[at-l] My Memories of Maryland

[John O <johno@mail.monmouth.com>]

Here's what it was like for me this spring hiking in Maryland.
John O

Date: April 19, 1999

Travel From: Tumbling Run Shelters, PA

To: Devils Racecource Shelter, MD

Number of Miles Hiked On Appalachian Trail: 13.1 miles

Additional Miles: 1.5 miles

AM Weather: low 40's partly sunny and gusty wind.

PM Weather: 50's when sun out, when it was playing peek-a-boo in low 40's.
Some light showers.

Condition of Trail: Need I say it again? It was excellent. PA gave me some
boulder scrambling, some stiff ups and some
pesky rocks. MD surprised me as the trail followed the base of a good sized
boulder mountain for awhile. Then it assaulted the
boulders and it was a good climb. The old heart was pumping some warm blood
for awhile.

Breakfast: coffee, carnation breakfast and cereal

Lunch: Lipton dinner, carnation breakfast, coffee and bread

Dinner: carnation breakfast and coffee

Snacks: peanut butter sandwich, pop tarts, cheese crackers, cheese and candy

People I Met: Dog Tags, a northbound section hiker.

Animals: grouse, squirrels, chipmunks and many varieties of birds.

Notes of the Day: Around noon stopped at Deer Licks Shelters and took a
bath and washed clothes. I don't use soap, I just
sponge myself off and Indian style clean the clothes on rocks. It helps
some and I've always felt better after doing it. So I'll
continue to clean up this way on the trail. Today was interesting as I'm
excited about completing PA and sad at the same time.
In the next few days I'll meet up with one of my cousins. I hope she has a
head cold? My appetite is growing daily. My lungs
got some good workouts today. In about 200 miles I believe I'll be meeting
some northbounders. Looking forward to that. I
plan on going to Trail Days in Damascus, VA in mid May. Sitting at a picnic
table at a shelter and the light is setting in the west.
When I was approaching the Mason Dixon Line a tune was getting louder and
louder? If was the song DIXIE :-) That’s all for
now. Nite All.

Main Concern of the Day: That I’m not humming "When Johnnie Comes Marching
Home Again"

Date: April 20, 1999

Travel From: Devils Racecourse Shelter, MD

To: Pine Knob Shelter, MD

Number of Miles Hiked On Appalachian Trail: 12.3 miles

Additional Miles: 2 miles

AM Weather: rained heavy from 2am till around 8am. Cloudy and light showers
in low 40's

PM Weather: 40's when sun was hiding and 50's when sun was shining

Condition of Trail: PA has nothing MD hasn't been showing today. Good
steady ups including a heart attack up by power
line. That was a down hill that was a ski jump. Did some boulder
scrambling. First walked through a hemlock forest. Sure hope
I pass through more of those during my adventure! Walking over very rocky
trail. Nice old woods roads. A well maintained trail
as always.

Breakfast: carnation breakfast, coffee and cold cereal

Lunch: Lipton dinner, bread, coffee and carnation breakfast

Dinner carnation breakfast, 2 peanut butter sandwiches and coffee

Snacks: cheese, crackers & cheese, pop tarts and candy

People I Met: Nobody

Animals: A flock of grouse, chipmunks, assorted birds and just missed a
bear sighting

Notes of the Day: With the heavy rain a couple of puddles were in the
shelter. My down bag with PDFE worked great and
stayed dry. I forgot to put a garbage bag over the food bag when I hung it
last night. Everything was in zip lock bags. But the
mesh bag got wet and I needed to wipe all the bags off. Lesson learned:
always put food bag in garbage bag. Late start and I
was taking my time checking out side trail and lookouts. Found a domed
shape privy that must be a Sears and Roebuck
special. I took a picture of it. Really enjoyed myself today. Nice campsite
tonight. I can hear the mice scrambling around inside.
Rain tomorrow, so springs full again. I'll meet my cousin tomorrow and set
up meeting spot and time. She lives near Baltimore,
MD.

Main Concern of the Day: Just to pass on to all the nice folks who have
e-mailed me. Now that I'm on the trail longer hours
it will take longer to answer your mail. I really enjoy receiving mail and
answering the mail. 

Nite All Folks


Date: April 21, 1999

Travel From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Rocky Run Shelter

Number of Miles Hiked On Appalachian Trail: 7.4 miles

Additional Miles: 8 miles

AM Weather: cool low 40's and cloudy

PM Weather: rain, cool low 40's then some sun high 40's

Condition of Trail: Some rocks, new trail work being done, fairly easy
grade of walking today.

Breakfast: carnation breakfast, coffee and cold cereal

Lunch: soda, cookies, hot roast beef dinner, salad, cole slaw, french fries
with gravy and a vanilla milk shake in Boonesboro,
MD

Dinner carnation breakfast, coffee and cheese & crackers

Snacks: crackers, soda, pop tarts and soda

People I Met: A group of 8 YMCA trail volunteers from Rochester, NY area
along with counselor, retired ridge runner and
local trail volunteer. All working on trail just south of Washington
Monument. At first I thought I caught some one sharpening
rocks on the trail. Had interesting conversation with all. Very nice people
to volunteer a week’s spring school break for work
on the trail.

Animals: Chipmunks, turkey (hunting season for turkey starts Saturday, sure
hope I don't cough like a turkey :-( ) Herd of deer
by shelter, assorted birds, and smelled a skunk but didn't see it :-)

Notes of the Day: Heavy rains till morning and cold in the am. Beautiful
trail with all sorts of mixed forest. I enjoy history and
the Civil War really interests me. This area is full of this type of
history and other types, of course. I can see I'll be going slow in
this area and enjoying every minute of it. Spent a good deal of time around
the first monument erected for George Washington.
It is a stone tower and was used by Federal troops as a signal station
during the war. One can see in 360 degrees and for
considerable distance from its tower. It was overcast today so I didn't see
much. Went to Dahlgren campgrounds and took a
HOT SHOWER in the rest room. Can you believe that the state of Maryland
provides free HOT SHOWERS for hikers April
through October. Dahlgren is the Admiral credited with improving the
cannon. Visited several battefields along the trail reading
all the info displayed. These raw recruits were just thrown into battle
weeks after enlisting or being drafted. Savage battles
where 1/2 the troops were killed and another 30% seriously wounded. Walked
into Boonesboro for supplies and phone calls.
Road too narrow to get picked up so it’s a 2 mile walk all down hill. Small
but quaint town with numerous 18th century
buildings still being lived in along the main avenue. Got a ride back to
trail and headed into woods. Passed another battlefield
where future President Rutherford Hayes was wounded during a battle. 

Made it to Rocky Run Shelter and it’s unique. It’s set in a small valley of
mixed wood forest, with a good spring to the left of
shelter and privy the other side. The shelter was built 1940-1941 and is in
excellent condition. It sports a glider swing for 3 in
front of the shelter and 2 patio decks. One deck is in front of shelter and
the other to the right side of shelter. 100' from shelter
is a memorial to John Denver. It’s a beautiful setting and I'd like to
revisit it in the future.

Main Concern of the Day: Great Day


Date: April 22, 1999

Travel From: Rocky Run Shelter, MD

To: Harpers Ferry, WV

Number of Miles Hiked On Appalachian Trail: 15.3 miles

Additional Miles: 4 miles

AM Weather: overcast high 50's

PM Weather: sunny high 70's

Condition of Trail: Fairly easy trail, just so much to see along the way.
MD skirted the boulders and set the trail on easier
softer trail.

Breakfast: carnation breakfast, coffee and cold cereal

Lunch: crackers & cheese

Dinner ziti & meatballs, with bread & soda in Harpers Ferry.

Snacks: crackers & cheese

People I Met: Vermont Joe & White Rock from ?????? Vermont. They are
section hiking from Harpers Ferry to Port
Clinton. As the weather was beautiful, today scores of day hikers. Well
around 10. With nice weather fast approaching I
believe my moments of solitude are short lived.

Animals: A pheasant, squirrel, chipmunks, assorted birds including a large
number of doves and my friendly butterfly "Trey".
Who has been smart and staying inside during this recent cold and wet
weather. Along the canal walk I saw a large number of
turtles from little ones to granddaddies. Also saw the BIGGEST FROG I ever
saw in my life. If I could have caught this guy I
would have won the frog jumping contest at the county fair for sure. It was
HUGE. I mean HUGE. How big you ask. Well
when it jumped into the canal the splash caused a tidal wave down stream
:-) Now that’s big. I even got a picture of it for you
non-believers ;-)

Notes of the Day: Up early and ready to go at 8am. Calling for sunny skies
and warm. Can't prove that by me. Heavy
overcast skies. Nice trail after a good heavy rain like we had last night
from 11pm to 5am or so. Real good thunder & lightning
show. Boy sure wish I brought along my teddy bear for nights like this.
They tell you to count by thousands to gauge the
distance from the thunder till lightening. A couple of times I didn't say
thousand and the bolt was here. No need for flashlight
tonight. Not that I'll leave the shelter at all. Met Vermont Joe and White
Rock, they seem like nice folks. I won't bore you with
all the details about the Civil War I saw today. If the museum was opened I
never would have made it to Harpers Ferry. That is
a fact. Tired as I approached Harpers Ferry after walking in the sun all
afternoon. 2 weeks of cooler weather and 1 warm day
don't mix well. 

Real nice folks at ATC office. I'll be going back in am to finish business
and get some info. 

Thats All Folks, Nite All :-)

Main Concern of the Day: Not today, Froggie.

Oh before I forget, today is my brother Bill's birthday. So if everyone
could shout out the Happy Birthday Song to him it would
be real nice. I should say scream it out cause he's hard of hearing if you
know what I mean? If he was a car I would have traded
him in on a new model. As he's my only brother and I wouldn't want to give
him up for pennies. What offers do I get for him?
Be gentle, he's the nicest old swayback-natured SOB you ever met in your
life. So with all that said and done: HAPPY
BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ;-) BILLY,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO
YOU.

       http://www.monmouth.com/~johno/index.html
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