Day 0-4, 4/25-28 Harper’s Ferry WV to Smithburg MA. 31 miles traveled

4/25 – A full day of orientation with the Flip Flop weekend event. Markus and I met other hikers, former hikers and ATC volunteers. The event was very well supported and useful. I got my 69th hike 😉 as I was the 69th hiker doing a north turn followed by a south turn, both from Harper’s Ferry. Lots of walking, thankfully without my 35 pound backpack. Food and drink at a barbecue with my new acquaintances and my friend Markus, who walks part of the trail with me and supports me on the rest.

The rain shortly after we set up camp for the night had us scrambling, as the seams of Markus’ tent struggled to protect themselves from the moisture. The rain let up and we spent our first night in the wilderness at the Brunswick MD campground.

On April 26 we got up early to take the bus to HP, where a farewell awaited us. 2 pancakes later we left. We covered 12 miles and camped at Crampton’s Gap for the night. It was the longest walk I had ever done. My backpack felt heavy: 6 days of food seemed too much.

Tent camping after a dehydrated meal of chicken fried rice. First day in the books.

4/27 Crampton Gap to Pine Shelter – 12 miles covered

He said goodbye to Markus before heading north. Returned to HP: mission accomplished. He will replenish me on my journey. I will miss your company.

A beautiful cool day has me in shorts all day. The original Washington Monument was impressive. I slowed down a bit toward the end of the hike to support a fellow “Ypsi” hiker, who was short on calories. We limped into Pine Knob an hour before sunset, ready for bed. I tiptoed around the poison ivy to set up my tent and went to bed right after my lasagna meal.

4/28 Pine Knob to Ensign Cowall Shelter, 9 miles. A cold and rainy day made me show off my umbrella. It was light, but it restricted my distance vision. No word yet on whether I’ll use it or my poncho next time. First day with real rocks: The rock coaster was good preparation for Pennsylvania… Arrived at the shelter at 2:30, late for lunch. There was Ed lighting a fire, while his fellow flipflopers Sparticus and Quarter Master waved me in, although they left shortly after to reach the next shelter before the days were out. Later FedEx joined, as well as Ypsi. My first night sleeping in a shelter was memorable, with a roaring fire when the four of us went to bed.

On April 29, with a rainy day ahead, Ypsi and I took a zero and took a shuttle to Cascade, Maryland, right on the MD PA line to stay at Sunshine Cottage. We hope to be taken back to Ensign Cowall tomorrow and back to the Cottage. The middle 10 miles are difficult, so a light backpack will give our body a little rest.

More to come: Sorry, no photos, but no WiFi, making this a low-def first entry. I’ll be updating weekly, or as WiFi and weather permits. Thanks for reading!

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