Week 1: Finally on Trail! (and then not)

Old South Mountain Inn Trailhead, MD < Harpers Ferry, WV > Blackburn Trail Center, VA

Days 1-7

Week 1 AT Miles: 29.7

Well… this hike got off to a very rocky start (and by rocky I mean snotty and feverish).

Day 1: Harpers Ferry, WV > near Crampton Gap Shelter, MD

11 AT miles

The big day was finally here! I woke up with a scratchy throat but hoped it was just from too little sleep the night before and would sort itself out. A piping hot cup of coffee mostly did the trick, and I’d forgotten about it by the time we pulled up to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

The 2024 hang tags unfortunately aren’t expected to arrive until some time in February, but I got my photo out front for the binder. First hiker of 2024! If all goes well, I’ll be the first to start from Harpers Ferry and one of the last to finish there.

After lunch at a diner down in the strip mall section of town, we parked at the train station and set off across the bridge to Maryland. My parents had given me a ride and joined me for the first mile or two along the Potomac. I was glad for the sunny day with views of the sparkling river, since watching me trudge off into the rain would have been even harder on them.

My legs felt good on the climb up to the ridge. I passed a bunch of day hikers on their way back down, some of whom clocked the big pack and wished me luck.

In all the excitement, I hadn’t really noticed my increasing congestion, but as soon as I set up camp and climbed into bed, I realized that the sore throat was a sign of worse to come.

Day 2: Near Crampton Gap Shelter > Old South Mountain Inn Trailhead

6.4 AT miles

After a night of very little sleep due to a completely clogged head and feverish cycles of sweats and chills, I packed up about an hour before sunrise and continued north. I was exhausted, low on water, and pretty dehydrated from losing so much extra moisture to snot and mouth breathing.

As I trudged along, I was sure that I wanted to quit my hike. I had to reason with my cranky, feverish brain: “They say ‘don’t quit on a bad day’… especially when that day is Day 2 of a year long hike. And even if you are quitting, you still need to hike out of here first.” So plan B was to hike to Dalgrens Backpacker Campground, use the water there to make tea and soup, and figure out how to get off trail.

I had no idea the 6 miles over mostly flat terrain would take all morning, or that they’d be among the hardest miles I’ve hiked. For the last few, I just repeated to myself, “Look where you’re stepping. Don’t pass out.”

Days 3-6: Off trail

0 AT miles

By the next morning, lying in a hotel bed after a much needed 15 hours of sleep, I no longer wanted to quit. I also knew I wasn’t ready to start hiking again — just going downstairs to grab breakfast made me need a nap. After which I went back down to book a second night.

The unexpected hotel costs so early in the hike made me reevaluate my plan to head north. The lack of affordable lodging options in New England during ski season had been a concern from the beginning, but the prospect of multiple zeros for illness, beyond those for weather, gave that concern additional weight. I can’t be spending the majority of my trip budget in the first three months.

Setting aside the disappointment of returning 11 months sooner than planned, I headed home the next day to recuperate and prepare to hike south instead. I’ve promised myself some future snowshoeing excursions to make up for the change of plans.

Day 7: Harpers Ferry, WV > Blackburn Trail Center, VA

12.3 AT miles

Let’s try this again! I set off from Harpers Ferry a second time, now heading south into Virginia and feeling way healthier than I had on the first attempt.

I took it slow and easy. A thin layer of snow crunched under foot from a winter storm while I’d been off trail. I was grateful for a pleasant, uneventful day of hiking and that the dramatic false start wouldn’t be setting the tone for my adventure.

I ended the day in the charming Hiker Cabin at Blackburn Trail Center (top photo), which I imagine fills up fast with thru-hikers in peak season but was all mine on a January night. I’d need to get an early start the next morning to finish before the worst of the forecast storm.