Day 99
Start: Harper’s Ferry ATC
End: Dahlgren Campground
Miles Hiked: 17.9
Miles on AT: 1043.9
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Today was both a happy day and a sad day. On one hand, I was getting back on trail and starting the second half of my thru hike. On the other hand, it was time for me to say goodbye to Janitor. He was officially going home and I would no longer see him when I got into town.
I wanted to spend as much time with him as possible, so after I got all of my things together (and put on my new shoes), we walked to the ATC to donate some last minute items to the hiker box. Janitor was going to hike a couple of miles with me on the trail before leaving, but first we needed brunch.
We stopped at Battle Grounds Cafe, where I ordered a breakfast croissant to eat and a breakfast bagel to go. Janitor and I sat outside under the shade of an umbrella, watching the other tourists go about their day. We then made our way to the outfitter so I could fill my water bottles and we happened to run into two familiar faces. The Brothers!
I had hiked around the brothers earlier in VA, but had lost track of them. Turns out they were ending their hike here at Harper’s Ferry and were catching the train back home tomorrow. I was happy to run into them again, but sad to see them go.
Now, it was time for me to hit the trail. Janitor and I walked across the pedestrian bridge and along the river for a while. The time had come to say goodbye, and a long, tearful goodbye it was. The moment was filled with conflicting emotions; I was happy to hike my own hike, but sad that I had to do it without seeing Janitor every few days. I walked away from him with tears still escaping from my eyes, grateful that the flat riverwalk didn’t require too much concentration.
Despite my low spirits, I found something that brightened my day just a little bit – trail magic! The Rockville REI crew had come out to grill hamburgers and hot dogs for hikers and I was happy to sit down and eat. 3 hikers that I’d met in Shenandoah were also there. The food and company took my mind off of my sadness and proved to be a great start to my new journey.
After I left, the hike continued upward, where I had a great view of the city. Now in Maryland, I passed through places filled with Civil War history. It was fascinating to read about and imagine all of the battles that had been fought on those lands.
Eventually I made it to my campground for the night, which was complete with a real bathroom and shower. Luxury! Mosey, the hiker I’d met a few days before, was there as well as the 3 hikers from the trail magic, Newt, Polar, and Glass. There were also 6 other hikers around. It was a full house!
I had dinner and chatted with the other hikers for a while. The other group invited us to make s’mores over the fire, so that’s exactly what I did. They were going to be up for a while, but once it turned dark, it was time for me to turn in.
I indulged in a trail shower (there was actually hot water!), got into my pajamas and put myself to sleep.
And that’s day 99.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.