Front Royal rest day

Raw wind, gusts to 30mph, rain then fat snow flakes sticking to the ground. Easy call to stay right here and drink tea and snack all day long. After a delicious breakfast Lisa gives us the tour of the main house, built in the 1840's, being slowly renovated but far from habitable. Note the brick columns. Their 5 year plan seems optimistic given its current condition. But this is their dream, to have a B&B and hiker hostel just 100 yards from the AT. They live and work near DC, but when guests are here one of them has to stay with them in the "cabbin" hostel (as spelled in the diary of the teenage daughter who watched Yankee troops march by and who helped keep them from stealing food). This small hostel was a originally a log structure,  dating perhaps to the 1780's and probably a slave cabin, then bricked in the 1920's and now thoroughly renovated. And cosy and warm!

Front Royal

11 damp miles, mist and drizzle, yet lots of people out, including several groups of Koreans out day hiking. We have an early lunch at a shelter with a trio, and get to taste the pretty Easter pastel pastry stuffed with bean curd, plus tea. John has done some section hiking, even has trail name of Single Wok, and understands trail etiquette (feed a thru hiker).
We're staying at a brand new hiker hostel, run by Lisa and Scott--he thru hiked with their son in 2012. We are guests number 3 and 4, definitely beta. Lisa can't do enough for us, shuttling us to town for groceries and dropping us off for dinner. We end up at the Knotty Pine lounge, which according to the owner Beth was called by Jimmy Dean a long time ago on the Tonight Show the toughest bar he'd ever been in. A little nicer now, good juke box and cheap pitchers of beer.

Manassas Gap shelter

Light rain off and on this morning, then warming with some sunshine this afternoon. 13 miles, wearing shorts part of the time. Various sore body parts but no real complaints. Even our feet aren't too bad. We'll be in Front Royal tomorrow night.

Beth and Janet arrive at dusk, members of a Richmond hiking club, out for 4 days. Inquisitive but very pleasant company. At dark a Boy Scout group shows up, but they tent back up the trail.

Rod Hollow shelter

Another cold day, sun and wind, lots of snow still on the ground. 10 miles of ups and downs, steep and slippery. Some melting this afternoon, and muddy down at this shelter. Very nice, piped spring, covered cook area. Experimenting with dumplings tonight, a favorite in 1982.

Bears Den Hostel

Comfortable night in cabin, but cold NW wind blowing. After oatmeal and tea, we climb back up to ridge and hike through 4 inches of drifting snow. First few hours of walking not difficult, but then we start the 20 mile section known as the  "Rollercoaster" for its pitiless ups and downs. Quick lunch at view in photo, but too cold and blustery to linger. Eventually cross Snickers Gap (busy highway), then up to Bears Den and the hostel. Only 8 miles today. Hot shower, hot chocolate, and sore legs.

Blackburn Trail Center

We left Harpers Ferry around 8am, snow flurries just starting. More than 3 inches have fallen, so we are staying here in a small cabin with wood stove, along with 3 other hikers. Also part of this nice place is a lodge with full kitchen, and the youth group staying let us cook an early dinner.
Quite comfortable after 12.5 miles. We also encountered our first thru hiker, a young woman and her dog striding fast over the snow. She started Jan.1 in Georgia, said it had been all snow like today so far.

Jackson Inn, Wilmington DE

  I met up with my brother at the Jackson Inn, our "local" when in our hometown, located just down the road from the cemetery our parents are buried. Rodney sometimes stays here with his long time friend Fred Bourdon, as have I twice now. While at the bar two nights ago I met a friend of Fred's, a fellow photographer named Peter B. Kaplan. He used to work for Life magazine, specializing in high places. He gave me his card -- a postcard of his "Moon over Manhattan" shot on top of one of the World Trade Center buildings at 1,600 feet showing ironworkers installing the antenna in 1970. He pointed out that the guy mooning eventually died from illnesses incurred from helping with the recovery work at Ground Zero.

We are now in Frederick MD, staying with old friends Bruce and Mary Beth Fleming, and will get a ride to Harpers Ferry tomorrow, weather permitting (snow in the forecast)