Jack had done it again. He got me to commit to doing the Mountain Club of Maryland's (MCM) 40 mile hike across Maryland on the mountainous Appalachian Trail. I never felt a need to do this hike and after all we had already done the last hike when it was held two years ago. I'm naturally lazy and did not look forward to the numerous hot climbs and endless miles over a rocky uneven trail. But I am also proud and at 62 am strong and can do the 40 miles over a mountainous rocky trail.
May 5, 2001 Friday Drive to Blue Ridge Summit, PA
The day of reckoning had arrived. Anne and I had finished a 41 mile bike ride in the oppressive 90+ degree heat. As we finished dinner around 6:30 p.m. Ron Cully arrived. Ron is tall, lean, quiet and a gentlemanly 66 as of last August. He has been hiking with MCM for about a year. He is a strong hiker. Jack Bateman arrived at 6:50 p.m. in his son-in-law Marty's Chevy Suburban with daughter Jill. Marty and Jill are delightful young people and a real tribute to the younger generation. Jack is small and turned 70 last December.
We loaded our bags containing sleeping bag, sheet and pillow case, air mattress, water bottle, hip pack, 2 pair sock liners, 2 pair hiking socks, clean T-shirt and underwear into Marty's van. We were off by 7:00 p.m. heading north on MD32 to west on I70 to north on US15 to west on MD550 to the Blue Ridge Summit fire house just across the Pennsylvania line about 8:20 p.m..
We checked in with Paul Ives. Jack is number 6, Ron number 22 and I am number 84. Greeted several friends like Paul, Tom Evans and friend Sue from Connecticut, Sue Bailey and Tede Henderson. We said good bye to Marty and Jill then hustled across the road for chocolate and nut coated ice cream on a stick for $.89. Attended a 9:00 meeting for all participants. We decided to move our gear outside under a roof to sleep about 9:20. It was a good decision as we had more space with fewer people, no emergency lights in our eyes although there was plenty of ambient light and we had a nice cooling breeze on a very warm night. Despite a loud voice telling war stories and traffic noise I was asleep by 10:00 p.m..
May 5, 2001 Saturday Hike Penmar to Harpers Ferry 40 miles
I was under a sheet and slept pretty well even though I had to rotate my position several times. We were up about 3:50 am and packed up our gear. We left our bags in a pile by the door for transportation to Harpers Ferry. We had a quick breakfast of a bagel with cream cheese, oatmeal, orange juice and a banana. We had to wait for some time for everyone to eat. We then piled into Tom Evans' Acura coupe. A nice young woman named Mellany joined us with her husband in the car behind us. After an interminable time for the 142 registrant's number to be checked and accounted for we finally started to move towards Penmar about 2 miles distance.
We were dropped off on the road just over the railroad tracks about 5:40 am and we were on our way. We walked a short distance along the tracks then crossed them into Maryland and up a short incline past the Penmar Park Pavilion into the woods. It was dark but soon turned gray and then light.
We climbed a long but gentle hill then descended a bit. After about a mile we turned up the long, steep and rocky Quirauk Mountain with it's High Rock ascending over 500 feet. It was very warm with no air movement so I started sweating at the start of the hike. When I reached to top of High Rock I was soaking wet. I pulled away from Jack on the climb and passed Ron as he had separated from us before starting the climb. I stopped at the check point on the top at about 3.3 miles manned by Mike Jenkins, Ted and Fran Sanderson and petted the Sanderson's retriever as I waited. Ron passed and then Jack arrived and we headed south down the trail along the ridge. We passed the trail to the Devils Racecourse Shelter then descended sharply to MD491 and checkpoint #2 at about 6 miles.
We had some banana, orange wedges and drinks. A woman working the checkpoint recognized me and we talked a little about my web site. Jack and I were soon on our way as we crossed a stream and climbed up over Buzzard Knob descending to cross the dirt Warner Gap Road. Crossing a larger stream we hiked over another hill to cross MD77 at the 8 mile mark. The woods are beautiful with everything green and fresh, a profusion of countless flowers including mayflowers, violets, mountain azaleas and many others I can't remember or don't know the name for them. The air is scented with flowers, my favorite being something that smelled like strawberries.
We stopped in the rod and gun club for breakfast of orange juice, milk, pancakes, eggs and bacon. Very good! Ron was applying bandages to his bleeding knee which was mangled in a fall. Ron left and we were about 5 - 10 minutes behind.
The next 1.3 miles to Wolfsville Road MD17 is very rugged and rocky. The short climb next to the power line is very steep. We took the new reroute of the Appalachian Trail crossing MD17 and passing Hemlock Hill Shelter. Climbing about 400 feet to the ridge line we had over 3 miles of relatively flat trail. There is a nasty stretch of rocks for about ½ a mile that never seems to end. Jack appears to lose focus and sometimes strolls along. I think we are much slower than when we did this 2 years ago. We pass Pogo Camp then up again for another ridge walk past Black Rock and Annapolis Rock. Having traversed the bad rocky sections successfully we are walking on level smooth dirt trail. Jack is looking around and trips over the one rock in the trail. He does a rolling sprawl and comes up unscathed but dirt all over. Within a half mile and nearing the descent to US40, we are looking at a scout troop seated next to the trail ahead. Again Jack trips and falls forward narrowly missing a face plant in the trail. Fortunately he is unhurt. For about two miles we are passing a steady stream of scout troops, Georgia to Maine through hikers, weekend backpackers, couples and families going in the opposite direction. We descend to cross US40, I70 and Boonsboro Mountain Road in quick succession passing over a little wooded hill to cross Boonsboro Mountain Road again. A succession of three small hills then a good climb up to Washington Monument and lunch at 20.6 miles.
We arrive around 12:30 p.m.. It is very hot and I am dripping wet to the point that it was difficult to eat. We ate a salty vegetable soup which was good because we were losing so much fluid. Washed down a ham and cheese sandwich with Gatorade. Changed my socks for dry ones in my hip pack and talked to Thurston Griggs. My mental calculations told me we would be lucky to get to Harpers Ferry in less than 14 hours.
Jack was raring to go so we got away about 12:55 p.m.. We descended briefly to cross Zittlestown Road. We chat briefly as we hike with a small blonde lady from the Squirrel Hill district of Pittsburgh. She is picking our brains for trail data. After a gradual climb we descended sharply into Turner's Gap to cross Alternate US40. After a brief ascent we cross Reno Monument Road and the Civil War battle site. We start the 2.3 mile ascent past Rocky Run Shelter across Tower Access Road to the Communications Towers on Lambs Knoll summit climbing over 900 feet. We are at the highest point on the trail as we stop at the rest stop at 26.1 miles for orange wedges, bananas, Gatorade and water. We have no major obstacles before the finish in Harpers Ferry.
Jack is maintaining a good pace and we are slowly picking it up. We move on quickly to suddenly run into a wedding party returning from the wedding at nearby White Rock. The bride looked very nice as she walked along the rocky trail in her long white dress and half high white shoes. We chased a couple of hikers for about 3.5 miles of gradual downhill to Gathland State Park and our next rest stop. We receive a raucous greeting from the ladies at the rest stop just like 2 years ago. We quickly get some fruit and drink down and are on our way again.
We are beginning to feel good about this hike. We have completed 29.8 miles and still feel strong. Jack is jogging more, much more than this morning and maintaining a good pace when we stop jogging. We are passing many hikers. It has cooled down considerably with some air movement and less humidity. We keep picking it up as we hike along the 5 mile long ridge with 7 small gradual hills. At one point I am slightly ahead of Jack. I hear him yell and turn to see him fall in a field of rocks. Somehow he fell in a small dirt patch surrounded by rocks and again is unhurt. We descend steeply to Weverton Cliffs where we make a sharp right to pass through a series of switch backs descending quickly. We emerge from the woods into a misty rain and our last rest stop at 36.7 miles.
We are greeted by Jane Story, Rosie Suit, Mike and Bonnie Jenkins. We get a little fruit,
gorp and drinks and are off to the C&O Canal towpath. We have made up a lot of time and
realize that we can possibly
finish in less than 13 hours. I follow Jack as he gets into a pattern of repeatedly jogging and
walking. We pass under the US350 bridge and soon see the railroad bridge across the Potomac
River to Harpers Ferry. We see Marty and Jill as we approach the bridge. We quickly climb the
stairs and cross the river to the finish. Jill
scurries ahead to take pictures and the people at the finish line give a cheer as we come off
the bridge into sight.
It is finished at 6:25 p.m.. Jack and I had completed the 40 miles in 12 hours and 45 minutes
a pace of over 3 miles an hour including all stops. We are the 31st and 32nd finishers. A happy
Ron was there 10 minutes ahead of us having completed the hike in 27th place in 12:35. The
total climbing for the day was 5560 feet and we descended 6560 feet.
The Wednesday Yahoos have done well despite our ages.
Game Wrap-up
I enjoy hiking with Jack. Jack was almost totally incapacitated as far as active activities were
concerned due to rheumatoid arthritis. About 3 years ago, after a year of experimentation, the
doctors finally got his medication correct. Jack has been improving ever since. Jack was raised
Catholic and has been an active participant in his church for 70 years. Although I don’t agree
theologically with his legalistic approach to God, it is apparent that Jack knows Jesus. Jack
realizes that it is by the grace of God that we live each moment, each day and each year. He
knows that his health, wealth and joy comes from God and it is only by His grace that he is
able to participate in the active hiking and biking that he does. Consequently, Jack is
thankful, joyful, always upbeat despite the circumstances, absolutely will not quit and
frequently praises the Lord.
Although I know Jesus, I am a woeful sinner. I am proud and competitive having played football,
rugby, basketball and baseball/softball most of my life. I know better but my old nature still
asserts itself. I was irritated at Jack to the point that I wanted to say something because he
seemed to be casually strolling along all morning. As people passed us, I wanted to go after
them and show them what a good hiker could do even at 62. After all, everyone in my hiking
group expected me to set some kind of time record. I took advantage of every opportunity to
subtly make sure that Jack and everyone else knew that I was waiting on him. That is the real
me in my natural state.
But praise the Lord that He protected me from myself as He has done for
over 20 years and lead me to do what I should. I said nothing and stuck with Jack to finish in
a good time. Had I hurried ahead I could easily have developed blisters, pulled a muscle,
sprained an ankle or injured myself on the rocks. As it was I finished refreshed with tired feet
as the only casualty. I enjoyed the woods sites and smells, Jack’s grateful can do spirit and
company, sharing Jack’s sense of accomplishment, Jill’s aside "thank you", being part of a
group that did well and knowing I am doing the Lord’s will.