We Are Not Going To Make It 

This song jumped out to me about a week ago. And, for lots of reasons, I think it’s the right one to go with for this entry. First of all, it’s fun and upbeat – and we can probably all use lots of that about now. Second, I’ve always liked the brashness of this song – it’s from the band, The Presidents of the United States of America, debut album in 1995. And, in this song, they sing tongue in cheek that they’re not good enough to make it, but there is an optimistic chorus that states “deep in my heart I do believe” that they might. Well, almost 30 years later The Presidents (as they are often known) went on to put out several albums and make a go at being a post-grunge, pop-punk band and make some really good music. The third and most obvious reason is that I am writing this from home having gotten off the trial from my southbound hike in northern Virginia following the advice of the ATC and giving the southern Appalachian region time to heal. But, even with that, the song brings optimism. If you listen carefully at the start of the song, there is a false start and then they begin again – exactly my plans for the AT.  

It was a short week. And, I can tell, and you may surmise, from the miles that my heart was fading as I got back on the trail. I had coincidentally gotten off the trail for the weekend in Washington DC just as Hurricane Helene was doing its damage in the South. By Sunday, the severity of the storm and its impact on the AT and the AT trail communities was becoming known. I waited out another day, Monday, to let more of the rain from the hurricane pass. When I got back on the trail on Tuesday heading towards Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, and Virginia, I was trying to conjure up every bit of optimism that completing the trail was still a possibility. Each step, each mile, each day, told me this was not to be the case. As I wrote in my last post, when ATC’s updated guidance asked SOBOs to get off the trail at Front Royal, and I was walking into Front Royal that day, day 100 of this trek, it seemed a fitting place to stop. 

Day 29

It was raining most of the day. I was happy to be slackpacking as it took a couple of hours to get from DC to the trail. Laura drove me from DC to Cross Trails Hostel right on the C&O canal, I dropped off most of my gear, and then she dropped me off 16 miles up trail at Washington Monument State Park where I was picked up the previous Friday. The trail was pleasant and it was fun as the day ended to finally get to hike along the C&O Canal. We have biked this on more than one occasion to DC and Pittsburgh and it was a great connection. The Cross Trails Hostel is a welcoming hostel with a ‘secret path’ off the canal that caters to travelers of all types. 

The Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal bike trail will take you from Washington DC to Pittsburgh and back. And, it shares a few miles with the AT before you cross into West Virginia at Harper’s Ferry. 

Who knew this was the last hostel I would stay at on this AT trip? 

Day 30

I was out early despite the overcast and rainy weather. It was a short mile or so to cross the Potomac River and enter Harper’s Ferry and the next state, the 9th,  on my journey, West Virginia. It was around 8:00 AM when I got there and the town was largely still asleep. I just walked through as we have been there many times and the ATC office was not yet open for the day. No thru-hiker picture for me on the porch and in front of the iconic sign. The trail is pretty beat up walking through the back woods of Harper’s Ferry and that in conjunction with the overcast skies set the mood perfectly for crossing the Shenandoah River. It was raging, brown, and overwhelming. I felt guilting out there adventuring when I felt like I was witnessing the scene of a crime as the river was thundering by with the waters of Hurricane Helene and all the damage it had wrought. 

This sign is in Harper’s Ferry. If you look closely, you can the green and more calm Potomac River on the left and the brown and raging Shenandoah River on the right. 

Crossing this bridge and the raging torrent underneath and the remnants of all the destruction this water has caused made it hard to celebrate that I was entering my 10th state, Virginia. 

The Backburn Trail Center was a perfect antidote to this downer of a day. I thought to go further and keep building the miles, but its reputation preceded itself and I decided a relatively short day and stay at this oasis was in order. I am not sure which to praise more – the center of the caretaker, Chris. If you have hiked through there this season and met him or seen his many posts, you will know what I mean. He is a sincerely nice person who wants to celebrate hikers and the trail. I took a bunk in the hiker cabin, enjoyed the cold drinks and snacks that Chris provided, got a fire going in the wood stove, and dried out all my wet gear. Thank you to the PATC for this resource and to Chirs for the hospitality. 

The Blackburn Trail Center is .3 miles from the AT. To quote a northbound section hiker I met, he said I had to stay there – “they have every amenity you could ever want!”

This is the hiker cabin at the Blackburn Trail Center. You can also camp on the lawn or stay on the porch. 

Day 31

The weather improved overnight and after morning fog the skies cleared. Unfortunately, the trail this day sucked! Fourteen of the 17 miles for the day were the ‘Virginia Rollercoaster.’ If it weren’t for the ‘cutesy’ signs (and in protest I am not including pictures!) welcoming you to this stretch of the trail, maybe it would have been just another less than pleasant trail. Whatever the case, the ‘rollercoaster’ is 14 miles of up and down and up and down on rocks – the worst of which could beat the worst of Pennsylvania. I try not to be a complainer – so I will say no more. Seventeen miles was as far as I was going and I spent a pleasant night, the last night on the trail – though I did not know it at the time, sharing the Rod Hollow Shelter with two northbound section hikers. 

Day 33

I didn’t plan to get off the trail this morning. The last I had heard you could hike to Rickfish Gap, still more than 125 miles south. Front Royal was 24 miles away, I figured I would do most of the miles today and set myself up for a nero on Saturday to regroup before continuing south. Quickly between phone calls and texts, I learned that the ATC had issued new guidance and was advising hikers to get off the trail at Front Royal, and the rest is history. To reiterate two things from my last post – the hurricane’s impact on me is nothing compared to those whose lives have been upended by this storm. And, getting off was an easy decision to make in light of the first thing. 

I crossed this sign on my last day – clearly a sign that I have unfinished business to attend to! 

I could not think of a better place to end part one of this journey. The ‘Basecamp’ is a can’t miss resource for AT hikers. Several local businesses combined to provide a space for free showers, laundry, charging, trash, lockers, etc. connected to an outfitter, a bakery, and a brewery right in the middle of Front Royal, VA! 

Two Plus Weeks Later

I took a few days to get home from the trail to allow some time to start the transition to off-trail life. Once home, I continued to give myself time to sort this all out. My biggest questions were what do I do now and does that include finishing the AT when it is re-opened? The first question is massive and I don’t have much progress on that one yet. But the second one proved much easier. I miss hiking. I miss being outdoors each day. I miss the very thing I most love about the trail – how life boils down to: how far am I going, where am I sleeping, and where is the water? I’ve done a few day hikes the last couple of weeks and these only further reinforced this. It’s a joy and a privilege to be outside and I have a trail to complete. My ideal plan, for now, is that sometime in the spring, I return to VA 55/Tucker Lane and start heading south toward Springer Mountain. I have a little less than a thousand miles to finish. I hope to see you down the trail!