Lemur was up at three to attempt the four-state challenge. In a semi-sleep I heard the rustling that told me he was gathering his gear. As for me, I arose at five and was out of the shelter by six. All of the others in the shelter were left peacefully slumbering. My feet were exceedingly tender, so initially I had a difficult time picking my way through the stony minefield that was the trail. However, as time passed and I got into the rhythm of the hike, I began to feel much better. Crossing the bridge into Harper's Ferry I looked over the railing into the brown muddy depths of the roaring Shenandoah River, which, due to the recent rainfall, was in flood stage. Harper's Ferry is one of my favorite towns in America. I love its history and its location.
When I first entered town, I made a beeline for the ATC Visitors Center, where I logged in, had my photo taken (#127 if I remember rightly), and checked my e-mail. Really excited to be here for some consider it to be the unofficial halfway point. I wish I could have spent the whole day wandering around town, visiting all the historical sites, but I had my eye fixed on a bigger prize, getting new shoes. Took the shuttle bus from the stop in front of the visitors center to the WalMart shopping center in the nearby city of Charleston. Bought a pair of Dr. Scholls running shoes and new socks. It will be interesting to see how these WalMart specials handle the trail, but all I could think when I slipped them on my feet was AHhhhhh! The softness of the socks on my abraded feet and the support of the new shoes compared to the paper thin soles of the New Balance I'd worn for the last 1,000 miles put a huge smile on my face.
The return shuttle to Harpers Ferry wasn't scheduled to depart until the early afternoon, so I had a leisurely resupply and then went to the in-store Subway and ate and ate and ate. A foot-long meatball sub, potato salad, Fritos honey-barbecue corn chips a quart of ice cream. MMmmm.....good!
As soon as I was dropped off in front of the ATC, I headed out of town, feeling a little heavy from all the food I'd wolfed down. Crossing over the Potomac, I was reminded by the high water that only a few days earlier the bridge had been closed to foot traffic. The path along the river was very wide and flat as a tack, getting plenty of use this lovely day by both pedestrians and cyclists. The last three miles today I made the gradual climb up to Ed Garvey Shelter, where I had a nice chat with a group of section hikers who added to my larder. They were finishing in Harpers Ferry tomorrow, so they gave me a bit of extra food they didn't need. A win-win because they don't have to carry it down to town and I'll have a higher caloric intake.
Big question is, How fast should I go? Or better yet, How fast will my feet allow me to go? Squeezed a bunch of yellowish pus out of my left toe earlier today---nasty! Tonight it's a bit swollen and when I tried to drain it, it oozed out blood. Not sure if that's a good sign, but I think it is. Anyway, hey I'm in Maryland. Yeah!
John Brown's Fort
In Memory of the Raiders
Potomac and Shenandoah Confluence
The Poor Toe
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