In a few weeks I will take to the AT through Maryland.  Now, I will tell you straight up that I need to hike Maryland again like I need a hole in the head! 😀  But…This time I am backpacking it from PenMar to Harper’s Ferry.  Mainly, my impetus for hiking it is to accompany one of the women I hiked with in Georgia.  In addition, Boomerang and another woman from Trail Dames are coming along.

We will do this hike in 4 days stopping at the Ensign Cowall Shelter, Pine Knob Shelter (on a weekend night…yikes!),  and Crampton Gap Shelter before hiking into Harper’s Ferry on the 4th day.

Planning thus far has resulted in a new backpacking pillow, my travel pillow bit the dust in Georgia 🙂 , exchanging my sleeping pad at REI  and investing in new long underwear.  I need to get some orange bandanas or a vest as we will be hiking during hunting season.

I am excited to be going on a backpack!  The colors should be at about peak.  Maryland is truly beautiful in the fall!

I also need this backpack.  My mom is in the hospital right now after suffering a double stroke, one on either side of the brain.  I think the worst of it (and maybe the best of it too) is that I live so far away that all I can do is talk on the phone with her.  I have eight brothers and sisters, two who live near to my parents and are shouldering this responsibility with what seems to be super hero powers.  Getting out into the woods will allow me to work through life with my mom and how life might be without my mom.  We haven’t really been that close…I was the one who caused problems.  Always too independent, always a little too much just like her!!  She is an amazing woman and did much incredible trail blazing in the field of computer programming during the 1960s through the 1990s when she retired.  So smart.  So pretty. So everything!  So this hike is in honor of Thelma!