(Stealth Campsite (mile 998.9) - Shenandoah Street (mile 1025.1) *overnight at Airbnb*)

I left Ashby Hollow at about 7:30am. Delta had texted me to say that he stopped early yesterday after smashing his shin on a log. Apparently, he stopped about a mile before Ashby Hollow. He said he would hopefully catch up today, but he also did not feel a huge need to rush through this section. Making it to Harpers Ferry for the Airbnb would be awesome, but he was planning to meet his mom in Maryland this weekend, and that can be wherever. On the other hand, I really need to make it to Waynesborough, Pennsylvania by Friday night to meet up with AC, so I had a little more reason to bust ass.

The rollercoaster started strong with big rocks that I imagined must foreshadow Pennsylvania. Knowing that I was over half way between Front Royal and Harpers Ferry made the upcoming 26 miles seem more manageable. I also knew that making it to Harpers Ferry tonight would make my Thursday and Friday hiking more manageable. Probably somewhere in the range of ~20 mile days, which will be very nice. We’ll have to see what the shelter and campsite situation looks like, although the last couple nights have reminded me how much I enjoy stealth camping.

After 1.1 miles of rollercoastering, I reached a major milestone… MILE 1000🎉🍾🍻🎊🎆

After a brief celebratory photoshoot, I ate my breakfast and treated myself to a well-earned golden mango🥭

After continuing on, I soon felt the growing need to dig a cathole. I crossed a large stream and dropped my pack at the beginning of a side trail running parallel to the stream. I made my way down the side trail and then away from the stream. As I crouched to dig my cathole, I noticed a hognose snake eyeing me suspiciously. This was a thrilling encounter because I have never found a hognose in the wild before! I finished my business and snapped a couple photos with my phone. I wanted to get some good macro shots with my camera, so I rushed back to my pack, grabbed my camera, and nearly sprinted back, hoping that my hognose model had waited patiently for my return. Unfortunately, my serpentine friend was nowhere to be found. I looked around for a while before giving up and continuing down the trail.

Fortunately, my phone camera is not too shabby

Another 5 miles brought me past Bears Den Rocks. I then reached VA Route 7 in Snickers Gap after a short 0.6 mile downhill descent. VA Route 7 is a major four-lane highway with a narrow grassy median and a sign specifying “TRAIL X-ING.” The highway was somewhat busy, but I took it one side at a time and made it across without any close calls. A quick 2.5 miles brought me to the first Virginia/West Virginia border. The trail quickly dips into West Virginia and then follows the border before finally leaving Virginia just outside Harpers Ferry. Just after the border was Raven Rocks, which offered nice views to the south.

After another 1.5 miles, I reached the end of the Roller Coaster, which was marked with a similar “WARNING NOW ENTERING THE ROLLER COASTER” sign for southbound hikers. The next 12 miles or so straddled the Virginia/West Virginia border. The border followed a single ridge which meant there wasn’t much in terms of major elevation changes. It also meant there wasn’t much in terms of water sources. In fact there were no on-trail water sources. After 3.5 miles of hot and dry hiking, I was getting low on water. I decided I had to take long detour to get water at the Blackburn Trail Center, a full amenities campground maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. The blue blaze was a steep decline with many switchbacks. I resented every step, knowing I would be climbing back up in just a few minutes. The trail center itself was an impressively nice facility, complete with a bunk house, solar showers, and tent pads. I filled my water bottles and gritted my teeth for the ~200 foot climb back to the trail.

The afternoon was hot, but the ridge was pretty. Over the next 10 miles, I entertained myself with music. I was mostly in a hip hop kind of mood and opted to reacquaint myself with albums like Apollo Brown and Che Noir’s excellent collaboration “As God Intended.” The afternoon really started to drag on. The heat was oppressive and my body was really feeling the strain of attempting two ~27 mile days in a row. I spent much of the afternoon hiking in a fog. If I didn’t have the prospect of a a nice Airbnb motivating me to make it to Harpers Ferry, I definitely would have opted to find myself a stealth site.

A little before mile 1024, I crossed the Virginia/West Virginia border for the final time. The occasion was marked by a small sign, which didn’t capture the awesome feeling of finishing Virginia. Another notch in the belt. A big one at that. The longest stretch of trail in a single state is in Virginia - almost 550 miles. In other words, more than half of my journey so far. The state is notorious for grinding down hopeful thru-hikers and producing a cognitive state known as “the Virginia blues” which often leads hikers to quit their thru-hikes. I couldn’t help but feel proud that the Virginia blues didn’t get me. I wasn’t even half way to Katahdin, but this was still big accomplishment.

Shortly after the border, the trail enters the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and begins its decent towards Harpers Ferry itself, nestled at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. As I emerged from the woods overlooking the Shenandoah River, I caught sight of Delta just up ahead. He must have passed me when I stopped for water at the Blackburn Trail Center. Together we crossed under and then over the Shenandoah River Bridge and made our way to a river access parking lot on Shenandoah street were we waited for Katie’s dad to pick us up.

While we were waiting, a younger gentleman approached us with four beers from Vibrissa Beer x Dominion Wine and Beer. He said he worked at the brewing company and trail magic was a big part of their ethos. One of the beers was called “Backpacking with Nelson,” which he explained was named after a buddy of his who doesn’t particularly care for backpacking. The beers made our wait exceedingly pleasant as the afternoon cooled into the early evening. As I sipped on a beer and considered the day, I reflected that his may have been my toughest day of hiking. Two 27 mile days in a row takes a toll on the body. Not to mention the heat. Delta agreed that it was a tough one.

Eventually Katie’s dad arrived after picking Katie and Jasmine up a ways to the south. We then made our way to the Airbnb, which was a huge house overlooking the Potomac just outside Harpers Ferry. We were greeted by Katie’s Labradoodle and a bountiful home-cooked meal served by Katie’s mom. Afterwards, I was able to call Anna Claire from my small bedroom with Potomac views. Definitely worth the push today.