Southern Maryland AT Hike (Episode 3 of 3)
Warning: This is long with around 20 photos. I've used cuts to shorten it.
Su, 1 May 2011
I did not set out from the shelter site until about 9:00. I was ready to go at 8:00, but I hung around and chatted more with the ladies. We exchanged contact info, and they took my photo; then I departed.
Today was supposed to be an easy day - roughly five miles to Harpers Ferry and three of them completely flat. But first, there were a couple slight uphills before a steep decline down to the Weverton Cliffs.
These cliffs offered a wonderful view of the Potomac, Shenandoah, the two Heights, Harpers Ferry, and the rail lines running toward the town. Sadly, though, it was overcast and cold. Here, I stopped to cook more oatmeal for breakfast. Except for some snacks that the girls had given me, I was now out of food. I chatted with some co-ed Boy Scout group for a bit before heading off again.
The trail grew even more steep and began switchbacking a lot, descending all the way down the ridge to 250 feet above sea level (river level) and crossing over Weverton Rd. It followed the border of a residential property for a bit. There I came within twenty feet of some sort of raptor, but it flew farther away before I could capture it with my camera. The path led along a ledge overlooking a deep gorge through which Israel Creek flowed and passed underneath US-340.
Coming out of the woods into a parking lot of sorts around a loop of Keep Tryst Rd., I had to next cross over the train tracks to reach the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Trail.
This trail is shared by the AT for three miles. It runs along the old towing path of the canal, which runs parallel to the Potomac. This towpath has been converted into a wide path on which one can walk from Georgetown in Washington, DC, to Cumberland, MD. (The canal never made it all the way to Ohio.) In addition to being a part of the AT for three short miles, it is filled with walkers, joggers, hikers, bikers, kayakers (for access to the Potomac), and tourists. The path runs between the river and the remains of the canal.
The river was higher than I had ever seen it, due to all the rain this Spring. Many of the trees and small islands were submerged.
The canal itself used to ferry goods on as many as 800 boats at a time the 185 miles "upstream" from DC to Cumberland during the later half of the 1800s. Mules on the towpath pulled the boats along. Sadly, (in my opinion,) the canal was driven out of business by the railroads after about 75 years of service. The remains of the canal are filled in in many places by trees or earth, but in other areas, rainwater still fills it. (Although this is someone gross, as the surface of the still water is covered thick in a green ooze of algae.) The canal was about six feet deep and 70 feet wide and made use of some 75 locks to raise boats to higher elevations. I passed the ruins of #33 and #32.
The hike seemed to drag on longer than it really was. It took me about an hour to hike the three flat miles. As I neared where the Shenandoah River flows into the Potomac, I could see the little town of Harpers Ferry in the distance.
Looking up to the north, I observed Maryland Heights, from which, during the Civil War, the Confederates rained down cannon on the town across the river. I've climbed up the Heights a few times in the past, but had no desire to today. I was beat; my thoughts were mostly on the ice cream I would eat when I entered the town.
Near Lock 33, after passing under the train trestle (G. Byron Memorial Bridge), there is a flight of metal stairs going up to a footpath alongside the trestle tracks. This footpath allows tourists and hikers to cross the Potomac, so up I climbed. It was now noon.
Across the river, I could see Loudoun Heights in Virginia, another place from which the Confederates bombed Harpers Ferry in 1862. (The AT passes south of those Heights through northern Virginia. I think that's the part of the trail I want to tackle next....)
I stepped off the bridge into West Virginia, in the historic town of Harpers Ferry. I had finished my hike...!
...Except that I hadn't. Stupidly, I had forgotten that I was technically not parked at Harpers Ferry but rather at the Harpers Ferry Visitor Center, still a mile and a half away - and at higher elevation. This meant not only more hiking but also more climbing! (Granted, I could have taken the free shuttle bus from the historic part of town, but A) that would feel like cheating and B) by now I stank.
But, I had wanted to relax a bit in Harpers Ferry, so I took a rest here and looked around just a little bit. First, I passed John Brown's Fort. The "Fort" was really a tiny little fire engine house, near the ammunition factories, where Brown and his followers holed up during his famous raid in 1859. (The Fort was not originally located where it now sits, and, in fact, at one point in history it was even located in Chicago!)
Second, I found my favorite ice cream shop. Yum. I had a coconut fudge ice cream and peanut butter fudge ice cream. Delightful.
This was the weirdest part of the trail, because, technically, the AT passed right through the town. The usual white blazes, no longer on trees, now were painted on street signs, lampposts, and property markers.
It took a while to spot the next marker. It was fun at first - sort of like hide-and-seek in a cute historic town. However, when I next saw a trail marker at the top of these stairs, I was not happy....
I had walked up some of these stone steps past an old church during past visits to Harpers Ferry, but again, by now I was exhausted and sore. The view, though from the higher portion of the town was beautiful.
And the steps kept going up and up (back up to 450 ft), now past things I had not seen before....
The path became a little bit more "trail-like" as I approached what is known as Jefferson Rock. From here, Thomas Jefferson wrote a lot of flowery language about the view. It was a nice view, yes, but frankly, he was a little excessive, saying that it was "worth a voyage across the Atlantic."
From Jefferson Rock, the trail went still a little bit higher for about a mile. The sun through the green leaves was gorgeous, and this may have been my best photo:
After about a mile, I followed a blue blaze trail up very steep stone steps to the former Storer College, where many former slaves received their educations after the War. The blue blazes, as down in old Harpers Ferry, were seen on street signs and such as I walked through the newer part of the town toward the ATC Headquarters. It was far smaller than I expected, being in a little converted residential house. I was greeted warmly by the volunteers; hikers ae treated like royalty, even if they stink from coming off the trail. I was introduced to a collection of thru-hikers, around whom I felt somewhat unworthy, as I was just out for the weekend. The building had a special hikers lounge set aside, including computers and snacks. I gave shelter advice to one of the NoBos. The neatest thing there was a large relief sculpture/map of the entire trail, which emphasized how much easier the Maryland portion is than the rest of the trail. (Katahdin and Mt. Washington looked rather enormous.) I bought a map of the Northern Virginia section and reported my story about the abandoned duffel bag at the Ed Garvey shelter. Then I left, returned through town to the white blazes, and began a descent down to the Shenandoah.
The trail was particularly narrow here, and it exited out of the woods back at US-340 again. Here, I passed a NoBo hiker couple who had just been dropped off and were having trouble finding the trailhead.
Had I wished to continue over to the Virginia stretch of the AT, I would have crossed the US-340 bridge over the Shenandoah. Instead, I finally left the AT and walked a ways down Shenandoah St. to Shoreline Drive. Shoreline Drive ran parallel to another abandoned canal next to what used to be Virginius Island. I followed a footpath along Shoreline Drive west, hoping to pass a trail going up to the Visitor Center.
Along the way, I saw another blue heron, sitting on a fallen tree in the remains of the Shenandoah Canal. (I apologize for the lack of zoom.)
I found the trail across the street. Once again, I had to ascend steeply another 250 ft. But the good news was that the trail here ran alongside a cascading stream with many pools. So, I took a relaxing dip.
Finally, I reached the parking lot and my car and gladly deposited my backpack into the trunk. I washed up in the restroom and let the park rangers now that I was back to pick up my vehicle. It was now 14:45; I had just enough time to pick sadeyedartist back up from the airport.
One last thing - I thought this combination of signs odd:
The first, you may remember, was at Greenbrier State Park, where I started; the second was just when I had entered Harpers Ferry. So then, I somehow managed to walk 25 miles further from Maine and only 2 miles closer to Georgia!
In actuality, I had walked 21 AT miles by that point. All in all, if I count all the side trails and the trip back to the car, I probably hiked 30 miles over the course of the weekend. I was sore and very tired, but I thought the whole trip was well worth it....
Su, 1 May 2011
I did not set out from the shelter site until about 9:00. I was ready to go at 8:00, but I hung around and chatted more with the ladies. We exchanged contact info, and they took my photo; then I departed.
Today was supposed to be an easy day - roughly five miles to Harpers Ferry and three of them completely flat. But first, there were a couple slight uphills before a steep decline down to the Weverton Cliffs.
These cliffs offered a wonderful view of the Potomac, Shenandoah, the two Heights, Harpers Ferry, and the rail lines running toward the town. Sadly, though, it was overcast and cold. Here, I stopped to cook more oatmeal for breakfast. Except for some snacks that the girls had given me, I was now out of food. I chatted with some co-ed Boy Scout group for a bit before heading off again.
The trail grew even more steep and began switchbacking a lot, descending all the way down the ridge to 250 feet above sea level (river level) and crossing over Weverton Rd. It followed the border of a residential property for a bit. There I came within twenty feet of some sort of raptor, but it flew farther away before I could capture it with my camera. The path led along a ledge overlooking a deep gorge through which Israel Creek flowed and passed underneath US-340.
Coming out of the woods into a parking lot of sorts around a loop of Keep Tryst Rd., I had to next cross over the train tracks to reach the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Trail.
This trail is shared by the AT for three miles. It runs along the old towing path of the canal, which runs parallel to the Potomac. This towpath has been converted into a wide path on which one can walk from Georgetown in Washington, DC, to Cumberland, MD. (The canal never made it all the way to Ohio.) In addition to being a part of the AT for three short miles, it is filled with walkers, joggers, hikers, bikers, kayakers (for access to the Potomac), and tourists. The path runs between the river and the remains of the canal.
The river was higher than I had ever seen it, due to all the rain this Spring. Many of the trees and small islands were submerged.
The canal itself used to ferry goods on as many as 800 boats at a time the 185 miles "upstream" from DC to Cumberland during the later half of the 1800s. Mules on the towpath pulled the boats along. Sadly, (in my opinion,) the canal was driven out of business by the railroads after about 75 years of service. The remains of the canal are filled in in many places by trees or earth, but in other areas, rainwater still fills it. (Although this is someone gross, as the surface of the still water is covered thick in a green ooze of algae.) The canal was about six feet deep and 70 feet wide and made use of some 75 locks to raise boats to higher elevations. I passed the ruins of #33 and #32.
The hike seemed to drag on longer than it really was. It took me about an hour to hike the three flat miles. As I neared where the Shenandoah River flows into the Potomac, I could see the little town of Harpers Ferry in the distance.
Looking up to the north, I observed Maryland Heights, from which, during the Civil War, the Confederates rained down cannon on the town across the river. I've climbed up the Heights a few times in the past, but had no desire to today. I was beat; my thoughts were mostly on the ice cream I would eat when I entered the town.
Near Lock 33, after passing under the train trestle (G. Byron Memorial Bridge), there is a flight of metal stairs going up to a footpath alongside the trestle tracks. This footpath allows tourists and hikers to cross the Potomac, so up I climbed. It was now noon.
Across the river, I could see Loudoun Heights in Virginia, another place from which the Confederates bombed Harpers Ferry in 1862. (The AT passes south of those Heights through northern Virginia. I think that's the part of the trail I want to tackle next....)
I stepped off the bridge into West Virginia, in the historic town of Harpers Ferry. I had finished my hike...!
...Except that I hadn't. Stupidly, I had forgotten that I was technically not parked at Harpers Ferry but rather at the Harpers Ferry Visitor Center, still a mile and a half away - and at higher elevation. This meant not only more hiking but also more climbing! (Granted, I could have taken the free shuttle bus from the historic part of town, but A) that would feel like cheating and B) by now I stank.
But, I had wanted to relax a bit in Harpers Ferry, so I took a rest here and looked around just a little bit. First, I passed John Brown's Fort. The "Fort" was really a tiny little fire engine house, near the ammunition factories, where Brown and his followers holed up during his famous raid in 1859. (The Fort was not originally located where it now sits, and, in fact, at one point in history it was even located in Chicago!)
Second, I found my favorite ice cream shop. Yum. I had a coconut fudge ice cream and peanut butter fudge ice cream. Delightful.
This was the weirdest part of the trail, because, technically, the AT passed right through the town. The usual white blazes, no longer on trees, now were painted on street signs, lampposts, and property markers.
It took a while to spot the next marker. It was fun at first - sort of like hide-and-seek in a cute historic town. However, when I next saw a trail marker at the top of these stairs, I was not happy....
I had walked up some of these stone steps past an old church during past visits to Harpers Ferry, but again, by now I was exhausted and sore. The view, though from the higher portion of the town was beautiful.
And the steps kept going up and up (back up to 450 ft), now past things I had not seen before....
The path became a little bit more "trail-like" as I approached what is known as Jefferson Rock. From here, Thomas Jefferson wrote a lot of flowery language about the view. It was a nice view, yes, but frankly, he was a little excessive, saying that it was "worth a voyage across the Atlantic."
From Jefferson Rock, the trail went still a little bit higher for about a mile. The sun through the green leaves was gorgeous, and this may have been my best photo:
After about a mile, I followed a blue blaze trail up very steep stone steps to the former Storer College, where many former slaves received their educations after the War. The blue blazes, as down in old Harpers Ferry, were seen on street signs and such as I walked through the newer part of the town toward the ATC Headquarters. It was far smaller than I expected, being in a little converted residential house. I was greeted warmly by the volunteers; hikers ae treated like royalty, even if they stink from coming off the trail. I was introduced to a collection of thru-hikers, around whom I felt somewhat unworthy, as I was just out for the weekend. The building had a special hikers lounge set aside, including computers and snacks. I gave shelter advice to one of the NoBos. The neatest thing there was a large relief sculpture/map of the entire trail, which emphasized how much easier the Maryland portion is than the rest of the trail. (Katahdin and Mt. Washington looked rather enormous.) I bought a map of the Northern Virginia section and reported my story about the abandoned duffel bag at the Ed Garvey shelter. Then I left, returned through town to the white blazes, and began a descent down to the Shenandoah.
The trail was particularly narrow here, and it exited out of the woods back at US-340 again. Here, I passed a NoBo hiker couple who had just been dropped off and were having trouble finding the trailhead.
Had I wished to continue over to the Virginia stretch of the AT, I would have crossed the US-340 bridge over the Shenandoah. Instead, I finally left the AT and walked a ways down Shenandoah St. to Shoreline Drive. Shoreline Drive ran parallel to another abandoned canal next to what used to be Virginius Island. I followed a footpath along Shoreline Drive west, hoping to pass a trail going up to the Visitor Center.
Along the way, I saw another blue heron, sitting on a fallen tree in the remains of the Shenandoah Canal. (I apologize for the lack of zoom.)
I found the trail across the street. Once again, I had to ascend steeply another 250 ft. But the good news was that the trail here ran alongside a cascading stream with many pools. So, I took a relaxing dip.
Finally, I reached the parking lot and my car and gladly deposited my backpack into the trunk. I washed up in the restroom and let the park rangers now that I was back to pick up my vehicle. It was now 14:45; I had just enough time to pick sadeyedartist back up from the airport.
One last thing - I thought this combination of signs odd:
The first, you may remember, was at Greenbrier State Park, where I started; the second was just when I had entered Harpers Ferry. So then, I somehow managed to walk 25 miles further from Maine and only 2 miles closer to Georgia!
In actuality, I had walked 21 AT miles by that point. All in all, if I count all the side trails and the trip back to the car, I probably hiked 30 miles over the course of the weekend. I was sore and very tired, but I thought the whole trip was well worth it....