.August 27, 2006
Today was one of my most difficult days on the trail. It wasn't physically difficult but emotionally and mentally difficult. It was my first hike since Lynn and I lost Snoopy to cancer 9 days ago. Being my first hike since loosing Snoopy, my thoughts are constantly thinking about my lost friend. I will mention him a lot today but will try not to bring him up too much after today. I need this day to remember him but then I will need to move on. Lynn dropped me off at Snickers Gap.
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Within a couple of miles I entered West Virginia.
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There are several miles further south where the AT follows the border of West Virginia and Virginia. Not counting those miles, the trail only covers 4 miles in West Virginia. Two of the four miles are in Harpers Ferry and the other two are here. I walked the 2 miles before entering back into Virginia.
I made my way up to Crescent Rock. The day was overcast so the view wasn't what it could have been.
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When I took this photo, I thought of Snoopy. Normally I would have him pose at a spot like this.
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I came across a blue blazed side trail. Do you think it is time for a new sign?
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The map shows an area named Devil's Racecourse. It is a very rocky area but I didn't even notice it. I guess with all my hikes in the White Mountains and Western Maine I am used to the rocks.
I came to a side trail to the Blackburn Trail Center and Hostel. Normally I would check something like this out, but being my first hike without Snoopy I decided to skip most of the side trails today. It's an emotional day to get through so I don't want it to be any longer than necessary.
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Today's trail had some really smoooooth sections of trail. I'm not used to this.
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I came across the 1,000 mile mark. I wish I've completed that many miles. I am currently a little over 600. Coincedently, the last AT hike I was on, I crossed the 2,000 mile mark.
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The trail got even smoother.
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I meant to take the short side trail to Buzzard Rock but when I got there I thought I was on a different side trail so I skipped it. I found that several of the blue blazed trails in this section did not have signs.
About 11 miles into my hike I came across my first hiker of the day. Wouldn't you know it. A hiker with 2 beautiful dogs.
"You have beautiful dogs," I said. "What breed are they?"
"All breeds. They're mixed."
"They're beautiful."
"Thanks."
I would love to have found out more about his dogs but I could tell he was in a hurry.
Next I came across Charles Town Pike. The AT is right on the border of WV/VA here.
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After this I met my last hikers of the day. A man and woman with yet another dog. Looks like all the hikers today have dogs but me. I'm trusting that I will have one soon.
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Harpers Ferry is the reason for the high rating I gave this hike. Today's hike had been all right, but this is what I was waiting for. I have been to Harpers Ferry many times and that is why I chose to use it on my homepage. Lynn and I had hiked this section before with Snoopy about 7 years ago. We came in on the Sandy Hook trail and then hiked into town.
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Road Crossing
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I saw several deer today but they were too quick to photograph. As I came down the mountain and neared town. The trail was different from what I remembered. I got a glimpse of the Shenandoah River that I didn't remember. I also went through a short flat field like area that I didn't remember. I then realized that a trail relocation must have taken place over the last 7 years. Before, the trail just dumped you out into a busy highway. Now the trail brought me down some steps ....
... under the highway ...
... where I got a good view of the Shenandoah River ...
... then up some stairs ...
... and across the bridge.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This was so much safer than being dumped into the highway like the trail did a few years ago. After the bridge was a sign for the Appalachian Trail Conference whose headquarters are located here in Harpers Ferry.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Harpers Ferry is built on the side of a hill so I have one more hill to climb. Up I go.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I went up the hill where I met Lynn. We were glad to see each other but without saying anything you could tell we both knew that this was our first reunion at the end of a hike without Snoopy.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Just after this was the side trail to the ATC headquarters.
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We went through former Storer College which is now used for training and offices for the National Park Service.
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I reached the AT Headquarters. On the side of the building was an unnessary bog bridge just to make hikers feel at home.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I figured it would be closed but I wanted to see it anyway. It closes at 4:00 on Sundays.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Lynn and I headed back to the AT where we saw a sign for Jefferson Rock.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The rock has become unstable over the years so it has medal columns under it to support it.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Before Harpers Ferry was even a town, Thomas Jefferson had passed through this area. When he saw the merging of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers he stated that the view was worth a trip across the Atlantic.
There are a lot of famous men who have links to Harpers Ferry. Besides Thomas Jefferson there is George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, JEB Stuart, John Brown, Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame, George Custer, Phil Sheridan, and Frederick Douglass. Now let's take a walk through part of historic Harpers Ferry.
Ruins of St Johns Episcopal Church
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Here is a church that is still active. St Peters Roman Catholic Church was built in 1833 and still has services every Sunday.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The church survived the Civil War by flying the British flag. During the Civil War much of the town received heavy damage. The little town changed hands seven times during the war. If you think that is a lot, we are staying at nearby Winchester which changed hands 70 times.
Lynn is standing on these worn stone steps. These steps not only receive wear from AT hikers but thousands of visitors a year who visit the town.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ As I walked down the street people were dressed in clothes of the era. The only give away that this is not the 1800's is the stop sign and no parking sign on the lamppost.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This town was used in making part of the movie 'Gods and Generals'. The historic town was used to film the Battle of Fredericksburg which was one of the few Civil War battles to take place in a town.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ More Civil War History, this is John Brown's Fort.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Shortly before the Civil War, John Brown tried to capture the arsenal in Harpers Ferry to help with a slave insurrection. He was trapped in this fire house and surrendered to Colonel Robert E. Lee. Below, rafters on the Potomac River ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ To cross the Potomac, hikers have to share this bridge with the railroad.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I love Harpers Ferry. It's my favorite trail town, at least so far.
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