2007 Rockfish Gap to Harpers Ferry

In April of 2007 we did our first major hike from Rockfish Gap to Harpers Ferry, 161 miles.  The weather was record setting awful.  It took us three weeks and taught us a lot.  

Sun-01-Apr

Calf Mtn Shelter
7.0 mi.

50-60º Partly Cloudy with a little rain. Overall a good day for a hike.

Andi and Walt dropped us off at Rockfish Gap and we saw 25+ deer on the drive down. We started the hike about 10:30. Trail immediately leaves SNP and does not return until 2nd day of hike. Passed two big radio tower installations (and the tractor seat theater) and climbed Bear Den Mtn. It was only 7 mi but I was exhausted. I did not think we would ever get there. Our packs were too heavy - 44 lbs. and 41 lbs. each. Wendy had some problems with her pack hurting her. When we arrived, only one person was there. Eric was an editor from Bethlehem PA finishing a SoBo section hike to Rockfish Gap. His son thru hiked the AT in 2004. Erik slept in the hut and we slept in the hammocks. It was hard to sleep and it was a little cool.

Mon-02-Apr

Campsite on trail near RipRap Overlook
8+ mi.

80º+ Hot, humid, sweaty, buggy. Started out cool but warmed up too much.

There are two springs at the beginning of the hike, then none until you get to Blackrock Hut. We had plenty of water. We did not make it to Blackrock however. We were very tired and it was getting too late to make it. Also, Wendy was having more server problems with her pack. Seems she was bruised from the previous day and it was really hurting now - almost enough to cause her to quit. About 8+ mi. we found a nice campsite near RipRap overlook so we set up the hammocks. We got a dramatic swooping buzzard show and had a nice sunset. Stayed in the hammocks. The night was warm and both of us had a good sleep.

Tue-03-Apr

Blackrock Hut 5± mi.

80º - 85º Hot, humid, sweaty, buggy

Only 5 ± mi. to Blackrock Hut. We decided to call Andi and Laura to meet us at Black Rock Gap parking area where the Trail crosses the road to give them some non-essential items from our pack. I think that I dropped close to 10 lbs. Good that it was a short day because I was getting hot spots/blisters. Also, it was very hot and we used up all our water. We were getting dehydrated by the time we reached camp. We were the first to arrive at the hut. Then came 10 (6 + 4) Boy Scouts - Troop 129 Alexandria VA. (They lost 4 others that day). They were well managed and tried not to be a bother. However, they had a roaring alcohol stove that was going most of the evening to boil water. A little later came 6 more hikers led by Schwartz and (Rose) Quartz. They were older than us, nice, and knowledgeable. They (Schwartz and Quartz) had already sectioned hiked 1400 mi. of the AT. Wendy's pack was still bothering her, and Quartz had a Granite Gear pack that Wendy really liked. Late in the evening, 2 thru hikers arrived - Boyz2Maine. One was called NightHawk and the other _____?. They made a huge pot of bright orange macaroni and cheese for dinner. They set up a tent so there were 8 of us in the hut. Our first night in a hut - the plywood is hard. Slept on and off - lots of snoring.

Wed-04-Apr

Ivy Creek Maintenance Area
9.5 mi.

Started warm in the upper 60sº but temps fell into the 30sº. Became windy with 20-30mph gusts.

We left Blackrock at 8:10 for Pinefield. Saw Schwartz and Quartz et. al. again. Black Rock is beautiful. We should go back. We also saw Boyz2Maine at a road crossing. They were hiking on the road - yellow blazing! There was also a nice place to take Greg south of Doyles River Overlook. We did not make it to Pinefield. We stopped at Ivy Creek Maintenance Area which has a very good spring. My hot spots were becoming blisters and would cause me to have to stop hiking. We set up the hammocks as it began to get very cold. Wind got very strong and blew the tarp off my hammock. We realized that hammocks and a 40º bag were not going to be enough. We called Andi and Laura to come get us and hiked out to Loft Mtn. Wayside in the dark to meet them. At home, I felt a little defeated but we got a concert by Andi and Laura and I felt better.

Thu-05-Apr

Zero miles day
0.0

Cold, high in 30sº and low in 20sº.

Went to Rockfish Gap Outfitters and bought 2 new sleeping bags (15º and 20º) and a tent to replace the hammocks. Wendy got the new model of the Granite Gear pack that Quartz had. Also got some more warm clothing and a pair of Merrill Ventilator hiking shoes for me to help prevent blisters. We were ready to go back out. Also had a great meal at Ruby Tuesdays!

Fri-06-Apr

Pinefield
3.7 mi.

Cold, high in 30sº and low in 20sº.

Back on the trail by mid-day. Started at Ivy Creek and hiked to Pinefield Hut. Nice hike but it was cold. We may get snow tonight. I am building a fire. Tomorrow, we go to Hightop. My feet are OK so far. I hiked in sandals (Keens). Stayed in shelter with Dave, and his friend Ben and Dave's dad Bill. Also, had Thad and his dad Steve. The dad did a hike from Penn. to Ga. 20+ years ago. They are redoing that hike together and Thad may continue with the rest of the AT himself. Also had a young weekend hiker named Steve who is conditioning himself prior to joining the Seals. This is the first night we used the hot water bottles in our sleeping bags to stay warm.

Sat-07-Apr

Bypassed Hightop to Rt 33 and home.
15.2 mi.

Snowed Friday night - Saturday morning. Cold, high in 30sº and low in 10sº. Windy.

Woke to snow! 2+ inches in most places - some had more. We were slow to leave. Hiked out with occasional snow continuing. The wind made it sting your face. We decided not to go up to Hightop - too cold and too dangerous on the snow covered rocks. Hiked 15+ miles out to where Skyline Drive crosses Rt. 33 and then down the mountain on Rt33 to Turkey Ridge Rd. Then we got a ride to our house (could have come sooner). The trail angle was Bill Thomas??? owner of the Country Inn in Elkton. We need to go eat dinner there after we get back.

Sun-08-Apr

Zero miles day
0.0

Cold, high in 30sº and low in 10sº. Windy!

Easter Sunday. Took a zero miles day at home to recover from yesterdays 15 mile hike. I replanned the hike to make up for the two zero miles days by not staying a full day near Big Meadows and by not staying in the huts but intead staying in Big Meadows lodge and Skyland lodge. The distances match our hiking ability better.

Mon-09-Apr

Bearfence Mtn.
9.0 mi

Cold, high in 30sº and low in 20sº. Light snow and wind 15-20 mph.

Still cold with some snow. Hiked to Bearfence Mtn. Hut and for the first time, had the entire hut to ourselves. It was a cold night, I could not sleep much.

Tue-10-Apr

Big Meadows Lodge
8.0 mi.

Cold, high in upper 30sº or lower 40sº and low in 20sº. A few brief periods on very light snow. Less wind.

Hiked to Big Meadows and got a room in the lodge and a meal in the restaurant. It was wonderful! We made reservations for tomorow night at Skyland. Had some light snow again.

Wed-11-Apr

Skyland Lodge
9.6 mi.

Cold, high in upper 30sº and low in 20sº. Snow, sleet, freezing rain. Windy again.

Day started cold (upper 20sº) and foggy with ice in the trees. Hiked to Rock Springs Hut for lunch (we were to stay here before I replanned). It snowed hard a few times and I was worried it would get deep and make it difficult to reach Skyland. However, by the time we finished lunch, it looked better so we continued with no problem. The snow was 4+ inches in places. Snow mixed with and changed to sleet. This continued on and off until we reached Skyland. By after dinner, it had changed to light rain. Getting Warmer? I still had problems with hot spots on my feet but so far no blisters. However, I did have blisters/redness on my crotch. Considered a zero miles day tomorrow.

Thu-12-Apr

Pass Mountain
10.7 mi.

Warmer, highs lower 40sº. Gusty windy.

Decided to hike. Blisters seem OK with treatment. It was a beautiful morning out of Skyland. Great view of the clouds in the valley from Little Stony Man. Hiked to Pass Mtn. Hut. Shared the hut with Tom (No.Va.), his brother Bill and his two kids slept in tents near by. It was a long day - very tired. Still not warm today! Maybe tomorrow?

Fri-13-Apr

Elkwallow Gap
7.4 mi.

Cooler - highs upper 30sº.

It was cooler but less windy and not freezing at night.. Easy hike to Elkwallow Gap. For a late lunch we got a cheeseburger, BBQ, french fries, and cokes at the Wayside. Wonderful. They had just opened for the year so they treated us like very important guests. Later we had tuna and freeze dried vegetables for a late dinner. Slept in the tent and had lots of deer as overnight guests. Forecast is for cold rain the next 2-3 days.

Sat-14-Apr

Gravel Springs 5.7 mi.

High in upper 30sº. Lows in the low to mid 30sº. Mixture of snow, sleet, and rain.

Got an early start. Hiked thru snow, sleet, rain but it was a short day. Arrived at Gravel Springs Hut just after lunch time. We were alone at first but then came 7 Boy Scouts, plus 2 day hikers passing thru, plus 2 section hikers (Tom and Dick). All were just staying for lunch and a break. As these were preparing to leave, two thru hikers arrived - Groovasaurus (Philip) and Hobbit (Tom Brown). Hobbit keeps a log on trailjournals.com. Got a forecast for Sunday for 1-3 inches of rain with highs in the 30sº and winds 15-25 mph. Groovasaurus decided he wanted to be in Front Royal so they packed up (at 4:00pm) and left for Front Royal or at least the next shelter which is 10+ miles away but still 3 miles from the road to FR. I guess they got to practice their night hiking skills. Then, 1/2 hour before dark, ______ arrived, a British ex pat who was training for a hike of the Pacific Crest Trail starting in May with his girl friend. He had lots of cool gear and info. There was heavy wind and rain overnight.

Sun-15-Apr

Front Royal
13.4 mi.

High in low 40sº. Lows in mid 30sº. Rain, rain, rain.

Nor'easter!!! Heavy rain most of the day - lighter and more scattered with some sleet late in the day. Weather too bad for pictures. Storm was a Nor'easter, setting records all along the East Coast. Arrived at Tom Floyd Wayside about 4:00 but it was already full with 4 men plus it had a leaky roof - without a doubt, the worst shelter on our trip (renamed it Tom Floyd Dumpsite). We agreed to hike another 3 miles to Rt. 522 and get a ride into Front Royal. Good idea! My pack, clothes, and sleeping bag were wet - my feet were soaked. We stayed at the Pioneer Motel and spread our gear over every horizontal surface in the room to get it to dry. Had dinner at Dean's Steak House (Wendy had prime rib!). Forecast is for light rain and heavy wind.

Mon-16-Apr

Zero miles day
0.0

Highs and lows in the 40sº in Front Royal.

Forecast is for 40+ mph wind with gusts to 60. It is still cold. The motel sign next door blew down. Schools were being cancelled or closed early because of wind. We decided to stay another day at the Pioneer. Also, I awoke to find poison ivy on my upper arms, underarms, and on my back. However, the good news is we were able to get all our gear dry. The motel manager let Wendy do our laundry so we had all clean, dry clothes. Had lunch at Anthony's Subs and Pizza and ordered delivery for dinner. Much better than dodging falling trees.

Tue-17-Apr

Manassas Gap
10.7 mi.

Highs in the upper 30sº to maybe low 40sº and lows in the upper 20sº - low 30sº.

Tax Day out in the real world. Still cold and breezy. 10 mile hike to Manassas Gap Shelter. Lots of trees down (12-15) blocking the trail and more on either side. Glad I was not out here hiking or sleeping. Spooked a wild turkey and saw it fly across the trail. Water level is up - there are lots of tricky stream crossings (something we did not have in SNP). We had the shelter to ourselves. We have a long day tomorrow.

Wed-18-Apr

Rod Hollow
12.8 mi.

High in the upper 40sº. Low in the 30sº.

Still cold last night. Only in the upper 30sº to low 40sº most of the day. After 3:00 it finally got warmer. Seeing more flowers and "lettuce". Again, we had the shelter to ourselves. Rod Hollow is a very nice shelter. Tomorrow the roller coaster!

Thu-19-Apr

Bear's Den
9.9 mi.

40sº and 50sº.

Had a raccoon in camp last night. It tried to get in the food bag - got it swinging but could not get it open. Came up close to the hut but scared it away. It was hard to sleep until it finally wandered away. Finally warmer today! It was around 50 in the afternoon - colder in the morning and some rain at mid-day. The day started easy but then we got to the "roller coaster". Up and down eight ridges of 400-500+ feet each with very rocky trail and a stream crossing at the bottom of each. I barely made it to Bear's Den Hostel. This place is great! You get a plywood bed but with a mattress, a sleep sac and blankets, and 4 walls. You also get a Tombstone pizza and a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, plus free internet and phone, all for $26 per person. It is a large stone house (and out buildings and quite a lot of property) donated to the ATC and converted to a Hostel and run by the PATC. We shared a dorm room with 3 Putt and Sweet Sixteen. Bear's Den is managed by Queen Diva (Lori). We read notes in the log from Blue Sky, Hobbit, and Groovasaurus. Forecast is warm tomorrow with highs in the 60sº.

Fri-20-Apr

David Lesser Mem. Shelter
11.1 mi.

High in the 60sº. Lows in the 30sº.

Cool in the morning but then beautiful weather. There were 3 more hills to the roller coaster. Easier hiking after that. The trail followed the ridge line instead of crossing ridge after ridge. Met some day hikers and a father and son team who were section hiking to Snickers Gap / Rt. 50? They went ahead of us and were at David Lesser Memorial Shelter when we arrived. This shelter was the best on our trip. It had a nice covered sleep area with windows and sky lights and in the front there was a large deck. There was a separate dining shelter with picnic table. Only problem was that the water was over 0.4 miles down the steep side of the ridge. We shared the shelter with the father while the son slept in a hammock. He had some very useful information about hammock camping. The son ______, started a thru hike from Springer Mtn. in March but left the trail less than 2 weeks later after hurting his foot. He was going to start again in Southern Va. and hike until he "was tired of it".

Sat-21-Apr

Harper's Ferry
9.5 mi.

High in the 70sº. Lows in the 30sº.

A glorious day - almost too hot. It was an easy hike to Harper's Ferry. Mostly level to down hill with a steep decent when you arrive at the Shenandoah River at Harper's Ferry. We had to walk across the Rt. 340 bridge which was very exciting for Wendy. But she made it and we got some great pictures of the river. We arrived in Harper's Ferry at about 1:30 and took the side trail (blue blaze) to the Appalachian Trail Conference. They took our picture and we signed the log. I guess that means we are section hikers now. We went on to our hotel, Hilltop House. Shana met us there. We cleaned up and spent the rest of the day being tourist in Harper's Ferry, walking around and eating too much.