APPALACHIAN TRAIL

THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

I decided it would be pretty cool to hike part of the great Appalachian Trail while I'm in this part of the world. We are staying 3 days in old town Harpers Ferry and the trail runs right through here!

I found great reviews on a trail from Cramtons Gap to Harpers Ferry. Needing a good map, I opted to download EveryTrail Pro on my iPhone and buy their trail guide for this particular piece of the AT. It worked great! It was half the price of the Map the Visitors Center wanted to sell me!

Cramtons Gap is located off of Gapland Road in Gathland State Park near Burkittsville, Maryland. The trailhead is about 10 miles away. We found it with ease, thanks to the GPS! The 9.9 mile trail turned out to be 11 and I finished in a little over 6 hours. That included about an hour's worth of breaks.

The trail started out on a tree covered ridge for about 4 miles. There were no leaves on the bare trees, nor was there water to refill bottles. I carried two quarts....should have carried 3.

Debby dropped me off and I hit the trail, south to Harpers Ferry. I was almost a mile up the trail when I noticed nearly a dozen huge Buzzards circling above me. One had lit in the top of an old snag and was looking down at me. Not liking what I saw and imagining what COULD happen, I pulled myself up off the trail, brushed the dirt off the back of my neck and resumed hiking! The Buzzards continued to circle above me for quite some time! I HAD to keep hiking!

On the ridge I came upon a very nice shelter and a couple of outhouses. Looked like a great camping spot. I didn't have my camping gear so I moved on.

There were a few mediocre viewpoints along the ridge that looked over into some farmer's fields...nothing special that I could tell. Besides, if this was summertime and the green leaves covered the trees, you wouldn't be able to see anything!

As the trail began to descend down towards the river, a vista opened up providing great views of the Shenandoah River, the Potomac River and Harpers Ferry. I sat down for a good half hour and enjoyed the outcropping and view. Winged shadows began to move past me along the ground. I looked up and the Buzzard patrol had found me! I picked up and began descending the trail. It wasn't until the 3rd or 4th switchback that the Codger hungry carnivores decided to turn back!

The 3 to 4 mile walk along the Potomac River on my left and the old Canal on my right was uneventful. I saw a few Snapping Turtles sitting on small logs in the green water, sunning themselves.

I heard a big Goose land off to my left side but I couldn't see him for the brush. I spied a dozen Egrets or Cormorants or whatever they were out in the Potomac, standing on rocks. The river is wide; lots of rocks in the water. It's very scenic!

The end of the trail crosses the Potomac River where it runs into the Shannandoah River, alongside the railroad bridge, and ends up in Harpers Ferry near the old train depot. Once there I called my Honey to come pick me up and take me home.

She did.