Tuesday 3/26: 9.8 miles from Harpers Ferry to David Lesser shelter (1,883 ft ascent)
Wednesday 3/27: 14.8 miles to Sam Moore shelter (3,007 ft ascent)
Thursday 3/28: 15.8 miles to Whisky Hollow shelter (3,863 ft ascent)
Friday 3/29: 18.9 miles to Tom Floyd Wayside shelter (4,210 ft ascent)
Saturday 3/30: 13.4 miles to finish in Front Royal (1,705 ft ascent)
My plan was to follow the Appalachian Trail southbound, setting off from Harpers Ferry, bound for Front Royal.
For the first two-and-a-half days, the trail was familiar: I walked it (in the reverse direction) with my friend Alistair in 2022. Beyond Ashby Gap was new territory though. I’ve wanted to walk this route since we arrived in Harpers Ferry 5 years ago, so it was great to finally make it happen.
I got away by lunchtime, the morning consumed in a frenzy of packing, tying up work emails, and fretting about whether I had everything. It’s the same with every multi-day trip.
Nerves settle with the first few footsteps on the trail.
The best send-off! Lexi joined me to the park boundary. It was hard to say goodbye; I wished she was coming with me!The boardwalks signal your imminent arrival at Keys Gap.The Appalachian Trail signs are iconic.
I made good time to the shelter, as I’m deeply familiar with this section of the trail. The evening was cold, wet, and windy, but the rain didn’t fill in until after pitching my tent and having dinner. Three other hikers arrived and decided to stay in the shelter but I didn’t chat with them until the following morning.
A quick sit down upon arrival at the David Lesser shelter.It was a windy afternoon so I deliberated for a while, looking for the most sheltered camp spot (the one with the fewest big trees above!). The shelter is top left in this image.
Day 2: David Lesser shelter to Sam Moore shelter
Mist hung on the mountain side, a thick grey soup that gave a primordial feeling to proceedings. I love these kind of conditions. Thankfully, the rain petered out by 9. I had a deliberately slow start to the day to avoid it. The tent was sopping wet though.
I awoke to a thick mist at camp.Smiling despite the wet, dreich morning.Setting off from David Lesser shelter, in full rain gear.Into the mist once more.There is something beautifully serene about walking through mist-clad woods.One of my favorite stretches of trail of this section is the rocky traverse along the exposed ridgeline.Lonely wild daffodils provided a dash of color amongst the muted pastels of this drab day.The big boulder near to the Blackburn Trail Center.Entering the infamous roller-coaster section: the trail goes up-and-down and up-and-down for the next 17 miles.A colony of Trichaptum along the trail.Sadly no views at Raven Rocks lookout on this occasion. After crossing Snickers Gap (US 7), I climbed up to Bear’s Den lookout and enjoyed the lookout now the cloud base had lifted.The story here: I walked straight into this tree and smacked my head. Thankfully more of a glancing blow across the top of my head than full to the face. But a warning to pay more attention!The wonderful Sam Moore shelter.I pitched my tent in the same place as when I visited here 2 years ago with Alistair, on our 3-day AT hike.
Inspired in part by Alistair Humphrey’s Local book, I use the PictureThis and Merlin apps to identify plants and birds that I see on my walks. It deeply enriches my time in the woods, especially at this time of year when the spring flowers are out.
In addition to the daffodils and bluebells, I saw Bloodroot, Saxifrage, Common Periwinkle, Spring Beauty, Glory of the Snow, Rue-anemone, Violet, Chickweed, Yellow Fumewort, and lots of Cutleaf Toothwort.
Green False Hellebore line the banks of Sawmill Creek, the small creek next to the shelter that serves as the water source for hikers.Dinner and journal, one of the most enjoyable parts of any day on the trail.
Day 3: Sam Moore shelter to Whisky Hollow shelter
I awoke to another claggy morning, but it soon lifted.Breakfast of granola and coffee in the shelter.View from the top of Buzzard Hill.Stream crossing near Morgans Mill Road.Ashby Hollow (?) stream. So pretty.A delightful section of trail, carpeted with bluebells on either side.
When I crossed Ashby Gap (US 50), I walked onto a new-to-me section of trail. From here to Front Royal was entirely untrodden ground for me.
That feeling of venturing into the unknown, with everything I need on my back, is as intoxicating as ever. It’s the same feeling that my 21-year old self experienced setting off to walk across the Pyrenees one summer during University.
Sky Meadows was a beautiful, open space after days in the close confines of the trees.Looking east over Sky Meadows State Park.The mighty impressive Whisky Hollow shelter!View from inside. This is in the Premier League of AT shelters, with the Ed Garvey shelter the only other shelter I’ve seen of this grandeur.On account of the wind, I elected to stay in the shelter. It was convenient, but cold.
Day 4: Whisky Hollow shelter to Tom Floyd Wayside shelter
A beautiful sunrise through the trees, on the climb out of Whisky Hollow.Crossing under I-66.Starting the climb out from Manassas Gap and the I-66.Another lovely open section of meadows.A cast of hawks (I think?) flying over the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s land, on the climb out of Chester Gap.Tom Floyd Wayside shelter, my favorite shelter of this trip.The spring near Tom Floyd shelter: water source for hikers.Cooking dinner in the shelter.Sunset over High Knob, the ridgeline I’d crossed earlier in the day. The shelter is splendidly situated, on the slopes of the mountains that form the northern border of Shenandoah National Park (the shelter is a mile or so outside the park).Home for the night. It was another windy night, so I decided the shelter would be safer (from falling branches).
Day 5: Tom Floyd Wayside shelter to Front Royal
A mellow final day on gorgeous Shenandoah trails. I saw more people today than the other four days combined (being a Saturday in a National Park).
Cooking breakfast at dawn, from the warmth of my sleeping bag.Packed up and ready to leave.Arrival in Shenandoah National Park, under marvelous morning light burning through the thin mist.Nice to see the familiar stone marker posts in Shenandoah.Furry friend on the trail.View from the summit of Carson Mountain, 2,559ft.The interesting 3-bouldered summit of Carson Mountain.Crossing Skyline Drive.Views into the Shenandoah Valley from the Dickey Ridge Trail.A final tuna sandwich for lunch.Made it! Arrival at Front Royal.
Overall, this was a fantastic five days of backpacking through wonderful scenery. If I had any lingering doubts about my desire to one day hike the whole Appalachian Trail, this trip extinguished them. It’s a paradise for hikers and nature lovers.
My good friend Alistair — who I walked with in the Peak District earlier this year — came to Harpers Ferry for a visit and we got out for a 3-day backpack along my local section of Appalachian Trail: the infamous roller coaster section.
We had a fabulous three days, starting with a warm shorts and t-shirt weather and ending with below-freezing conditions, a true changing of the seasons.
Here’s a selection of photos from our hike north along the AT. Enjoy!
Route: Ashby Gap to Harpers Ferry
Day 1 (red): 11.1 miles / 2,720 ft ascent / 4 hrs 59 minutes walking time
Day 2 (purple): 15.2 miles / 3,653 ft ascent / 6 hrs 21 minutes walking time
Day 3 (blue): 12.2 miles / 1,564 ft ascent / 4 hrs 13 minutes walking time
Day 1: Ashby Gap to Sam Moore shelter
Lexi and the boys dropped us off at Ashby Gap, and walked with us for the first mile or so, before they turned around back to the car. It was wonderful to share the start of the trip with the family. Hopefully they’ll want to come with me when they’re a little older.
Lexi and the boys walked the first mile with us – a fine send off! (Photo by Lexi)Recent rain meant all the streams were flowing, nice to see after such a dry summerStarting the roller coaster, an infamous 13 miles of trail in VA that goes up and down, and up and down, and up and down, and up and down…Alistair following the white blazesStream crossing near Morgans Mill Road
This section of trail is known as the roller coaster, and for good measure. Over 13 miles, it ascends and descends ten ridges! We certainly felt it in our legs.
We were slightly slower than expected, arriving on the summit of Buzzard Hill in the late afternoon. The light was beautiful. I’ve climbed Buzzard Hill a few times before, but never from the south.
Enjoying the golden hour light on top of Buzzard Hill (photo by Alistair)Alistair and me on the summit of Buzzard HillView from the summit of Buzzard Hill in the evening light
We left the summit of Buzzard Hill to walk the final mile and a half to the Sam Moore shelter, where we camped for the night.
We arrived just before dark — around 5pm this time of year — and had just enough light to locate a couple of suitable tent sites and find water in the spring.
I had iodine tablets with me for purification, but we both used Alistair’s Sawyer Mini filter, which was preferable as it didn’t alter the taste of the water.
Sam Moore shelter sign – our home for the nightFirst task on arrival at camp was to retrieve (and filter) water from Sawmill Spring
After the tents were pitched, we cooked and ate dinner with three other hikers at the shelter picnic area. One of the other hikers remarked “I’m surprised to see others out here! I thought I’d be the only one mad enough to camp out at this time of year!”
The warmth of the day continued into the evening, so it was comfortable to sit out, eating and chatting under head torch. The temperature dropped during the night.
Alistair’s tent on the left, mine on the right, outside Sam Moore shelter
After dinner, the final task of the day was to hang our food out of reach of the bears on the metal pole near the shelter.
Then, sleep.
Alistair hanging his food to prevent bears causing any trouble
Day 2: Sam Moore shelter to David Lesser shelter
I slept really well. With darkness from 5.30 pm until nearly 7 am, it gives you a long time to rest in the tent.
Camped next to the Sam Moore shelter (in the background, left of the tents)
I love camping, and living out in the woods, so it was a real treat to wake up surrounded by trees and nature. After retrieving our foods bags, we retreated to our respective tents to cook and enjoy breakfast from sleeping bags, since it was much, much colder than the evening before.
My MSR Pocket Rocket stove still going strong after all these yearsAlistair (in blue) and me (in red) ready to depart Sam Moore shelter for our second day of walking.
The second day was more of the same: up and down, up and down, on repeat.
It was hard work, with the heavy bags and lack of backpacking specific fitness. We both remarked that it was one of the hardest days we’ve done for a while. Certainly by the end of the day, my back was stiff and aching from carrying the backpack. Thankfully, my knees, which I was worried about before this trip, felt great and gave me no trouble at all.
Me crossing one of the many streams along the route (photo by Alistair)Alistair striding out along the AT
We enjoyed the wonderful vistas from the Bears Den lookout and an hour or so later, from the Raven Rocks lookout. I’m familiar with both of these lookouts from previous hikes (this one and this one), but I’m more than happy to return and enjoy them again and again. It was neat to arrive at these lookouts during a multi-day trip this time.
View at Bears Den lookoutMe and Alistair at Raven Rocks lookout
There’s one more ridge line to climb up and over before reaching the end of the roller coaster section. We were looking forward to a section of flatter, easier trail!
Phew! We reached the end of the roller coaster section of the trailMy happy place 🙂
Since the day had taken longer than we expected, we opted to collect water from the Blackburn Trail Center (which we knew had a reliable, outdoor spigot), rather than have to find the spring at the David Lesser shelter in the dark. This proved to be a good move, as the spring is quite a way down the hill from the shelter.
Relaxing on the sun loungers at the Blackburn Trail Center, where we filled up with waterBeautiful views from the lookout just north of Blackburn Trail Center
We arrived at the David Lesser shelter in the dark, but quickly found two tent sites and got situated. We were both exhausted.
It was a really cold night, so we cooked and ate dinner as quickly as we could before retiring to tents to get warm. The David Lesser shelter has a bear box, so we stored our food there for the night.
We walked with head torches for the final half an hourDinner in the dark that night!
Day 3: David Lesser shelter to Harpers Ferry, including Loudoun Heights lookout
I had no idea what the view was like from the shelter because we’d pitched in the dark the night before. I woke about 6.30 am and when I saw the orange glow outside the tent walls, I jumped up, camera in hand, and took a bunch of photos. It was beautiful. I was like a kid-in-a-candy shop!
Sublime camp spot below the David Lesser shelterAn amazing view to wake up to!
It was another cold morning, so we opted to cook and eat breakfasts from the porches of our tents. It was bliss, sitting in my sleeping bag with a cup of tea, just enjoying the view of the woods and the silence of just being. I felt more content than I have done for a long time. I was in no rush to pack up and start hiking.
What a spot for breakfast!
We eventually got away at about 9.30 am, after seeing the shelter and signing the logbook.
Alistair relaxing in the very comfortable recliner at the David Lesser shelter
This third day was much easier than the two previous days. The trail was flat or downhill mostly, so we made much better time, apart from a few sections of very rocky trail that required more care.
Yours truly on the AT, wearing lots of orange because fall is hunting season (even if it’s not an explicit hunting area, it’s still a wise idea this time of year). (Photo by Alistair.)
As we approached Harpers Ferry, the trail became more familiar to me. Keys Gap, the boardwalks, the power line break, 4-mile camp, the WV/VA state border, and finally into Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
We had plenty of daylight and both felt great so we opted to take the side trail to Loudoun Heights overlook. I wanted to show Alistair my favorite local walk.
Nearly home! Entering Harpers Ferry National Historical ParkBoulder en route to Loudoun Heights lookout, with Maryland Heights in the background
We spent a bit of time exploring the lookout — our final “summit” of the trip — before the final descent into Harpers Ferry and home.
There’s something special about finishing (or starting!) an adventure from your doorstep. You walk through the front door, drop your bag, and make yourself a cup of tea, as if you’ve just got back from an hour’s stroll.
Alistair and me at Loudoun Heights lookout, with Harpers Ferry in the backgroundLast steps along the AT before joining US340 to cross the Shenandoah RiverCrossing the Shenandoah, with Maryland Heights on the left, and Loudoun Heights on the right
All in all, a fabulous three days with one of my oldest friends. What more could you ask for!
[Editor’s note: this hike took place at the end of August, the week before my and Lexi’s wedding, when everything was extremely hectic. It was the perfect antidote to the stress we were feeling at the time. And now, I’m finally catching up on blogging!]
Length: 9 miles — Height gain: 3,000ft
Known as the “roller coaster”, this section of the Appalachian Trail is an hour drive outside of DC, to the north of Shenandoah NP, and somewhere we had not yet explored.
AT South sign
The trail duly lived up to its name with hardly a flat mile as we climbed and descended all day. Our reward was a stunning lookout from the summit of Buzzard Hill. We gazed out at an endless sea of wooded hills, entirely natural and devoid of man made intrusions.
Hiking south along the AT
View from the summit of Buzzard Hill
The team at the summit
First signs of fall
This turned out to be one of the harder hikes I’d done in the DC area, on account of the endless up and down. My calves ached for days after this one! The view was one of the best though, so this is definitely going in the memory bank as a great day out.
Ben Collins Outdoors 