I must say that when we were awarded this beautiful picture (see Feature Photo) at the end of The Roller Coaster Section of the trail… I felt like A LONG HIKE INTO HARPERS FERRY, WEST VIRGINIA might not be as brutal as the section we had just completed.
We decided that this view was such a beautiful way to end our day, that we would just set up camp near this spot.
The day started by taking us down into the boggs and then back up (to stay up for several miles).
We woke up earlier than usual today because of A LONG HIKE INTO HARPERS FERRY, WEST VIRGINIA (5:45 am) and decided to NOT have coffee this morning (so as to save a little time). Big Mistake!!! We both were totally depleted of energy the entire morning (on some of the easiest terrain to date) and didn’t know why! We thought: lack of sleep and lack of coffee… but just didn’t know for surexample.
At 12:00 noon we had already hiked 10 miles and we were whipped! What to do? What to do?
Hike to Virginia 9 Highway… turn right (East)… walk 3/10 of a mile… order a Cheese Burger, Fries, Large Drink and an Ooey Gooey Cake (to restore some lost energy).
We take our food… walk to the back of the store… and eat lunch at the base of a shade tree (over looking a still pond). Add a Red Bull Energy Drink to the list and… BAM! Instant energy for A LONG HIKE INTO HARPERS FERRY, WEST VIRGINIA!
Is this sign a site for sore eyes, or what?
Or what!!!
Just before A LONG HIKE INTO HARPERS FERRY, WEST VIRGINIA was willing to let us descend into this historic town, it threw rocks at us one more time!
As we descended from A LONG HIKE INTO HARPERS FERRY, WEST VIRGINIA we could not only hear some major automobile noise… but we could see the rapids of the Shenandoah River! We are here! We are here! The designated 1/2 way point of this journey of a lifetime.
