I drove away from the house this morning in light drizzle and fog.  As I pointed the car in the direction of Harper’s Ferry and headed down 340 west the drizzle became a steady rain.  I wondered, as I glanced at the sky, whether any of the dames would cancel.  I turned on the radio to listen to the weather report for the umpteenth time.  Yep, same as this morning…the rain was supposed to stop, the fog lift and although it was not to be a clear, sunny day…it would be okay for hiking.  Well, I thought the mountains looked beautiful draped in the low fog so even if all the dames canceled I was going hiking!

I was to pick up a couple of dames in Harper’s Ferry as they only wanted to do a one way hike.  I would shuttle them back to the Weverton commuter lot where we would meet up with the rest of the group.  I arrived about  a half hour early.  The weather was back to a light drizzle so I took the opportunity to walk around Harper’s Ferry.  It had a mysterious, quietness in the fog and I was immediately happy to be there walking down the cobblestone streets, taking in the surrounding mountains, and smelling the freshness that comes with rain.

I reluctantly stepped down the street to return to my car and wait for the dames.  After both women had arrived we shuttled their cars to the upper town where they would not need to pay for parking, then headed back to Weverton.  All dames showed up, even with the iffy weather.  Hike on!

We stepped onto the C&O canal headed to Harper’s Ferry at 9 Am.  This part of the canal is also part of the AT, south it goes to Harper’s Ferry, north the AT leaves the canal at Weverton and climbs up to Weverton Heights where the view is magnificent!  The canal is so lush this time of year that is more like a tunnel than a towpath.  As we walked the sun peaked out from behind the clouds from time to time reminding us all we were happier hikers with the sun behind the clouds!  Hot and humid!

It did not take long to get to Harper’s Ferry.  While there we climbed up to Jefferson Rock, Storer College and finally to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.  I renewed my membership to the ATC while I was there.  The ATC in Harper’s Ferry is the psychological midpoint of the Appalachian Trail…the real halfway point is up by Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania.  If I were thru hiking I imagine it would feel absolutely out of this world to walk into Harper’s Ferry and the ATC.  It is here you get your picture taken for the record books.  If you know someone who has thru hiked the trail, then you could come look up their picture should you find yourself in Harper’s Ferry!

After the ATC visit, we said good bye to our one way hikers and headed back to the C&O canal to make our way back to Weverton.  A surprise awaited us on the trail…rasberries!  Lots and lots of rasberries!

But, oh, why did they have to grow behind the poison ivy?  What kind of cruel trick is this? 🙂  We carefully picked around the poison ivy and ate rasberries to our heart’s delight!  It was an outstanding way to end the day!