Old Dogs, New Trips

Yesterday Emily and I (and my mother) left the realm of "same-old, same-old" and ventured someplace new.  All three of us have joined a Meetup called The Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group, and this was my mother's and my first trip with them.  We tackled 10.36 miles of Maryland's Appalachian Trail from Cramptons Gap in Burkittsville, MD to Harpers Ferry in, well, Harpers Ferry, WV.  Harpers Ferry is considered the half-way point for thru-hikers.

A week ago, the Appalachian Trail (the AT) was a big mystery to me.  I didn't know anything about it other than it from somewhere in the north to somewhere in the south (which I later discovered to be incorrect).  In fact, The Appalachian Trail actually begins at the summit of Springer Mountain in Georgia and ends on Baxter Peak atop Mount Katahdin in Maine.  

For some, the Trail is just a great place to hike and walk or take your dog on a nice day.  To others, it is a mission, a conquest, a life goal.  Immediately upon setting out, I made a connection with the AT and I feel it had made a connection with me.  There was something about it that said "Take me.  Conquer me."  It was like the Trail wanted to test me and challenge me to see ALL of it's splendor and glory, not just the part that we did.

The majority of my hike I kept thinking about how amazing it would be to do a thru hike of the Appalachian Trail (from one end to the other in one shot), but more importantly, how?  What would be the best way to tackle the challenge set before me by one of the most amazing places in this country?  It is broken down into four sections: The Southern Mountains, The Virginia Highlands, The Mid-Atlantic Lowlands, and New England; each with their own scenery, wildlife, and challenges.  Would I go section by section?  State by state?  Regardless of how I decide to do it, my goal is to do it in the next five years.  

Yesterday's hike on the Appalachian Trail was very different for me.  I had done hikes before that were similar in terrain, elevation, and length, so that wasn't the difference.  The difference this time was my lack of wanting to take pictures.  I normally have a camera glued to my hand and my hand glued to my eye, but yesterday I didn't.  I was so engaged with my surroundings that it I didn't even think about it.  I did take some with my phone since I was doing a GPS log of the trip.

Our trail took us over roots and rocks, deadfall, and even down a steep hill to the beautiful view form Weverton Cliff.  Along the way we passed by one of the AT's around-200 shelters.  For someone considering a multi-day, multi-week, or multi-month trip, the locations of shelters is very good information to have.  Most, but not all, of the shelters have a spring or at least access to some type of water source.  

This is the shelter that we went past.  There was an enclosed upstairs, and a three-sided platform below.  This shelter had a spring that was down a steep half-mile path.

Not too far past the shelter, we came across this sign:

We followed the path down a steep hill of rocks to the Weverton Cliff.  It was beautiful!  You could see the Potomac River, the bridge into Harpers Ferry....  It was just incredible.

 

Would I recommend this to beginners?  Yes.  If you are not comfortable on short steep hills, or long moderately-steep hill, or if you are not comfortable/able to walk over rocky terrain, this may not be the best hike for you.  For everyone else, get out there and experience the Appalachian trail for yourself.  It is incredible.