[at-l] HATTing

[tom@netword.com]

I had fun over the weekend with my second official section hike.  I tagged
along with Sandpiper for the HATT section 6C, which was from Crampton Gap
Maryland to the PA line.

With my new freshly cut bamboo hiking pole, we set out at noon from
Crampton Gap heading north.  The trail is a little hard to notice heading
north bound (well at least it was for me) and it took a little wandering
about before we noticed a blaze placed on a lone tree in the middle of a
field.  It also helped to reread the directions in Sandpiper's ATC guide.
So, after finally finding the correct trail, we headed north again.  The
rain started as we were finding our way, and was with us in fits and starts
much of the day.

Friday night we stayed at the Dahlgren campground.  It's very nice.
Basically a small field with picnic tables at each of the tent spots.  The
ranger happened to come by just after we arrived, he seemed like a very
nice fellow.  Friday we had the place to ourselves.  The in door plumbing
was nice, although we didn't bother with the showers.

Saturday morning we got off a little late, but had no problems keeping to
the trail this time, except were we should have turned left instead of
going straight after crossing the I-70 bridge.  With my steamed up glasses
and foggy eyes it was hard to read the map.

Saturday night we stayed at the Pogo Memorial Campground.  I think maybe I
would have enjoyed the site more if my feet hadn't been killing me by that
point.  It would seem that my feet are wider now than they were when I
bought my boots.  My spiffy Scarpa 366s hadn't bothered me since they were
brand new, but on this trip I got some really huge blisters and walking was
quite painful by the time we reached Pogo, even though I'd done the compeed
and moleskin thing.  

I'd never tried compeed before, so I tried it on one foot and moleskin on
the other, to see how they compared.  BTW, I ultimately decided that both I
think are probably similarly effective.  I have traditionally used
moleskin, but will take both from now on.  I like to be able to cut
moleskin to fit the nature of the hot spot (or when I'm
inattentive...blister).  Compeed isn't really designed to be cut into
smaller pieces, it's all or nothing.  But as luck would have it, I had the
large size of compeed, and I had large size blisters (bonus!).  My product
comparison was not successful because I seem to have grabbed my old
moleskin rather than my new moleskin by mistake.  (who knew it expired?)
So the moleskin didn't work so well on this trip and I had to resort to
Compeed on both feet.  Perhaps next time I'll get some honkin' big blisters
on both feet again, and can do a better comparison.  Although trying to set
up a double blind test could take some fast talking on my part.

Much of Friday and Saturday were spent hiking in the rain.  Saturday the
rain was so heavy as we approached the I-70 over pass that it was like
hiking in a stream.  I enjoyed hiking in the rain, it cut the humidity and
kept the bugs at bay.  The fancy silnylon poncho I got at the Ruck made an
excellant improvised pack cover (thanks Mrs. Gorp!).  The rain politely
subsided both Friday and Saturday by the time we reached camp.  

Saturday I also managed to come down with some sort of gastric discontent.
I wasn't sure what was going on, except that I seemed to be thinking a lot
about privies and was kind of woozy.  Then Sandpiper suggested that I must
not be feeling well, since I was green.  Not sure if it was a bit of bad
water (unlikely) or perhaps some of my (store bought) dried fruit was
tainted (serves me right for not making it myself I guess).  I had a very
nice time with the wolf spider in the privy at Pogo, she and I had a very
nice visit.  Next time I stop by she'll fix tea.

Sunday morning we met Furtrappers and Landslides and stopped for lunch at
the Hemlock Hill shelter.  It was a very nice place, clean, airy and lots
of light.  That evening we stopped at the rather disappointing Devils' Race
Course shelter.  After hiking a mile nearly straight up to the top of Raven
Rock it was nearly another 1/2 mile back down the hill to the Devil's Race
Course sweat box, er shelter.  We were all glad we had made the rather
treacherous hike back down the cliff face so we could sleep next to the
road.  As we approached it we could smell the lighter fluid fumes hovering
over the shelter.  The charcoal briquets in the fire place were still
glowing but no one was around.  Perhaps the bears have discovered fire.

Monday morning was a relatively short 5 miles to Penmar.  It reminded me a
little of some of the trails in the Whites.  Much of Monday was spent
walking through fog.  It made the forest seem like some sort of Welsh
netherworld from the mabinogion.  It was really quite beautiful.

Monday afternoon I stopped by the ATC headquarters but they were closed up
for the holiday.  There was a note on the door mentioning a through-hiker
BBQ being held down the street by a local semi-pro trail angel.  So I
decided to stop by to say howdy, and see if anyone wanted a ride to the
Walmart.  I stayed for a few hours and visited with a couple of through
hikers heading north.  Then I went to Walmart with Marty (one of the north
bounders).  I've only been to a Walmart once before, and it was nothing
like this place.  Tropical fish, paintball guns, tires and twinkees on
adjacent isles.  But that's another story I guess.

I stayed the night at the Hilltop House Hotel.  Nearly my favorite spot in
Harpers Ferry.  They don't even have TVs in the rooms (well most of them
anyway).  What a pleasant place.  

So that was more or less my trip.  I discovered I really like my bamboo
hiking pole, and I need to practice doing the bear bagging thing.  I also
came up with what seems like a good design for a bear-proof bag; and had
fun practicing my first aid skills (unfortunatly on my own feet).  I even
had time for an epiphany or two.  But that's another story as well I guess.

Huge thanks to Slim and Bogey for driving Sandpiper and me back to our cars.

Take Care,
Tom






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