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.