It sucked to have to end our hike 3 weeks early, but there was no way that I could continue with the problems that I was having.
After we got home from Front Royal I scheduled a series of doctor’s appointments and tests. Started with my GP, which led to a Cardiologist and a Pulmonologist.
The Cardiologist did a nuclear stress test which showed something…maybe. Given that he told me avoid any strenuous exercise until we figure this out. That led to a CT angiogram, which came back clean. Nice to know that I have no cardio issues at my age.
That still leaves the mystery of why I have been struggling so much.
I met with a pulmonologist and he put me on multiple meds including a rescue inhaler. It turns out I have developed a mild case of asthma in my old age. Couple that with seasonal allergies and that seems like the root of my issues.
Thursday, May 1, 2025. Up at 6:50. Partly sunny and 58 degrees going up to 83.
Slept very well. Hoping for a good hiking day with minimal body issues. Other than some chaffing that I need to get under control before it ruins this hike.
On trail at 8:10.
Stopped for water and a pack adjustment by VA 55 at Manassas Gap. We are 2.3 miles and 1 hour in so far. Got a big hill to climb for the next 1.2 miles.
Bridge at Manassas GapCrossing under VA Route 55
Stopped for a break and water at the Denton Shelter at 11.20. Finished 5.5 miles and have 4.9 to go.
Jim & Molly Denton Shelter
Ran across some lovely trail magic about .8 miles from our destination. Sodas, healthy beverages, fruit, etc. much appreciated!
Self-service trail magic near Front Royal, VA
Arrived at Mountain Home at 2:50. We were greeted by the lovely owners Lisa and Scott. Lisa gave us a tour of the house which dated from 1846. Very nice B&B with a hiker bunk room as well.
Ed at entrance to Mountain Home B&B, Front Royal
Ed and I got a private room. Foosball table included.
The game room at Mountain Home B&B, Front Royal
We grabbed a shower then got a ride into town for a nice meal and drinks. Back to the hostel and a good nights sleep.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025. Up at 6:40. Partly sunny and 60 degrees going up to 80.
Hips and glutes hurt from my pack. Will try letting it sit lower on my hips today.
Thunderstorms last night from 1:30 to 3:30. Not too bad. Rain fly is wet but all else is dry.
On trail at 8:25.
Humid this morning. Stopped to filter water and have a snack at 10:20 and 3.6 miles in. Had to use the leaf trick to make a spout for the water. Next water is about 5.5 miles.
Using a leaf to get water
Stopped at noon to dry out tents from last nights rain. We have 5.5 miles in and 7.6 to go.
Drying our gear at Sky Meadows, VA
Today was a hard day. Last 4 miles killed me. I don’t know what is wrong. I did not feel this bad at the beginning of my thru-hike last year. Having trouble catching my breath and my heart feels like it is going to beat out of my chest.
Ed and I discussed things, and we are going to call this hike tomorrow in Front Royal. I am upset about cutting a 3+ week trip down to 5 days, but I can’t physically do this.
Tuesday, April 29, 2025. Up at 7:30. Partly sunny and 55 degrees, going up to 84.
Got moving slow today. Short day, so I’m in no hurry. On trail at 9:20.
Really tough morning. Ups and downs. I’m out of shape, in case I had not previously mentioned that. Stopping very frequently on the uphills.
Ed could not find his hearing aids. Fairly certain he packed them up in his tent. Not knowing bothered him so much that he stopped and unpacked everything until he found them.
We passed the 1,000-mile mark for Springer Mountain.
Ed at the old 1000 mile marker in Virginia
Stopped to filter water and take a break at noon and 3.8 miles in.
Bridge south of Virginia Rollercoaster
Ed somehow triggered his emergency alert on his Garmin watch while getting water. He had to call his son to let him know all was well and texted Lisa that it was an error.
We exited the southern end of the Roller Coaster at 3:20.
Exiting the Virginia Rollercoaster
We made it to Rod Hollow shelter at 3:45. We talked to a section hiker our age from St. Louis for quite a while. He is doing the trail in one-month sections over a few years. I love his approach. He parks his car with all his spare gear and resupply at a secure place like a hostel or a formal campground. Then gets a shuttle to trail about 5-6 days away and hikes back to his car. Rinse, repeat. Really good guy. He is doing the exact same section as us, so we should see a lot more of him over the next 2 weeks.
Lots of NOBO thru-hikers rolled in around 5:30. About 10 of them. Sort of a mini bubble. They started in the Feb timeframe. Chatted with them a bit. Funny how they kind of ignored the three old guys until they found out I thru-hiked last year. Then they were much more engaging.
Crawled into the tent about 7:00. Not tired but not really my scene at the picnic table with all the youngsters. Worked on blogs and talked to Dana.
Slowly getting used to tent life again.
Resting in tent at Rod Hollow Shelter
As I mentioned, I’m moving very slowly on the steep uphills. I know it’s only day 3, but I know I was doing better at this point last year. We only did 1.3 miles per hour today. I’m not loving my new pack. I’m having some back issues and hip issues. I need to try some changes to the pack setup over the next few days. It just might not be right for my body. I’m also carrying too much weight. We will see how it goes.
Day 3 Map – Sam Moore Shelter to Rod Hollow Shelter
Monday, April 28, 2025. Up at 7:10. Sunny and 45 degrees going up to the mid-70s.
On trail at 8:20. We have 11.4 miles to go with a few side trips. The hike UP to the trail from Blackburn is .3 miles very much uphill. Gets the blood flowing.
We entered the northern part of the Virginia Roller Coaster at 10:10. I love this area for day hikes, but hate it with a 34lb load.
Entering the Virginia Rollercoaster
We crossed from West Virginia into Virginia fairly early in the day. We stopped at Raven Rocks, Virginia, at 10:55 for a break. Awesome views and perfect weather.
Ed at Raven Rocks, VA
Crossing Rt 7 is always a challenge. Four lanes of traffic to play Frogger with. Not too much traffic crossing Rt 7 today as we were nowhere near rush hour. Unlike when Overkill and I crossed last July.
Ed at Raven Rocks, VA
Got to Bears Den at 1:40. Stopped for snack, water, and a long break.
Bear’s Den hiking centerChuck at Bear’s Den cliff
The last 1 mile into camp SUCKED. Steep uphill and my hips and thighs are yelling at me. I am more out of shape than I thought. Had to stop about 10 times on this last ascent. We made it to Sam Moore Shelter at 4:40.
Took an annoying fall right before camp. More embarrassing than anything else.
We got camp set up by 5:15. Ed on the left and me on the right.
Camp at Sam Moore Shelter
The one thing I forgot to do before leaving home was to test my water filter. It had zero flow initially. I got it to work marginally. Poor throughput. I’ll try to get another in Front Royal in 3 days.
Ed and I made dinner about 6:30. Had a good conversation with a young man doing a flip-flop starting from Waynesboro last week. Trail name is Strider.
Got my food hung and crawled into my tent and in bed at 7:20. Worked on blog and notes. Talked to Dana. Read until 9:30.
Day 2 Map – Blackburn Trail Center to Sam Moore Shelter
Sunday, April 27, 2025. Sunny, low 46, going up to 70.
Up at 7:00. Had coffee with Ed at home and took care of a few chores. Drove to my favorite diner in Frederick. I got a big breakfast. Headed to Harper’s Ferry at 9:15. Said goodbye to Dana (aka Pitcrew) and hiked on the trail at 9:50.
Nice, cool, breezy day. First several miles is a good solid uphill climb. Took a mid-day break at 12:50 and mile 6 at Route 9 Keys Gap. Ed made a furry friend while we rested.
Ed and a friend at Key’s Gap, WV
Stopped at David Lesser shelter for a brief break at 2:35. Ed enjoyed the view and the big swing.
Ed on the swing at David Lesser shelter
We arrived at Blackburn Trail Center at 4:45. Nobody else here so far. Ed and I took one set of bunk beds in the hiker cabin for tonight.
Cabin at Blackburn Trail Center
Got our beds made up, hung up a clothesline to dry out our sweaty shirts and bandannas, and got nice, cold potable water from the well. Relaxed in the rocking chairs on the porch for a bit.
Blackburn Trail Center
We made dinner at 6:30. It was a little early, but it’s getting chilly. Met the caretaker and chatted for a bit. She also thru-hiked last year.
Headed to bed to read and stay warm at 8:30. Good first day on the trail.
Day 1 Map – Harpers Ferry to Blackburn Trail Center
It is almost time to leave home for a month. It has been a very busy last two weeks. I let a TON of household chores and repairs pile up since BEFORE my thru-hike started last year. I basically spent the last two weeks catching up on an 18 month backlog of chores as well as getting me, my gear, and the household ready for me to disappear for a month with Ed on the AT.
I am as ready as I can be. Physically, mentally, and logistically. I wish I had trained more, but nothing I can do about that at those point. The last thing I had to do was get this new blog ready for the trip. I will send the blog links out to people later this evening.
The weather looks good for our first 4 days on trail. We will hit some thunderstorms on day 5 as we get into Front Royal, VA. And it looks like we will get rained on the first day into Shenandoah. But the temperatures look good (mid 70s to low 80s). I was REALLY hoping for good weather on the first day. That first day is a mental challenge to begin with, and the last thing we needed is rain on top of everything else.
I am looking forward to this trip. Both the hike in general as well as catching up with Ed. We have not seen or talked to each other much in the past 25+ years even though we were very close in college as well as for the first few years after. Nothing bad, just life and all that.
I am curious to see if I embrace this hike the same way I did my thru-hike last year. Having a hiking partner will make this trip much more enjoyable and less stressful. I know that from past experience. I hope this goes well since, as Dana likes to remind me, my job in retirement is hiking! I also need to shake the post thru-hike blues that I have been having for the past many months.
I am very curious to see how much weight I drop on this one month trek. I am guessing / hoping for about 12 pounds. And I WILL NOT put it all back on after this trip!
Dana will drive Ed and me to Harpers Ferry in the morning. The plan is to stop at one of my favorite diners for a big breakfast and to be on trail by 9:30. We have either 10.5 or 12.1 miles to go tomorrow depending on how we are feeling. The first 3 miles are VERY uphill, but it chills out a bit after that. Unfortunately there is no water along the way unless we take a .4 mile road walk to a gas station convenience store around mile 6. I did that last year. Makes for a nice mid-day break for food and drink. Stay tuned to see how that goes !
One last thing to mention. I want to give a big shout out to Dana and Lisa for supporting me and Ed on this hike. We can’t do these long distance hikes without support from our partners and spouses. These trips can also be challenging for the loved ones we are leaving at home. Thanks very much ladies and we will see you again in late May!
Ed and I have been planning and prepping for our upcoming hike from Harper’s Ferry SOBO (south bound) to Roanoke for many months.
This is Ed’s first long distance hike since he hiked with his son at Philmont many years ago. I have been a bit lazy this past winter and did not get nearly as much hiking in as I normally do. I blame my lack of motivation on post thru-hiking depression. Yes, that is a real thing.
Assuming this hike goes well, Ed and I are planning to thru-hike the Colorado trail together in August and September of this year. Fingers crossed that we all do well both physically and mentally on the AT and that the Colorado Trail becomes a reality.
Both of us have been doing day hikes with our full packs for the past 2 months to try to get ready for our hike. Ed has been much better about this than me. I think I still have some decent lower body strength from my thru-hike last year, but I have not trained as well for this hike as I did for my thru-hike. Given that we are both old men (some of us are older than others), we are going to take our time and try to keep mileage to around 11 miles for the first 10 days, and then build up to roughly 15 mile days….with a few exceptions.
I am hiking with the exact same gear as I did on my AT thru-hike last year with two changes. First, I am not carrying the iPad mini (11 ounces) that I used to do all my blogging with last year and that I used as a book reader. I am going to try to do all my blogging and book reading on my iPhone. We will see how well that smaller screen works for me. Second, I have switched to an even bigger and heavier backpack than the Osprey Atmos 65 that I carried last year. That pack was pretty beat up after my thru-hike, plus I want to try a backpack that will let me carry a large bear can horizontally in the pack. I have switched to a Deuter Aircontact 65 + 10 backpack (5.16 lbs) for its volume and beefy suspension. This pack is about half a pound heavier than what I used last year. I originally planned to carry my Bear Vault BV500 on this hike since I will have to carry that in Colorado later this year. However, my lack or training got the better of me and I decided to not carry the extra 2.5lbs of weight on this trip. My poor back just was not up for it. Overall, 34.4 lbs including about 1lb of extra snacks. I should leave that extra pound behind, but what the hell.
Ed and I will be hiking through the NOBO AT bubble at some point. I was intentionally hiking behind the bubble last year. Very much so by the time I got to NH and ME in September. Hiking through the crowded bubble will be interesting. The number of thru-hikers is down quite a bit this year, but I still expect to deal with crowded camp sites at some point. We should run into the bubble between Shenandoah and Roanoke.
I am really looking forward to the week that we will be in Shenandoah National Park. Last year when I hiked through Shenandoah, it was over July 4. That meant it was VERY crowded with tourists and it was incredibly hot and humid. Upper 90s and insane humidity! Plus we were in the middle of a bad drought. This time, the high temperatures should be in the mid 70s to low 80s with “normal” humidity. Plus the kids are not out of school yet, so the tourist crowds should be minimal.
My partner Dana has been encouraging me to do this hike as well as the Colorado Trail or other long AT section hikes this year. She understands how un-motivated and generally “blah” I have been for the past several months since I finished my AT thru-hike in October. Thanks for all the encouragement and support sweet heart!
