The Appalachian Trail - Weverton to Harper's Ferry

I am going to open this post by admitting that this was a difficult hike for me.  The ground is not what I like when hiking.  Instead of trail, with variance, rocks, heights, etc, you would up walking 3ish miles each way on hard packed loose stoned ground where the trail and the C&O are one and the same.  I don't enjoy that kind of trail - it leaves my shins feeling pained and my body fatigued.  The more natural cadence of forgiving ground, complete with roots and boulders and all, is far more hiking friendly, in my opinion.

Because I got so exhausted by the end, from the monotony of the ground type mostly, my  opinion of the hike deteriorated GREATLY in the last mile.

That said, we chose a trailhead about 1 mile down a giant hill from the Harper's Ferry Hostel where Aaron (on the trail known as Rockfight) stayed during his trail journey of 2010.  There's a 1/2 mile lead-in to the C&O which is beautiful, actually, a mix of good views and interesting trail as it wends a thin loop just on a precipice above a feeder river to the Potomac.  Once we got to the parking lot of the C&0 at Weverton, we decided to walk the mile up the giant hill to the hostel, so I could see where Aaron had stayed.  It's charming, actually, and I'd recommend it highly based on the atmosphere.  It feels welcoming, friendly, as though you're a sanctioned club member, or something!  The caretaker of the hostel was inside, though it's not open until April 15, doing laundry and maintenance.  She let us in, and I was very impressed.  It had the feel of a bed and breakfast.

We sat on the deck and had lunch, admiring the Potomac below.  We decided to take the blue-blazed trail down to the C&O, which was difficult and really delightful - with one exception.  (In my eyes) there was a downed power line which had been cut!   Aaron ASSURED me that there was NO power in it (in fact, it was not power line at all, just a cable that LOOKED like a power line.)   I started looking for a way around it, and spotted a path which would've been frankly stupid, and he coaxed me over the "power line."  We were fine.

So we made it over to the C&O and walked to Harper's Ferry.  The winter views of the Potomac were, in fact, stunning.  I wouldn't recommend anyone do this in the summer.  The growth will cover the river, block the breeze, and there is a ton of stagnant water that will breed any number of bugs.  But in the winter, this was really beautiful.

Harper's Ferry itself was also equally beautiful.  A coffee shop there had excellent coffee and?  Gluten free coffee cake!  Heaven!  We bought some to save for the post-hike starvation on the way home.  The town itself is a blend - museum, kitschy little "recreated" taverns, gorgeous old architecture, historical sites and views.  Oh, the views.  Old bridge trestles dot the Potomac here, with trees growing on top of them, and Jefferson Rock is all he boasted it to be.  The confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac is simply stunning.  Even on this cold, cold day it was full of people, and many distance hikers (possibly training).  Everyone was friendly and it was honestly a beautiful hour we spent meandering about, inspecting this and that.

We decided to head back.  I really wanted to be home by 5:30 - I wanted to make dinner, and pick up a bit!  And...!  And all kinds of things!

So we are walking.  And walking.  Around the sixth mile, pain set in.  It sort of crept over my body, the kudzu-like pace increasing as my pace increased.  So we slowed, had some trail mix, slowed.  I honestly hurt so much I was prepared to just stop there, wrap in sleeping bags, and whine.  Like the British, I "carried on" though, and heaved myself back to the lovely soft trail that wound its way back up to the parking lot.  Even the stubby little dog we passed seemed tired of it by the time we passed them again.  (Or, you know, they passed us on the way back to their car.  Because yes, we were passed by stubby dogs.  I was moving slow!)

The soft trail rejuvenated me a bit, and my pains ebbed.  I began to imagine feeling it subside completely, I counted the falls of my hiking poles and feet among the soft and the rock.  It was with relief we made it back to the car.

And now,  I will eat my Chipotle and revel in the softness of my couch, the fluffiness of my cats, and the warmth of blankets and butterfly pajama pants. My next path will not be as unyielding as the C&O. 

Time spent on trail:  4 hours 15 minutes.
Difficulty:  Without the detour to the hostel, easy but tiring - the firmness of the road is not good for long distances.
Bonuses:  The winter views of the Potomac, the charming hostel, the gluten free coffee cake, the thousand steps leading to Jefferson Rock.
View:  Winter superb, I would imagine summer it would be gorgeous in Harper's Ferry, but not so much on the C&O.
Kid friendly:  Park much closer to Harper's Ferry than we did and it would be an amazing place to take children.  They, however, will not enjoy the long walk with so much monotony.

Donaldson Run and the Potomac Heritage Trail

Sunday was a very busy day.  I teach sixth grade religious school, and we had a mock wedding in which we married off two couples from each class.  It was hectic and a bit scattered, being a new event for the sixth grade teaching team.  Despite being crazy busy, it came off beautifully and we got everything done.  The upshot was about 8000 steps in patent red leather kitten heels before I even headed out to the trail.   When Aaron brought my high-protein lunch and my hiking clothes I looked at them - the obstacle standing between me and my couch and my fluffy cat and some nice coffee.   Still, it would be better to walk ouside, I knew that, and my hips would thank me for the natural rhythm of foot to giving ground. 

"All right.  2 - 3 miles though, I want to be home by 5 to make dinner."

Aaron agreed and we set off.  He said we'd be starting near Potomac Overlook Regional Park, which really was lovely, and so I was glad to be going.  We headed down the trail and he said we'd be practicing crossing streams, as Donaldson Run crosses over this little river feeding into the potomac about 12 times, keeping the trail just along the river.

We get to a steep down - not quite a cliff, but down about 120 feet, that leads right to the bank of the potomac river.  Now, readers, I am not a small girl.  I'm not as rugged as I'd like to be.  I was a bit anxious, because a false move and I would've gone face first far enough to break SOMETHING.  But down we went, and I was glad we did. 

The view of the potomac was beautiful.  The sky was grey, and birds of prey were gliding overhead, swooping to grab fish from the river itself.  Their talons left trails along the glassy surface.  Greening hasn't happened here in DC yet, and in fact, it's quite snowy this morning, so the air smacked of winter and fire.   We sat a bit and had some trail mix, some water, and just enjoyed the serenity.  No traffic could be heard, and I was watching two people on the Maryland side across from us fishing in silence.

Then I looked back up.  No.  No - I was not at all interested in climbing back up.  "Aaron, if we walk further away surely we'll come to a different place to get back to the road and then go find our car."  He agreed, yes.  This was the Potomac Heritage Trail, and there are many ways to get back to the road.  We set towards Chain Bridge.

They use the term "trail" quite loosely.  This was the Potomac Heritage Boulder Scramble.  For half a mile, we traversed over very rocky terrain, at times having to throw our poles over the next boulder because we knew we'd need both hands to get up and across.  (I say we.  Aaron's hiked the Appalachian Tral.  He was fine.  When I incriminate him in the scramble-picking, I'm really just talking about ME here.)

We come to a green blaze side by side with a blue blaze.  This!  This will be our way back out of the river area! 

This turns out to be a nearly 200 foot cliff.

Fine.  We've just gone over half a mile of Bouldertown.  It can't be THAT bad.

At one point, I grasped the iron railing, which was a remnant of old days and not actually stable anymore, and swung my butt off to the left to shimmy around a crag and find footing on the far side. 

It was then I felt nearly immortal.

Once we climbed up and up and up and up, we got to the road and walked 3/4 mile back to our car.  It amazed me how much better trail feels under your feet, even when rocky, than ungiving pavement.  Aaron was true to his word, it was 3 miles on the trail.  And yes, we were home near 5.

All in all, an amazing afternoon.

Time spent on trail: 2 hours on the nose.
Difficulty: Difficult for inexperienced hikers, moderately difficult for experienced (Aaron said it was about the hardest thing you'd find each week on the Appalachian Trail.)
Bonuses:  You will feel like you can kick death in the shins afterwards.
View:  Amazing views of the potomac - you're practically in it.
Kid friendly:  If your kids are experienced hikers, it'd be very fun for them.  If they are not hikers, Donaldson Run itself is kid friendly, and fun to cross stream after stream, but don't go down to the river.

Potomac Overlook Regional Park

With Tara and Anna and Julia and Aaron, we needed a place to spend a warm spring day.  The zoo is right out - there's no parking there and it's not good when you only have a couple of hours to spend - certainly it takes over an hour to get to the zoo!  Aaron knew just the place.  He started his journey along the Appalachian Trail from this park just a couple of years ago.

The picnic and playground facilities were nice, and then we headed out to hike.  It would be an easy hike, not much climb, and it would get us out of the house.  The girls and I were varying forms of feeling under the weather, but fresh air does a body good.

We headed down the trail and it was very peaceful.  Sure, there were people there, but it certainly wasn't crawling with people, and had a variety of delightful dogs available for petting and visiting.  The overlook itself is a joke.  Do not go to this park if you want to ooh and aah at the Potomac River.  There are many other places to do that - this has virtually no view of the river.  Don't let that deter you from coming here if you want to enjoy a nice family hike, however!

The nature center is something to behold.  The girls loved the park, more than they even wanted to go to the zoo.  A pond of frogs charms near the community garden, and the nature center building itself is wonderful.  Hands-on exhibits delight children of all ages, and a display of various live snakes manages to be educational and smart and not at all frightening, even for a snake-o-phobe like me.  There is an ampitheater, there are trails that wend through an Indian Circle Garden, and there are so many things to explore.  Small explorers will find hours and hours of things to look at.

If you get tired, there's a service road that's a quick hike back, though you can wend your way on trails for just over 2 miles.

Time spent on trail:  Hard to say.  Overall we spent 3 hours in the park, but much was ooh-ing and aah-ing at things.
Difficulty:  Easy.  There's some uphill climb, but nothing challenging.
Bonuses:  The nature center is delightful, wildlife abundant.
View:  Beautiful trees and light and colors.
Kid friendly:  BRING YOUR CHILDREN HERE.  Do it.  You won't regret it.

Eleanor Lawrence Park, Northern Virginia

Aaron and I went home from work and had a quick snack.  I insisted that we eat standing up - I knew that if I sat down, it would be far too easy to be distracted by any number of stationary objects.  Furry cats, compelling computer games, things demanding reading... no, we had to eat standing up and get our hiking shoes on immediately.

I didn't actually bother changing out of my work clothes.  I wound up hiking in my hiking shoes, pinstripe pants and a light sweater I wore all day.  We grabbed bottles of water and set out.

The hike itself was 3.4 miles, a figure 8 that looped through thick wooded land.  It amazes me to find swaths of forest where you can imagine that you don't hear the constant drone of traffic, and you can really picture yourself on the trail, nestled in Northern Virginia, but they do exist.   We set a brisk pace and climbed the steep first, heading down the gentle slope.  I like to get up out of the way all at once if possible, as opposed to gradually, more because I find going down more difficult.  It's the challenge of hiking with one eye - distances are very deceptive.

I think my favorite part of the hike was the stream with the stepping stones through it.  They were wide spaced, able to leap from stone to stone, but right next to a bridge - the option was there either way.  Also beautiful, a tree with initials carved in it - not just two, but the whole tree as far as arms can reach, lightly etched.  It would not have been beautiful had they been all over, but as far as we could see, there were just two trees that were so inscribed.  Some of the initials have been there for decades - you can see by the fading and the slight growth around them, the stretching as they grew.  There were also random spots of bright green, new growth of daffodil and moss, primarily, which were a welcome spring-heralding sight.

We found the south loop only took us about 35 minutes, so we continued on our way.  The problem with hiking after work is balancing the need to make dinner with the need to get out and about.  Evening hikes need to be 2 hours at the very max, and that's if work gets out a bit early.  Well, at least until summer anyway.  Once that light is up until 9, the hiking possibilities open up widely.

Time spent on the trail:  65 minutes
Difficulty:  Easy - even for someone a bit out of shape
Bonuses:  Many benches for resting, taking photos, picnicking
View:  No overlooks, but many trees - at this time of year it is very grey-brown and tired
Kid friendly:  Absolutely