Friday Nighter on the Maryland AT this w eekend????

“a buddy from work and I are going to hit the AT this weekend in Maryland. It will be a Friday night trip. Friday night we'll hike shortish mileage to a shelter and then Saturday hike 10-13 miles. I have to look on the map for a plan, but I'd like to do the section from Penmar south.

Anyone interested?
last edited: 11/29/05 10:22:21 AM”

“ENS, where ya been? I checked out your blog yesterday and it seems you're a bit behind!

Got snow yet?”

“yeah, I do need to update the blog. I was thinking about that last night. I've been lazy with the blog.

No snow yet here in PA. It's friggin 70 degrees outside right now. It was warm yesterday too. We actually had a real light dusting over thanksgiving, but that melted away really fast.

Snow your way NC? Are you getting that blizzard? When are you coming east to do some backpacking?”

“Same deal here: snow over the Thanksgiving weekend then it all melted over the past few days. We're due for more here shortly but I don't think we're getting what South Dakota and Colorado just got. I did get some nice pics over the weekend of some snow and ice in Upper MI. They're in my Webshots.

I'm out of vacation until the first of the year, but I have FYAO on my upcoming list. Probably nothing out there until then.”

“I'll check those out NC.

-

From Penmar to Raven Rock Road looks to be about 5 miles. I wonder if there is a shelter within that section. Then it looks to be another 10 miles to US 40 and two miles further to Alt US 40. So I am guess from Alt US 40 to the PA/MD state line in Penmar is what I would like to do.”

“"ENS, where ya been? I checked out your blog yesterday and it seems you're a bit behind!"

Dude's got a BLOG??”

“Maybe I could join you Friday night but I must get back into the woodshop about 10:00 AM Saturday...........back to the grind.

I missed the last two Saturdays.”

“MarkO, where ya been? ENS got himself a blog!”

“I just got back from lunch.”

“See? Skip out for minute and look what you miss. That'll learn ya!”

“How does one go about finding this here BLOG??”

“This weekend is no good for me, ENS.

Blog?”

“http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/39992,-1.php


ENS, I'll be sending you my bill for advertising.”

“So much for taking some time off from hiking!! I knew you couldnt do it.
I would go, but my company X-mas party is on saturday.
Ps: I bought the sled at lunch. My first prototype will be out in a week. You building one or what ?”

“I can't go, but that's a pretty easy stretch of trail.

I think the first shelter from Penmar is about 4 miles in but if you start there you're liable to miss the second best view in the MD section on account of night.”

“Annapolis Rocks???”

“And here I was going to ask of you if you wanted to go out in Reading with me and my sister on Saturday night.”

“Where in Reading do you people keep going out? Do you carry a weapon at least?”

“I'll be up for going out in Reading Saturday night. I am only hiking friday night and Saturday morning and into the afternoon. I planned to go up to Reading Saturday night anyway. That sounds like some fun! Let's get Jeremy, Youngie and my sisters out too!

-

NG, Reading has some really cool spots to go drink. Ugly Oyster, Taproom. I like Reading.”

“crazypace, I can't help it. I think I have a problem. I can't resist hiking every weekend. Remember Heath? He said he wanted to go hiking this weekend and I said ok. lol

I may still use Pennsy's extra sled that I broke on my bushwhack manuever.”

“ENS - I might be able to do Friday night to Saturday morning. But I'll be splitting wood starting Saturday afternoon...”

“c'mon down TNT, haven't seen you in a while. Perhaps you can hike into the shelter with us and then hike back out the next day.”

“That's what I'm thinking, in and out.”

“I'm thinking about the Ugly Oyster. They have my beer there.”

“Ugly Oyster has much beer”

“Or so I have heard”

““c'mon down TNT, haven't seen you in a while. Perhaps you can hike into the shelter with us and then hike back out the next day.”
EarthNsky
4:26:16 PM

That's what I'm talkin' about!”

“it turns out that it's almost 9 miles from US 40 to the Ensign Cowall Shelter. That's a bit too far for a night hike Friday night.

The Pine Knob Shelter is .6 miles from from Rt 40. That's a little too short and would mean too far of a hike on Saturday. Back to the drawing board.”

“can't do anything this weekend... i have a test on saturday for a job i'm looking to get.”

“ENS, have you been to the twin shelters at Tumbling Run in Pennsylvania.

There is also a nice campsite near there.

It's about .4 mile from parking.

What about camping Friday night and then some day hiking Saturday?

I would have to boogaloo first thing in the morning anyway to get to the shop by 10:00 AM.
last edited: 11/30/05 7:13:00 AM”

“I'm going to go to EMS tonight and check out the PATC guide for MD. I am thinking about exploring the Harpers Ferry area. there is a shelter that is a short hike in from the road near there. I think it is called the Ed Garvey Shelter.”

“Cool, just no long walk out for me.”

“I've done that area a few times. The Ed Garvey shelter is only a few years old so its in good condition. Only a short hike from Weaverton Cliffs (2 miles?), with a good place to drop your car not far off of 340, which would be just about perfect for MarkO and me. Its about a mile or so up to the cliffs, so maybe 3 miles in from 340 total.

You can leave your car at Gathland State Park for a short hike Saturday, or just after Dahlgren Backpacker's campground (at the Old South Mountain Inn; call for permission), or Washington Monument Park for a long hike out. The later is somewhere between 10 and 18 miles from Ed Garvey, I need my map to find the exact mileage, I just know its 18 miles to Pine Knob Shelter which is after Wash. Monument.

Warning, the spring for Ed Garvey is a 45-minute round-trip, 1/2 mile down then 1/2 mile back up - steep. Not fun when you are toting a gallon of water for camp. If you can pack it in instead, I recommend it.
last edited: 11/30/05 12:22:58 PM”

“I would like to be home by 9:00 AM Saturday.

The drive home will take an hour.......hmmmmmmm

I would have to be up and on the trail at the crack of dawn.

Three miles in the dark......UP Weaverton Cliffs???”

“from what I understand, the weaverton cliffs are the opposite direction from 340 than the shlter, but a short hike. That is one of the places we want to explore.”

“here is what I am hoping to do (thanks Jackstraw), but I have to run it by my friend Heath first. The entire hike is 18+ miles, so he and I will have to book it on Saturday if he is up for it.

Start at Alt 40 and hike south to the Rocky Run Shelter. It's a 2 mile hike to the shelter from Alt 40. That can be camp for Friday night. Saturday, get up mucho early and hike south to the AT headquarters in Harpers Ferry, WV. Looking at the trail profile, looks like pretty much a cakewalk, except for a semi steep climb out of the shelter.

Mark, if you have off on Friday and want to get a longer hike in, perhaps you could park at Gatherland SP and hike 5 miles into the shelter and maybe TNT and get a shuttle from Alt 40 Saturday morning.

Anyway, it'll be a fun time and since it's only a 2 mile hike into the shelter, maybe we can have beer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“hey Jackstraw, not trying to twist yer arm or anything ;) , but I hope you get to come a wid'us!”

“when I say mucho early, I mean 7am.”

“ENS, when you coming south again?”

“You're killing me! I want to go, but I've got three dogs that haven't left my side since I came home Sunday night so I'm gonna have to pass.”

“ahhhh bring em with! :) I'll even feed them my spare handwarmers. :)
last edited: 11/30/05 7:53:15 PM”

“hopefully soon PJbarr! Hopefully soon. I may look into a hike down south in the winter. We shall see.”

“Thr brown dog is too stupid and the big dog is too lame. The black dog would do just fine, but the others would be mighty pissed off when we got back.”

“they'll get over it.”

“If I go I would probably deadhead back two miles and split.”

“MarkO, you should go! I have your coat. You could hike in your guitar and irish whisky!”

“Ok, so you'll be at Rocky Run Friday night. Old shelter, but decently maintained. Watch your forehead when you sit up in the morning or you'll have a bruise. Secluded, sort of in a bowl. (Better than Pine Knob where you hear I-70 all night and a drag racing strip all evening.)

I might get there too early to just do 2 miles in so I may start from somewhere else. Won't know until I study my map tonight. Then again, I'm fighting a bad cold right now and may not be up to anything more than 2 miles. We'll see. Still an off-chance I won't show, but doubtful. I really need some tent time.”

“OMFG, Tech so do I!!!!!!”

“The temperatures should be in the twenties Friday night.

Beer would be fine, but it may be a bit cold for a stringed instrument!!

We do have a Martin Backpacker, but I sure as hell ain't humpin' no jumbo four miles!!!”

“So, you thinking about coming down, BackSlacker?”