Back on Trail!

Today marked my official return to the trail. I walked about 12 miles and although my legs were a bit weaker than when I exited the Smokies, it felt great to be back.

It was raining when I set out, but it wasn’t a hard rain and it was warm outside. I didn’t even bother with a rain jacket.

The hike out of Harpers Ferry is a steep climb, but nothing extreme. Most of the day was spent going up and down rolling hills and with all of the trees budding or already in full leaf, it was beautiful. The rain ended shortly after I began my day and with exception of another little splash of rain in the afternoon, was warm and pleasant.

No real wildlife to report, squirrels (very chubby dudes out here!) and birds including a raptor or some sort who disemboweled one of said squirrels in front of me while I was writing the opening paragraph of this post. Yeah… special moment. Thanks bird.

I started my hike by crossing the Shenandoah River before heading into the mountains. Tonight I’ll spend the night in a cabin at the Blackburn Trail Center – a cool place just off trail in Virginia (one of the prettiest places I’ve ever hiked btw) where they have beautiful tent pads a small cabin and lots of picnic areas. It’s run by the Potomac Appalachian Club and is an amazing resource for everyone out on this trail.

I guess that’s it for today. I’ll attach as many photos as my signal will allow.

Peace. Love. Hiking. – Elfmeister