From the Potomac to Pen-Mar: A Hike across Maryland

Looking down into the valley where Boonsboro, Maryland is, from the George Washington Monument State Park.

It's "common knowledge" for AT hikers that Virginia is flat and Maryland is easy. Having hiked 30 miles or so of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park in Northern Virginia, that first bit of conventional wisdom can be put to rest. But what about the second one? It can't be that difficult, if some people cross the state's 40.6 miles in one day, right?

Hiking the AT in Shenandoah National Park

A view from a Skyline Drive overlook that intersects the AT

I've never hiked more than a quarter mile of the Appalachian Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but from the accounts of Clever Girl and others, it's a true wilderness hike. For seventy miles the trail goes up and down some of the highest ridges east of the Rockies. Between Fontana Dam and Davenport Gap the trail only cruises one road, and comes close to another in a couple more spots. Before Clingmans Dome or after Newfound Gap, the closest way to get to the front country are several miles of steep rocky trails. All in all its a challenge akin to the wild parks of the west.

Shenandoah, however, is not quite as wild.

Yeah, you're still very likely to run into bears, snakes, and other denizens of the Blue Ridge. And sure, there are still rocks, mud, and steep uphill climbs. But on the whole, the part I hiked (roughly Rockfish Gap to Big Meadows Amphitheater) was a veritable hiker highway. Throw in the frequent crossings of Skyline Drive and the campstores and waysides overflowing with cheap beer and ice cream, and the park resembles less a wilderness and more a 100 mile long city park.

Provided a hiker is in good shape and isn't suffering from ailments of the feet or knees, casual 15 mile days are reasonable, and 30 mine days are within reach of the speedsters. Were you to average about fifteen miles a day, you'd hit a campstore or wayside about once every other day, save for your first and last. Even slowpokes like me could run into them every third or fourth day.

Whether you are a hiker, rider, or driver, the waysides are worth a stop just for the blackberry milkshakes. Also good is the blackberry cobbler, particularly with the hand dipped blackberry ice cream.

The one downside to Shenandoah is that you are pretty much committed to staying at either the front country campgrounds, or the huts and their associated campsites. While well maintained, these can be inconveniently placed, requiring alternating longer and shorter days. You can camp virtually anywhere in the back country, but I saw only a few places worth camping. Most of the area along the trail is steep and rocky, or covered in second growth thorny hells. For the through hiker, this shouldn't be a problem, as the longest distance between huts is about 13 miles. But for the novice and the easily winded, it can create a logistical quandary.

If you are looking for a great place to introduce yourself to the Appalachian Trail, then Shenandoah is for you. There's enough challenge to let you know what you're in for, while being more forgiving than other places. Also, it's one of the few places along the trail where you can get $1-2 beers and drink them in the open. For the through hikers, usually with an accompanying ice cream bar.

A Trail Update, and a Last Ditch Appeal

Clouds and the setting sun from Blackrock near Big Meadows Lodge.

OK, here's the long awaited trail update. Sorry it took so long, but events that took place left me in a situation where trying to post a blog would have been a frustrating mess. Anyway, on to the update.

For a couple days, the second edition of my hike didn't go too bad. Although my first day was short, it felt good to get back on the trail. Shenandoah is a much easier hiking experience than Georgia, but it still had its ups and downs. I took a zero day on the second day after I said goodbye to my parents at the Dundo Picnic Area because of a heavy rain storm that would be happening overnight. I'm glad I did, because it rained a lot, and I doubt I would have enjoyed the rainy morning.

Nighthawk 2: Back on the Trail

The view from Little Calf Mountain, near the southern end of Shenandoah National Park.

More than two months since I left the trail, I am finally back out along the Appalachian Trail, this time about 800 trail miles to the north. Tomorrow I begin the real deal, backpacking from somewhere in Shenandoah to some point north. How far I will go is a question for another day. 

I started off with two days of slackpacking back into the swing of things. The hiking was slow and the temperatures warm, but I knocked out another 12 miles along the trail. I'm staying in a hotel tonight, but tomorrow night I'll be sleeping out on the trail somewhere. Most likely I'll be starting somewhere to the north of Turk Gap, the place I finished my second day of slackpacking. The bear that I had to scare away in the parking lot can rest easy.

When I begin the trek north I'll do so with a trail name. Thanks to my several nights of night hiking I had to do in Georgia, I earned the name "Nighthawk" by Clever Girl (aka my sister Erin) and others. Somehow I missed this the first time around, but fortunately Erin reminded me of it. It's a really cool name, and I can't wait to sign in to the trail shelter logs as Nighthawk.

Please stay tuned to this blog, as there will be plenty of updates as I move towards Harper's Ferry. Also, please forgive the ducking typos, as the posts beyond this one will be made on my phone. 

A Glossary of AT Hiker Terms

Here's a picture of a NOBO through-hiker as she heads out north from Newfound Gap. 

In our posts on this blog, our various social media pages, and on Erin's blog at Appalachian Trials, we often use some terms and slang that are common to the AT hiking community, but can be pretty confusing to everyone else. For example:

"Going NOBO across Newfound Gap, I yogied a couple of weekenders for a Snickers and a Coke. Glad I did, I was feeling the hiker hunger real bad, thanks to that green blazing I did."

Three Walls and a Roof: The AT Shelters of Georgia

Springer Mountain Shelter, from a previous visit to the mountain of the same name. This is the only picture of a shelter I have.

Of the eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States, the Appalachian Trail is unique in its system of shelters. In general, these structures are placed between 6-10 miles apart from each other, which makes them accessible by a day's hike for all but slowest hikers. No two shelters are alike, as they have different capacities, were built at different times, and use different designs and materials. Some are well built, protect from the wind, and have easily accessible water. Others are barely better than no shelter, are more shelters for mice than hikers, and seem to be built to funnel the wind into the shelter area.

Saving the Hike by Getting off the Trail

The sign at Dick's Creek Gap. In a couple months I'll have a picture showing me back on the trail.

I won't be through-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2015.

Those words were hard to type, but they are true. In the calendar year 2015, I won't be walking the entirety of the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. With that being the strict definition of a through-hiker, I will not qualify.

Ten Lessons Learned in Ten days on the Trail

Me at Neel Gap. 

1. It's as Hard as Advertised
Those who have said the trail is tough are correct. It's often steep, full of ankle turning roots and knee hating rocks. It's possible in a single day that you can worry about hypothermia and heat stroke. You spend all day beating up your body, just to get up the next morning and do it all over again. The uphill climbs seem to go on forever, and the downhill climbs aren't any better, particularly for a hiker with a high center of gravity. It's often not very fun and can really feel like work.

Countdown to Amicalola: Zero Hour

Amicalola Falls, as seen yesterday. Glad I hiked up all 604 steps to see it.

Gonna keep this quick, because I'm on my phone and we're getting ready to head to the approach trail. The countdown is over, and it's time to hike. Am I ready? Perhaps not, but it's here nonetheless, so I'm as ready as I can be. From here on it's no longer anticipation, but the real thing.

Let's do this.

Countdown to Amicalola: Two to Go

I don't have any good pictures from today, so I'll just reuse this one of Amicalola Falls.

Date: March 23, 2015
Current Week: 03/18/15 - 03/24/15
Days until Amicalola: 2
Pounds to next weight goal: 8.6 (+1.0)
Total gained Last Week: 0.2
Total Lost Entire Period: 7.6
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 0
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 195
Minutes Exercised, Week: 52
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

It was a long drive, but we made it to Amicalola Falls! Instead of a full-size car, we had to take a truck down (besides my parents Altima). It was a pretty uneventful trip, save for a small fender bender in Chattanooga (my parents car, not the rental). As such I don't have a picture of the lodge or the view from said lodge.

Countdown to Amicalola: Three's Company

In the chaos of moving out of my apartment, moving into storage, and heading back to Ridge Farm I forgot yesterday was "Springer Saturday". In honor of that, here's a repeat picture of the sign showing the way to Springer Mountain.

Date: March 22, 2015
Current Week: 03/18/15 - 03/24/15
Days until Amicalola: 3
Pounds to next weight goal: 7.6 (+0.6)
Total gained Last Week: 0.2
Total Lost Entire Period: 8.6
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 0
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 195
Minutes Exercised, Week: 52
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

I was up this morning, which isn't a surprise. Most likely I was up yesterday as well, as having a large meal at 10:00 at night tends to do that. My guess is I actually may have been down from yesterday, as although yesterday had a late, large meal, it was also an incredibly active day, with all the walking and carrying heavy things I did during the move.

Countdown to Amicalola: Four More Years

If things go well, we'll be turning at this lamp post to cross the Potomac River into Maryland, having hiked through Harpers Ferry. While the true halfway point of the trail is many miles to the north in Pennsylvania, Harpers Ferry is often considered the traditional half-way point.

Date: March 21, 2015
Current Week: 03/18/15 - 03/24/15
Days until Amicalola: 4
Pounds to next weight goal: N/A (N/A)
Total gained Last Week: 0.2
Total Lost Entire Period: 9.2
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 12
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 195
Minutes Exercised, Week: 52
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

For the second straight day I'm posting after midnight on the next day after the official day of the journal. Like yesterday, this was understandable, as I spent the day moving out of my apartment, and then driving back to Ridge Farm. It was a long day of moving, with walking up enough stairs to get me to the top of Amicalola Falls.

Countdown to Amicalola: Five Alive

In four days, we'll be walking up these stairs on our short little "pre-hike" to the top of Amicalola Falls.

Date: March 20, 2015
Current Week: 03/18/15 - 03/24/15
Days until Amicalola: 5
Pounds to next weight goal: 7.0 (-1.0)
Total gained Last Week: 0.2
Total Lost Entire Period: 9.2
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 25
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 195
Minutes Exercised, Week: 40
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

Surprisingly, yesterday didn't turn out so bad, as I actually went down. What helped was that I was done eating before eight in the evening, and I took a walk after I got back from the Fox and the Hound. This may have mitigated some of the beer, greasy appetizers, and going away cake I had. After the night before, I'll take a result like this one.

Countdown to Amicalola: Sinister Six

I'm aware that this is another repeat. But I am looking forward to walking over this Appalachian Trail marker. If only because it means I'm in Hot Springs, NC, which means it may be about time for a zero (or nearo) day. It also means a relatively flat walk through town.

Date: March 19, 2015
Current Week: 03/18/15 - 03/24/15
Days until Amicalola: 6
Pounds to next weight goal: 8.0 (+2.6)
Total gained Last Week: 0.2
Total Lost Entire Period: 8.2
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 15
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 195
Minutes Exercised, Week: 15
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

As mentioned yesterday, Wednesday was a departure from the first two days of the week. This can be blamed on some excellent German beer (and some good German food) that my cousin and I ate at a Hofbrauhaus in Rosemont. I would have liked to kept the streak for the week going, but as it's my last week before the hike, farewell meals and get togethers are bound to happen. I'll likely have a similar report tomorrow, as there was more beer and high-calorie foods this evening, this time for a after-hours get together with some of my co-workers.

Countdown to Amicalola: Seventh Heaven

A week from now I'll be able to take a picture of the first blaze, and this marker right next to it. From the reports I've read, we'll probably have to wait in line.

Date: March 18, 2015
Current Week: 03/18/15 - 03/24/15
Days until Amicalola: 7
Pounds to next weight goal: 5.4 (-1.0)
Total gained Last Week: 0.2
Total Lost Entire Period: 10.8
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 30
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 195
Minutes Exercised, Week: 0
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

Tuesday ended up being about as good of a day as Monday, almost erasing the less than stellar results from earlier in the week. The fact is that I'm enjoying some farewell events (and some events that aren't necessarily related to beginning the hike), and that just isn't conducive to great results on a day to day basis. I can't say I'm too optimistic about this final week, especially considering how it started (More on that tomorrow, but suffice it to say German beer was involved).

Countdown to Amicalola: Eight is Enough

A white blaze on a water fountain, in one of the Fontana Dam parking lots. Not too far from here is the "Fontana Hilton", a shelter so named because of its proximity to running water, restrooms, showers, and a phone. Photo by Erin.

Date: March 17, 2015
Current Week: 03/11/15 - 03/17/15
Days until Amicalola: 8
Pounds to next weight goal: 6.4 (-0.8)
Total gained Last Week: 1.6
Total Lost Entire Period: 9.8
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 30
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 181
Minutes Exercised, Week: 165
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

Things quieted down on Monday, as I started working my way back from the weekend. I got 30 minutes of walking in on the warmest day of 2015 yet, and was able to rein it in at dinner time. I was probably helped out a bit by all the work I was doing to pack things up and sort things out. I've actually made a good deal of progress, packing up several boxes of electronics, books, DVDs, and other sundry things. I've also cleaned out a bunch of unneeded papers and clothing, much of which was not fit to keep.

Countdown to Amicalola: The Whole Nine Yards

The high ridge of the Smokies, as seen from Cades Cove at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The AT travels along the peaks in the rear of the picture. It's several steep, rocky miles up from the Cades Cove area to the trail. Photo by Erin.

Date: March 16, 2015
Current Week: 03/11/15 - 03/17/15
Days until Amicalola: 9
Pounds to next weight goal: 7.2 (+4.8)
Total gained Last Week: 1.6
Total Lost Entire Period: 9.0
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 0
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 181
Minutes Exercised, Week: 135
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

Yeah, as expected, that was a bit costly. Probably more costly, as Sunday was not a day where I felt like doing much in the way of any exercise, so my two meals for the day probably didn't help as well. I've still got two days to turn this around, so I'm not that worried about the week. Even without any exercise on Sunday, I'm looking really good to have another increase in total exercise for another week in a row. Anyway, it's all moot come next Wednesday.

Countdown to Amicalola: Katahdin

A series of Rock Formations as Arches National Park known as Park Avenue. It got its name from its resemblance to the street of the same name in New York, as the rock formations look kind of like tall buildings with a street in the middle.

Date: March 15, 2015
Current Week: 03/11/15 - 03/17/15
Days until Amicalola: 10
Pounds to next weight goal: N/A (N/A)
Total gained Last Week: 1.6
Total Lost Entire Period: ??? (13.8 on Saturday)
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 40
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 181
Minutes Exercised, Week: 135
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

I don't have a recorded weight for today, because I was out of town until this afternoon, and did not take the scale with me. I can't imagine it was a good result, considering the amount of beer and less than healthy food I ate. On the other hand, I did get 40 minutes of recorded walking in yesterday, plus a good amount of walking that wasn't recorded as we walked back from the hockey game.

Countdown to Amicalola: Springer Saturday #10

This nondescript gravel road (not pictured: gravel) is USFS 42. This is the primary road to reach Springer Mountain trailhead, and the first road crossing of the NOBO Appalachian Trail. This was quite rough when my parents and I went up to Springer, but when Erin and I visited a couple years ago they had regraded and graveled the road, and it was in OK condition. I bet it's a lot closer to this picture right now.

Date: March 14, 2015
Current Week: 03/11/15 - 03/17/15
Days until Amicalola: 11
Pounds to next weight goal: 2.4 (-3.8)
Total gained Last Week: 1.6
Total Lost Entire Period: 13.8
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 15
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 181
Minutes Exercised, Week: 95
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

After two less than stellar days, I was able to rein things in on Friday, and look to be back on track. Just in time for a weekend with some friends from high school to send it heading back the other way. Oh well, I suppose this is a cushion for tonight.

Countdown to Amicalola: Pleasant Spring Days

The first plants of Spring along the Willow Creek Trail at Forest Glen. This picture was taken about a year ago during my first hike after coming back from double pneumonia. 

Date: March 13, 2015
Current Week: 03/11/15 - 03/17/15
Days until Amicalola: 12
Pounds to next weight goal: 6.0 (+0.4)
Total gained Last Week: 1.6
Total Lost Entire Period: 10.6
Weight Goals Met: 0
Minutes Exercised, Yesterday: 35
Minutes Exercised, Last Week: 181
Minutes Exercised, Week: 80
Miles Hiked, Yesterday: 0.00
Miles Hiked, 2015: 3.76

What a difference a week makes. Last Friday, the morning began at around zero degrees Fahrenheit. Today it was almost 65 here in Schaumburg. I went to lunch without a coat or even jacket, something I wouldn't have done last week. Such is March weather.