New Trail: The Maryland AT: It's a Family Affair

Dad, J, and S

Date: April 12 - 14

Who: Dad, Son-in-law, Daughter

Where: Across Maryland from Harper's Ferry, WV to the Mason-Dixon Line at Pen Mar, MD

Weather: Mostly sunny, pleasant days, cool nights, ended warm.

Length: 42 m

Elevation change: Harper's Ferry - 250'; Lamb's Knob - 1700'; Turner's Gap 1000'; Annapolis Rocks and High Rock - 1700'; Pen Mar Park - 1200'

Duration: Day 1, 10:30am start, 8.5 hours of hiking; Day 2, 9 hours; Day 3, 5.5 hours ending at 12:30pm 

For the past year I have been hiking solo and managing my own logistics by hitching rides from my parked truck at trail's end to my starting point. S&J love the out-or-doors and have some good camping and day hiking experience, and apart from some backpacking S did with family way back when, had not, as a couple, trekked with backpacks. They were determined to give it a try and since they live in Baltimore and the next section north of my last hike would logically have been the 42 miles across Maryland, we decided to take three days during Spring Break to do it. Among us three there was enough gear to be fairly well but lightly outfitted (as you can see) along the theme of my last blog. 
Day One. We met in B'town the night before, organized and packed, set out early in two cars, left one vehicle at Pen Mar, then drove the other to HF and started our hike about 10:30am with a pleasurable walk from the south end of the Rt. 340 bridge over the Shenandoah River through historic HF across the footbridge and down onto the C&O towpath north of the Potomac River.

 

We hiked along the towpath for a couple of miles working on sorting out a flatland pace. We then turned uphill for our first ascent of about 1000'; no problem. We then found ourselves on a mildly undulating ridge that would persist for the rest of the day. A topographical map of the area shows one major ridge along South Mountain which was the basis for our entire trip. For the majority of our trek this ridge line presented itself as a continuous outcropping of rock formations either to one side of the trail or in some places it was the trail. At this point I decided to demonstrate to the kids my pace for level terrain; in order to make some good time I usually push myself hard on the easy parts of the trail. So I set a somewhat furious pace for them to try out. We made good time and they hung in. They were used to hiking for shorter periods and taking in sights, but when you have 16 miles to  cover to reach the shelter you cannot dawdle too much. We did see some marvelous sights since the leaves were just coming out and the day was so fine. The Maryland AT has a number of interesting features both natural and man-made along its length. Several state parks, like Gathland and Washington Monument (and you thought this was in DC) afford backpackers, day hikers, and tailgate campers an opportunity for recreation. We stopped at Gathland, used their facilities, looked around at the historic buildings, rested, and refilled our water containers from a reliable piped source.

ridge line in rear

We arrived to an empty Rocky Run shelter around 6:00pm with plenty of daylight and hunger pains. This shelter appears to be rather new; the varnish on the floor showed little if any wear. The night was cooler but all had adequate sleeping gear; S&J had Big Agnes sleeping pads that were quite cushy and not so much weight. My 3/4 length ultralight Thermarest just rarely separates you from the floor beneath.

Rocky Run Shelter

The kids wake up

Breakfast - Day 2

Day 2. We had a leisurely wake-up and breakfast since we were doing another 16 miles today but with more time. We were out by 8:30am and soon found ourselves at Washington Monument State Park in none other than Washington County, MD. Again we found this a refreshing spot with facilities, piped water and some delightful views. With a more leisurely pace we followed the ridge line toward the Colwall Shelter. We skirted Greenbrier State Park since the descent to the park from the AT was longer and steeper than expected, passed over the I-70 footbridge, strolled along Annapolis Rocks, traversed a seriously rocky part of the ridge trail and descent to Wolfsville Road, and then eased into the shelter around 5:30pm. As we approached the shelter we heard and spied some guys on a short blue blaze trail to the right. They were taking advantage of the spring, which we did as well before we headed over to the shelter. This was the first time I had to use my new filter system, since we had been able to resupply at the state parks. After an initial phase of figuring out exactly how to fill my hydration system in my pack and arranging things so I could gravity feed from it through the filter into the other containers we were ready to settle into the shelter. Four engineers who worked with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and lived near Frederick, MD had already arrived. They proved to be excellent shelter mates apart from the various levels of snoring that you can count on when sharing space. Those earplugs I brought with were useless. I need to find something more effective, but chances are they would not have diminished significantly the buzz from the elder of the other group. They had only hiked from Pen Mar, our destination tomorrow 10 miles away, so they needed to do 20 miles tomorrow to stay on track; they were in the sack by 8:00pm. We had finished dinner and just looked at each other thinking we would sit up and chat a bit since the temperature was pleasant, but out of respect just shrugged and snuggled in. J and I made an S sandwich on the left side while our friends slept to the right and above.

I-70 Footbridge

Cooling our jets

Cowall Shelter

Day 3. With only 10 miles to go we decided to get an early start, as were our shelter-mates, so with breakfast completed, gear packed, we left at 7:00am anticipating a 12:00 noon arrival in Pen Mar. Early on we passed through and beside several breathtaking meadows with low angled morning sun. After about 4 miles we encountered the ascent to High Rock, the highest point on the AT in Maryland. We were coming up from the south which is a bit easier climb than attacking the  rise from the north. We puffed a little bit but by now we had settled into a comfortable uphill pace that all were comfortable with. The downhill was steep and rocky, a serious challenge. The trail leveled out for a easy stroll to the end. The day had warmed pleasantly and wildflowers grabbed out attention. The trail was a bit rockier than the previous day so we did not cross the Mason-Dixon Line north of Pen Mark Park (lovely view) until about 12:30.

What a couple!

What a sight!

Love that boy!

Now some flora.

Fiddles 

Pen Mar Park view west

End of trail - everyone is smiling

So, we packed up the car and traveled back to HF through the valley west of the ridge: rich farmland; sheep, cows, horses, young and old alike; azure skies; warm temperature; peaceful. Found a great parking spot amidst all the hubbub of Saturday in HF: rafts, kayaks, canoes on the river, people on the heights, on the streets, in the shops and restaurants, bees in the air, motorized vehicle sounds we had only heard in the distance or on an approach to a road. Glad to see HF has such a thriving tourist industry with all its history and natural grandeur. 

We returned to a pub that J&S had frequented before that had Mountain State Amber Ale on draft, who cares about the food? Shameful though that WV makes them cook those 1/2 lb. specialty hamburgers to medium-well which in my book is close to dead.
Reflections: Beautiful weather and conditions for backpacking; lighter equipment and, for me, no ill effects that I experienced on my last outing; 42 more AT miles to log; great views and a variety of interesting sights, delightful social encounters along the way; meaningful family talks on a range of topics; easy logistics (no hitchhiking), and most of all time spent doing something with people I love who love an adventure and a challenge as much as I do.

New Gear: I Love REI

Geared Up

I attended two classes at REI last month: light-weight backpacking and long-distance backpacking (AT thu-hiker style). The experience goes to show that even if you think you know stuff and have experience there are others that can contribute to your knowledge when preparing for a trek. With some of my not-so-current gear and thoughts on what I needed on the trail, I surmised I was carrying more weight than necessary. My last hike (February post) was the most arduous in recent history (with my current gear) and I felt the effects. Soon after the hike I had an annual check up with Dr. Matt and related to him some of my aches and pains, specifically arm/elbow, right knee, and right Achilles tendon. On the last day of the recent trek I felt some heat in my Achilles tendon which persisted for several weeks after the hike.  Dr. Matt diagnosis: arm/elbow pain equals tennis elbow or classic tendonitis - nothing major, just take it easy; knee x-ray shows arthritis - again nothing major but no remedy, just tough it out with some ibuprofen, eventually this joint will wear out; but the Achilles tendon raised his eyebrows and he expressed some serious caution. Now this is not setting well with me who wants to increase the rigor of my hikes both in terrain and distance. He said I had to rest it or possibly develop a chronic condition that could lead to rupture; that direction was painful in another way - the cancellation of another planned hike. Major Bummer!

This combination led me to consider investing in some new and lighter gear and to more carefully choose what to pack to make my backpacking, frankly, easier with less stress on the old body, and, therefore, more enjoyable.  First step was to weigh all my stuff; ounces matter and add up. My old external frame pack from Philmont days weighed in a 6 lbs. 6 oz., my water pump/ceramic filter unit, 1 lb. 3 oz., nalgene water bottle (empty), 7 oz.; radio/light, 9 oz. among other stuff. The classes suggested ways and gear to drop weight, so with a couple of 20% off coupons and some help from the Easter bunny I bought some stuff.

REI Flash 62 Backpack

With this pack I am definitely up-to-date and it weighs a mere 3 lbs. which is a savings of just over 3 lbs. I used this on the Maryland AT hike (upcoming post) and the experience was transforming. I will able to carry all the stuff I need for any distance in this baby and it fits like a glove.

Sawyer 3-Way Inline Water Filter

With no mechanical parts (like my ceramic filter/pump) this puppy comes in at 2 oz. slightly more than 1 lb. less and more reliable. I rigged this as directed in line with my MSR hydration system, filled the bladder with spring water (with bacteria probably) and had filtered water on demand for the Maryland hike. The gravity feed worked great, but took some practice. I got it now.

Petzl Tikka Plus 2 Headlamp

M had wanted me to have a new headlamp for some time so in true Easter bunny style this presented itself prior to the Maryland hike. On my last hike I nearly ran out of daylight and this would have been quite useful. It weighs 4 oz. less than the other bulky crank radio/light I was using and is more versatile (and way cool looking).

I traded in my 32 oz. (volume) Nalgene bottle for a 1 liter seltzer water bottle and saved 5 oz. I also seriously considered each item I packed for the Maryland trip. The goal was for my packed backpack to weight less than 20 lbs. without water, fuel, or food. The night before the trip it weighed in at 15 lbs.; mission accomplished. This did not include my 3 lb. tent, more clothes I will need during colder climes, and more food for a longer trek, but I am in the ballpark and have a new enthusiasm for counting every oz. that's on my back, pushing on my knees and hips, and adding stress to those precious tendons that run down the backs of my ankles.

By the way, the 42-mile Maryland hike left me feeling no worse for wear, so I believe I am on a more successful adventure than ever. Bring on some more AT.