Day 100
Start: Dahlgren Campground
End: Raven Rock Shelter
Miles Hiked: 17.8
Miles on AT: 1061.7
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I woke up today with no urgency. I’d had a good night’s rest due to my handy-dandy ear plugs and I woke up feeling refreshed and ready for the day. I took my time getting ready; most of the other hikers left before me, save the crew that partied last night. It must’ve been around 8:30 am when I finally took off.
My goal for the day was to reach Pen-Mar and camp near the PA/MD State line, which would be a 23-mile day – pretty ambitious. I started out with high hopes, but quickly found myself slowing a little.
At Washington Monument State Park, I was sucked into the history of the place and sat at the first monument erected in Washington’s memory for a while. The trail leading up to the monument had signs with different key events on Washington’s life; it was pretty interesting! I chatted with my Aunt for a while, too, while I enjoyed the view.
As I continued on, more blackberries caught my eye. Delicious! And today, there were so many people out and about! I had never seen this many people on trail nor such a diverse group of day hikers. I guess being close to Washington, D.C. will do that.
As I continued on, I ran into a day hiker who was hanging out Sour Patch Kids and Pop Tarts to thru hikers. I gladly took the two Sour Patch Kids packs that I was given and continued on the trail, the sour-y sweetness fueling my hike.
The trail was very nice today; it was smooth and well graded. I find that when part of the trail is popular with day hikers, it tends to be very pleasant hiking. I took a stop at the popular Annapolis Rock Vista, where I filled up on water and took a lunch break. I had tried to get away from the day hikers and find a more secluded spot, but the spot was taken – by copperheads!
Thwarted, I resigned myself to munching alongside the masses. It was still a pleasant day; the sun shone and the skies were clear. I still had a while to go before my destination. As I continued on, my progress was further slowed by the dreaded rocks!
Someone said Maryland gave a slight preview of what Pennsylvania was like and I guess they were right. I couldn’t glide along the trail like I used to, I had to concentrate on where I was putting my every step, slowing me down even further.
Along the trail, I ran into Mosey again. She was taking a breather and was also feeling frustrated by the double whammy of rocks and heat. After chatting for a while, we parted ways and the rocks continued.
When I still had 8 or so miles left to my day, I knew I wasn’t going to make it to my destination. It was still early, so I could push if I was really desperate, but I just didn’t have it in me.
I got to the road crossing just before the ascent to Raven Rocks shelter and ordered a pizza. I needed some motivation to get me up that last climb, and pizza was the sure way to get it!
By 6:30, I was biting into my fresh slice of pizza and feeling rejuvenated! Doesn’t pizza make everything better? With 3 slices gone, I strapped the pizza box with the remaining slices to the top of my pack and finished my hike. I made it! And the shelter was gorgeous and empty.
Eventually, 2 other section hikers showed up. That’s where I learned about Trump’s assassination attempt. What a shock! This election season was getting crazier than I could’ve imagined.
Despite the insanity in the world, the sun remained true to its schedule and soon set. I crawled into my tent and drifted off to sleep, content with not making my mileage goal for the day.
And that’s day 100.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.