me to my lunch spot and a nice tourist opportunity. I was surprised to read on my map that I’d be passing the Washington Monument. This original Washington Monument sits atop a hill in western Maryland. Like its more famous counterpart that adorns[…]

Saturday Sept 18th, 2021, 0610-1800 Tag Run to Quarry Gap Shelters, SOBO AT mm 1105.624.5 miles3570 gain, 2800 loss I heard voices around midnight and thought I was in for another rave night. Some kids were carousing by the creek but went away after about 20 minutes. I breathed a big sigh of relief but was nervous about disruptions for awhile afterwards. It can be nerve wracking sleeping so close to civilization all the time. Anyone can show up at anytime on the AT, it seems like. I don’t worry about being seen so much as just being kept awake all night. Precisely because no one knows I’m there, they wouldn’t know to keep it down. A quick walk in[…]

Friday Sept 17th, 2021, 0600-1845  Darlington Shelter to near James Fry Shelter, SOBO AT mm 1081.126.6 miles3117 gain, 3625 loss Despite many miles and several long stops, this was another pretty easy day. I slept great in the shelter and was off to a good start in the morning. It was all downhill into the valley, where I walked about 14 miles through rolling farmland. Soybeans and cow corn were my constant companions. I stopped at a Quaker family farm stand to buy home-made root beer, which was fun. This section is known for being very hot and exposed, but it was overcast all day, sparing me from the burning sun. It was still pretty hot and muggy, though. Numerous[…]

Thursday Sept 16th, 2021, 1600-1845 Duncannon to Darlington Shelter, SOBO AT mm 1054.811.6 miles2356 gain, 1476 loss Again not a whole lot got accomplished this day but at least I walked out of town wearing my new shoes and socks. Actually, the socks were a pair I’d worn on another trail, mailed from home. But I was able to replace the Darn Tough socks worn on this trail at the outfitters, which then became my sleep socks. I mailed my extra stuff home and reused the flat rate box my shoes came in to stuff with excess food. The Post Office had a tote full of protein and granola bars donated to AT hikers by a local patron, so I[…]

Wednesday Sept 15th, 2021, 0620-1400 Sturgis porcupine tentsite to Duncannon PA, SOBO AT mm 1043.521.3 miles3547 gain, 4826 loss I was so excited to get my new shoes in town, but I still had a nearly full day of walking to get there. The morning was foggy, so much so that I had to wait 20 minutes after packing to start walking. The fog deflects a headlamp beam to the point that it’s useless. It’s also very disorienting…I had a hard time finding my campsite after walking up trail to dig a cathole in the dark. There was a woman who died on the AT from getting turned around while doing her business off to the side. I think there’s[…]