Harpers Ferry is the traditional halfway point of the trail. The true halfway point is a little under 70 miles north of here at Pine Grove, PA (but what’s 70 miles?—a crap load of walking!). This is a National Historic Park. What does that mean? There are a lot of old buildings about to fall down that can’t be touched. Harpers Ferry used to be a major manufacturing city (pre Civil War) and was a battleground during the war.
It is a cute little town at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. The biggest differences between here and Cairo, IL is that HF is close to several metropolitan areas, sits on a bluff, and people actually want to live and visit here. Cairo just sits at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and Illinois is just waiting for the big one (flood or earthquake, it doesn’t matter) to wash it away to Alabama so it can be forgotten.
Everyone is well aware of our town chores by now, and we did all the usual things you might expect. We had a few shipments meet us here, and one that didn’t. I got a replacement sleeping pad from Big Agnes (I’m still not happy with their products, but they are trying). Bunny was supposed to get a new pair of boots from Merrell but the P.O. was less than helpful in tracking it down. Bottom line, we are done with FedEx as a shipper (they have lied about deliveries twice to us; there’s not going to be an opportunity for a third time). We will also not be using general delivery to POs any longer.
Food is a major town event. We did spend an afternoon down in the historic district eating our way through the town. We had planned to spend an entire day down there, but Merrell and the Post Office saw to it that we wouldn’t have as much free time as we had planned (but I digress—screw the HF post office).
We did go through all the hikers registrations for this year. Bunny and I were 571 & 572. Stickers and Lady Bug cane through just 5 days in front of us and are around 462 & 463. Because of when we started and our speed, we know people as far back as 9. The majority of people we spent the most time with are between 5 and 12 days ahead. Perhaps the 23 zero days we have taken are playing into our speed.
The most amazing thing happened to us last night on the way back from supper; we ran into a group of hikers we knew that were just getting into town. We were pretty sure everyone was ahead of us and we were going to have to associate with the weedlings from here on out. Big Bunny, Caboose, Autumn, and Sherpa started in late February and are taking their time. They’ve bought matching shirts and now call themselves the “Cactus Crew.”
We also saw Pilgrim (now the Good Pilgrim because another Pilgrim has been causing some problems). Murphy is still in Shenandoah and he should get here any time. He took a little over a week off to go camping. We last saw these guys at Stanimals in Waynesboro. It’s hard to remember, but that was in the last state we were in.
When walking around town and eating, we are not recognized as thru-hikers. One waiter even questioned me when I told him. “How come you don’t smell?” We have a secret, we bathe regularly. I even shave. Add in the fact that we both still have fat on our bodies and it throws most people. The only convincing sign (badge, if you will) is that I show them Bunny’s legs. When they hear her talk, it is clear that she’s not French, so we get credited as being thru-hikers.
I’ve had to break down and throw in a few more hygiene quidlines. Every 1000 miles, I will trim my nose and ear hairs whether they need it or not. My pulling them out one by one as I’m hiking is not stemming the tide. When you can braid them, it’s time to cut them.
Most of my rashes and bug bites are almost healed. My feet don’t hurt. I’ve got nothing but short hair on my head (except for one long ear hair that I’m keeping because it’s obviously OE from my childhood. When I step on it and accidentally pull it out, only then will it be gone). Bunny is feeling pretty good except for her hips which will be a problem until we get them replaced when she qualifies for Medicare (or we visit India, whichever happens first).
The trail is open again. It reopened the afternoon we got into town. Rain is coming again this weekend, so that gives us incentive to cross the river while we can. We’ve been assured that the rains won’t be big enough to close the trail again, but why risk it.
We got in touch with Mizman and he is going to be doing some obscure flip flop so we will probably see him in NY to CT. Still no word from Gnome (other than he got to see a bear). Patches has not made her trail presence known. She might still do the entire trail nobo when she comes back. Postcard is done with her hike; she summitted Katahdin three weeks ago. Bunny and I are playing trail cleanup. Last ones up Katahdin turn out the lights.
EFG
John Brown and his crew raided the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry in attempt to spark a slave insurrection in maybe 1858-59? Federal troops commanded by Robert E Lee captured Brown and his surviving followers. Brown was hanged for treason against a state. Believing that the North was encouraging the slaves to rise up and murder them in their beds, southerners began to form militias leading to the birth of the Confederate Army. Harper’s Ferry was originally in Virginia until the counties broke away to form West Virginia during the war.
Congratulations on your 1000 mile accomplishment!
All I knew about John Brown was he had a baby with a cold upon his chest