Mile 1,039.1
Elevation 951 feet
Miles Hiked 15.3
Back on the trail again! After dealing with hurricane Irma, it was time to get serious and add to my miles hiked on the Appalachian Trail. I flew into Washington DC yesterday and caught an Amtrak train to Harper’s Ferry where I got off the trail in June.
The Amtrak ride was interesting since I had never been on an Amtrak train before. It was pretty nice. If I stretched out, my feet couldn’t touch the seat in front of me. This is not the airlines. The seat reclined back and it even had a foot rest just like an easy chair at home. Sweet! Unfortunately, the car was empty, which makes it easy to understand their financial problems.
I stayed overnight at the Teahorse Hostel, which is where I stayed when I ended my hike in June. Friday morning after breakfast, I hoisted on my backpack and headed to the Post Office to send a duffel bag down the trail. I put my backpack in a duffel bag, so the airline doesn’t damage it. Then it was off to pick up the Appalachian Trail where I left off in June.
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- Teahorse Hostel
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- Teahorse Hostel Bunkroom
The first part of the hike was over flat terrain. It gave me time to stretch out my legs. Fifteen miles is a long way to go on a first day after not having hiked for three months. Finally, after an hour the terrain changed and I was going up. The rest of day went like that. Climb up several hundred feet then down and back up. Except for lunch (20 minutes) at the Ed Garvey Shelter, I kept going and made good time. The Rocky Run Shelter appeared at 4:30 PM.
This is a relatively new shelter. It’s very clean. I unpacked and setup my sleeping bag, and ate dinner. As of 7:30 PM, I’m the only one here, and it is just about dark. It looks like I will have the place all to myself.
