Week 6

Week 6 

Wednesday- Tuesday  Greetings from Pennsylvania everyone! These throbbing feet have crossed over three state lines in the past week. New shoes are definitely needed, but I am feeling great and in high spirits as I knock out all of these states. 

After six weeks, and over 550M hiked, I finally finished up Virginia on Friday. The state ended with 13M of trail which has been dubbed the "roller coaster". This area of the AT consisted of tightly packed 500ft. ascends and descends. The hot and humid roller coaster ride was tough, but I made it through, and was glad to see West Virginia on the other side. The wildlife highlights of my last few days in Virginia consisted of watching a black snake eat a salamander head first, and a face-to-face encounter with a copper head. 

The stay in West Virginia was very brief, only lasting a day and a half. I got to Harper's Ferry on Saturday, which is the original halfway point of the AT. The city was strange and rich with history. It sits right where the Shenandoah and Potomac River intersect and has a large railway that runs through it. It kind of reminded me of River Street in Savannah surrounded by a bunch of old unkept homes from the 1800's. 

The best part of Harper's Ferry for me was my visit to the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy). They had a hiker lounge, A/C, sodas, wifi, and a small exhibit about the AT that I got to wander around. While I charged my phone and drank a soda, I thumbed through some of the old photo albums of hikers from past years. 

When I got to the 2015 album, I was so happy to find my friend Kimber Maxwell's photo. Kimber helped me so much with preparation for my hike. She completed the trail two years ago and was a definite inspiration for me to start my own journey. I think it is very important for strong women to inspire strength in other women. We are constantly told by society, and ourselves, we are only capable of certain things, and not of others. Woman are faced with discrimination, stereotypes, and unfairness daily. Most of it is subconsciously done, and not meant to be harmful, but nonetheless, it is there. You are considered strange and taboo if you are a woman who wants to do something outside the box, or even just do something alone. If you go against the feminine stereotype of always being communal, pleasant, and nurturing something is considered to be wrong with you. If you are trying to direct or manage a situation, you are often seen as being demanding or "bitchey". So many people looked at me completely bewildered and shocked when I told them I was planning to hike the AT by myself. Some told me to bring a gun. Some told me not to go at all. I had to constantly defend my decision in a way that no man my age ever would have had to do. The experience opened my eyes to the struggle women have to go through sometimes in order to find their own strength, and to be taken seriously about it. Had I not been inspired by Kimber's story and empowered through her encouragement, I doubt I would have found my own courage to do something like hike 2200 hundred miles alone. To go against the grain is a challenge, but if one woman does, another may follow. This is how equality is reached and progress is possible. It was fun to see Kimber smiling in her picture in front of the ATC building where I had my own photo taken moments ago. I will be forever grateful for her help and support. 

After an afternoon of restaurants and relaxation, we dipped out of Harper's Ferry and hopped over the next state line.  

Maryland was 40M of joy. The trail was a bit rocky, but double the width, and considerably flatter than it has been in Virginia.

There has also been many interesting Civil War and American Revolutionary War areas along the trail in Maryland. Yesterday I got to visit the original Washington Monument that was built in honor of George Washington in 1827. It sits atop South Mountain's Monument Knob in Washington Monument State Park. 

While in Harper's Ferry, I got to see the fort of John Brown, the famous abolitionist, who wanted to free slaves via armed insurrection, and was later charged for treason and hanged for his actions. 

I have loved all the excitement this week has brought. The hiking has been an intense physical challenge thus far. Blisters, swollen knees, heat exhaustion and intense hunger have all been apart of the experience, but the sites, wildlife, and history I have come across this week has reminded me of what an amazing and unique way this is to travel. I am so lucky to be able to adventure through this beautiful country of ours in such an anomalous way. Today is the 4th of July and my crew and I passed over the Mason-Dixon Line around nine this morning.

We hitched into Waynesboro, Pennsylvania in time for the local Fourth of July parade and some Mcdonald's breakfast. We hope to catch some fireworks and Zzzz's this evening before we head back to the trail tomorrow. Happy and safe fourth to everyone!