Appalachian Trail - Day 071 - Peach Glen to Middlesex

Day: 071

Date: Tuesday, 04 July 2023

Start:  Peach Glen (AT Mile 1109.5)

Finish:  Middlesex (AT Mile 1132.2)

Daily Kilometres:  38.9 (Ascent 2667', Descent 3465')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  1904.8

Weather:  Very warm and humid and mostly sunny.

Accommodation:  Motel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Turkey & cheese sandwich, ice-creams.

  Dinner:  Bacon cheeseburger & fries, ice-creams.

Aches:  Dave - a few niggles; Julie - nothing to report.

Highlight:  The afternoon's walking, though it was very warm and humid, was enjoyable as we traversed the Cumberland Valley across and alongside fields and past farms and crops.

Lowlight:  Dave learned this morning that a long-time American friend - an adventurer, mountain climber and talented runner - who had hiked with him for a week on the Appalachian Trail way back in 1986 as well as sharing other adventures, passed away yesterday.  He epitomized living life to the full, and gave Dave much to think about as he hiked this afternoon.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were hiking by 6:10am on a beautiful sunlit morning after some torrential rain overnight.  Our hiking friend, Rob, was being picked up and taken back to his car from the Green Mountain Store at 9:00am so that was our first objective.

We reached there at 8:00am after an easy descent through pleasant forest but, sadly, though not unexpectedly, the store was closed until 10:00am because of American Independence Day.  Despite the early hour, we were both keen get some cold drinks from the vending machine outside the store but, also sadly, we didn't have the right change to buy even one drink!

We said our goodbyes to Rob who, after being shuttled back to his car, had a long drive back to Connecticut.  We had enjoyed his company for the past three days and he may be able to join us again later on the trail.

After leaving Rob, the trail climbed back up onto a ridge with rocks becoming more numerous in the mostly open forest.  Later in the morning, on the aptly named Rocky Ridge, it became very rocky with the trail, seemingly gratuitously, winding its way over boulders and through narrow rock passageways that provided no views and could have been bypassed.  It was slow going and tiring.

We took a morning break around 9:30am after about eight miles and about one third of the way to our objective for the day, a motel in Middlesex.  After the break, we had about another six miles of hills and rocky trail before we emerged into the pastureland of the Cumberland Valley and much easier walking.

Another two miles brought us into the pretty little town of Boiling Springs where many people were out enjoying their Independence Day holiday.  We passed the swimming pool which was teeming with children and followed a lakeshore path into the centre of town where we found a park bench in the shade.  Dave dried out our very wet tent flysheet while Julie walked to a nearby convenience store and bought us some lunch and very welcome cold drinks which enjoyed on the bench watching the world go by.

After lunch we continued our journey across the valley on a beautiful afternoon (see above) and eventually reached US 11, where we left the trail and walked about 0.5 miles along the road to the motel we had booked, arriving at 5:40pm.  Camping is very limited along the trail in the Cumberland Valley, so the motel was a convenient and welcome choice after a very humid and warm day.

We quickly showered and washing out our hiking clothes, then bought some dinner and supplies for tomorrow from a nearby highway service center.

It had been a long but interesting day, capped off by the motel management letting off fireworks outside our room as we are about to go to bed.

Appalachian Trail - Day 070 - Big Pine Flat Ridge to Peach Glen

Day: 070

Date: Monday, 03 July 2023

Start:  Big Pine Flat Ridge (AT Mile 1091.1)

Finish:  Peach Glen (AT Mile 1109.5)

Daily Kilometres:  29.9 (Ascent 1903', Descent 2605')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  1865.9

Weather:  Warm, mostly overcast and very humid.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Trail mix

  Dinner:  Hiker burger & fries/Bacon & Cheeseburger & fries, ice-cream 

Aches:  Dave - thigh still a little sore from yesterday's fall; Julie - cuts and abrasions on her left knee and shin after a fall today.

Highlight:  Passing the halfway mark, 1099 miles, this morning.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were on our way by 6:30am on a warm and humid morning. During the night there has been a very intense thunderstorm so things were still a little damp including our tent fly.

For most of the day we were following low ridges on a mixed bag of trail ranging from.very rocky and technical to easy paved paths through State Parks.  There were some sections of very open forest and we encountered our first (and very docile) rattlesnake.

In the late morning we passed the halfway mark of our journey from Springer Mt to Mt Katahdin and a mile later the 1100 mile mark at this, the end of our 10th week.  It feels good to know we have less distance to go than we have already done.

In the early afternoon we reached Pine Grove Furnace State Park where there is a store famous with thru-hikers for the "half gallon challenge" to see how fast they can eat a half gallon (~ 2 litres) of ice-cream.  The record for this year is 4:48 apparently.  They also have a reputation for good hamburgers so we started with those and then Julie and Dave decided to share the half gallon of ice-cream without going for a time.  Since Dave ended up eating the majority of the ice-cream, he wondered whether he should have gone for the record on his own!

After eating so much we virtually waddled back on to the trail which initially passed through the picturesque State Park and then climbed gradually back up on to a wooded ridge where we found a campsite beside the trail at around 5:00pm.  There was a forecast for severe thunderstorms in the late afternoon, and we did get some rain and could hear distant thunder, but seemed to avoid the worst.  Nevertheless, we put our tents up quickly just in case and then had a relaxed and peaceful evening in the woods.

Appalachian Trail - Day 069 - PA Route 16 to Big Pine Flat Ridge

Day: 069

Date: Sunday, 02 July 2023

Start:  PA Route 16 (AT Mile 1069.9) but staying at Greencastle

Finish:  Big Pine Flat Ridge (AT Mile 1091.1)

Daily Kilometres:  33.5 (Ascent 3599', Descent 2789')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  1836.0

Weather:  Warm, humid and partly sunny with one brief shower.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Bacon, egg & cheese bagels

  Lunch:  American subs 

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - had a fall on slippery rocks, landing on his thigh on the replaced hip side which is feeling a bit bruised/corked but hasn't lost any mobility; Julie - nothing to report.

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We met Rob (Dave's former work colleague and friend) at his car at the motel at 6:00am, and stopped in at the adjacent McDonalds to get some take-away breakfast before driving back to the trailhead where we stopped hiking on Friday.

By 6:50am, the three of us were hiking through peaceful woodland on a very still and humid morning.

For most of the day the trail followed a ridge northwards dipping down to gaps along the way and crossing quite a few roads.  We were conscious that we were close to civilisation most of the time and took our morning and afternoon breaks at popular state parks where we had access to picnic tables, water and toilets. Luxury!

The trail was mostly easy through pleasant woodland with little undergrowth, though it did climb up to a few rocky knolls which, with the exception of Chimney Rocks, seemed meaningless and had no views.

Around 6:30 we found a really nice campsite atop a ridge with the sun setting to the west and enjoyed a relaxed dinner before retiring after a good day with little of the forecast rain.

Appalachian Trail - Day 068 - Day off in Greencastle

Day: 068

Date: Saturday, 01 July 2023

Start:  PA Route 16 (AT Mile 1069.9) but staying at Greencastle.

Finish:  PA Route 16 (AT Mile 1069.9) but staying at Greencastle.

Daily Kilometres:  0

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos from her jog/walk around Greencastle today.

Total Kilometres:  1802.5

Weather:  Overcast and very warm and humid.

Accommodation:  Motel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Macca's big breakfast

  Lunch:  Mexicali subs

  Dinner:  Patty melt & fries/Chicken burger & fries, donuts

Aches:  Nothing to report 

Highlight:  Rob, a work colleague of Dave's from 20+ years ago, who is also a keen hiker, arrived at our motel today after driving down from Connecticut and will join us for a few days of hiking along the AT.  It was good to see him again and start catching up our respective news.

Lowlight:  We were surprised and saddened to get an email from our thru-hiking friend of the last five or six weeks, Tassie (from Tasmania), who is a day or two behind us on the trail, telling us that she is ending her hike for this year.  She seemed to be cruising and enjoying the experience, so it was a shock to hear she had quit, though we knew she had been hiking with an injury.  Thru-hiking is very tough, mentally and physically, and Dave has also felt close to the edge on a number of occasions.  It sometimes seems like a never-ending endurance race rather than an adventure.  We try to keep in mind the saying that "You never quit on your bad days"

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

Apart from the arrival of Rob (see above), we had a fairly typical rest day.  A good breakfast was followed by Dave doing some admin with the TV on in the background, while Julie went for a sightseeing jog/walk.

Rob arrived just before lunch and we drove to a nearby Walmart where we had some lunch and did our resupply shopping.

We returned to our motel and had a quiet afternoon before meeting Rob again for an early dinner at an adjacent truck-stop restaurant and finalizing our plans for tomorrow.

An early night is planned.

Appalachian Trail - Day 067 - Pogo Memorial Campsite to PA Route 16

Day: 067

Date: Friday, 30 June 2023

Start:  Pogo Memorial Campsite (AT Mile 1052.4)

Finish:  PA Route 16 (AT Mile 1069.9)

Daily Kilometres:  28.0

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  1802.5

Weather:  Partly sunny, hazy, warm and very humid.

Accommodation:  Motel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Trail mix

  Dinner:  Cheeseburger & fries, thick shakes.

Aches:  Dave - very tired; Julie - nothing to report.

Highlight:  Crossing the Mason-Dixon Line from Maryland into Pennsylvania and from the South to the North.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We were walking by 6:00am in the faint hope that we might be able to reach our objective for the day, PA Route 16, 17.5 miles away, by 2:00pm.  We had contacted a shuttle driver last night and asked to be picked up there at 3:00pm, but she could only do 2:00pm because of other commitments.  We said we would try.

It was only going to work if the trail was relatively easy going, and it wasn't.  There were long sections of taxing rocky trail and a couple of steep ascents and descents.  Although we were making reasonable progress in the conditions, it was apparent by 10:30am we would not make it and Dave cancelled the booking.  Later, at our lunch break, we contacted two other shuttle operators and one of them agreed to pick us up at 3:00pm (and at a cheaper price).

Despite the tough sections of trail, most of the day was spent passing through pleasant forest with little undergrowth and a carpet of leaf litter, which always gives a nice sense of space beneath the canopy.  As with yesterday, we were mostly close to civilisation, crossing roads, passing near houses and often within earshot of vehicle noise.  There was one nice section through some meadows and we visited the heavily-graffitied High Rocks for some passable views to the west.

Our lunch break was in the beautifully kept Pen Mar park where we had a chat with the ranger and heard some of his thru-hiker stories.

After lunch, and one more long climb and descent, we reached PA Route 16 at 2:45pm where our shuttle driver was already waiting and were checking into our motel, 15 miles away, soon after 3:00pm for a very welcome, particularly for Dave, early finish.  There were closer motels to the trail, but it's the start of the July 4th long weekend here and reasonably-priced accommodation was hard to find.

We showered (much-needed after a very sweaty day) and did our laundry (also much-needed) before walking to a nearby fast food joint to buy take-out dinner.

No hiking tomorrow.

Appalachian Trail - Day 066 - Sandy Hook to Pogo Memorial Campsite

Day: 066

Date: Thursday, 29 June 2023

Start:  Sandy Hook (AT Mile 1027.3)

Finish:  Pogo Memorial Campsite (AT Mile 1052.4)

Daily Kilometres:  40.6 (Ascent 4534', Descent 3261')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  1774.5

Weather:  Hazy, warm and humid.

Accommodation:  Tent 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Muffins

  Lunch:  Cheese & berry Danish/Cliff Bar & Snickers 

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals.

Aches:  Dave - tired feet; Julie - nothing to report.

Highlight:  None really.

Lowlight:  Smoke from the Canadian wildfires meant views were non-existent and the air was smokey (apparently 22 times higher than the recommended maximum).

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We left our motel soon after 6:00am and road walked about a mile back to the trail as a very red sun rose through the Canadian wildfire smoke haze which was to be a feature of our day.

Once on the trail, we climbed steeply up onto a ridge, detouring to the Weverton Cliffs along the way for a spectacular, but smokey, view over the Potomac River and back towards Harpers Ferry.  That turned out to be the best view we had all day as the haze thickened.

We are now in Maryland, our next US state, and for all of the day followed a long ridge northwards, dipping down to various gaps with road crossings and climbing to hilltops with views on better days.

We were never far from civilisation and often saw houses and heard vehicles not far from the trail.

The area was also of great historical significance with a number of Civil War action sites with explanatory signs.  And, there was the Washington Monument atop one of the hills, memorializing the first President and War of Independence hero.  There were also some nice State Parks with picnic tables, water and toilets.  Luxury!

Although there were some long rocky technical sections, generally the trail quality was good, passing through pleasant forest, and we made good time.

Around 6:30pm we reached one of the designated camping areas and found ourselves a site on a lovely evening.

Appalachian Trail - Day 065 - Nr Blackburn Trail Center to Sandy Hook

Day: 065

Date: Wednesday, 28 June 2023

Start:  Nr Blackburn Trail Center (AT Mile 1013.8)

Finish:  Sandy Hook (AT Mile 1027.3)

Daily Kilometres:  27.1

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  1733.9

Weather:  Overcast, mild and humid.

Accommodation:  Motel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Bacon, egg & cheese bagels and fries.

  Lunch:  Chicken & bacon subs.

  Dinner:  Spaghetti, Italian sausage & meatballs/Pork burger & fries, ice-cream.

Aches:  Nothing to report.

Highlight:  Checking in at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Headquarters in Wiseman's Ferry, symbolically the halfway point of our journey (though a few miles short of that), being recorded as hikers #1021 and #1022 passing through for 2023, and having our picture taken for the yearbook.  We also asked to see the yearbook for 1986 and found Dave's picture taken when he passed through exactly 37 years and 5 days ago.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

In anticipation of a shorter day and a motel stay tonight, we got going earlier, at 6:00am, and walked six miles further along the wooded ridge in mild overcast and breezy conditions to a busy road.

We turned eastwards, off the trail, and walked 0.3 miles along the road to a service/gas station that we knew served hot food.  The breakfast bagels were delicious, but we could have done without the nearly 30 minute preparation time.  It had started drizzling very lightly as we arrived, so once we got our breakfast we ate it sitting on the concrete forecourt watching the morning rush hour.  When we were loading up to walk back to the trail, a local we had chatted to, offered to drive us back, an offer we gladly accepted.

Back on the trail we continued along the ridge on trail that had some long rocky technical sections that were hard work and slow before descending steeply to the wide Shenandoah River.  We crossed it on a long bridge and then climbed up to the historic town of Harpers Ferry where we made our way to the headquarters of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (see above), a big milestone on our journey north to Maine.

From there we walked down to the centre of town past some very old buildings and had some lunch in the tourist area.  We then rejoined the AT and crossed the Potomac River just upstream from where it meets the Shenandoah River on a pedestrian path attached to a long railway bridge.  There were many tourists looking around the impressive scenic and historical location.

Once across the bridge, we left the AT and joined a road which we followed up to the motel where we had booked accommodation, arriving around 3:30pm, and checked in.  Later, after very welcome (and much-needed) showers and some hand laundry, we had dinner at the restaurant across the road and bought some supplies for tomorrow before having an early night.