Nano's Raid on Harper's Ferry

Team Nano assembled at Harper's Ferry

Today we hiked a total of about 10 miles, which included walking through the most famous trail town on the entire AT. Harper's Ferry, West Virginia was a very important town during the Civil War and in the early days of railroad transportation. Now, it's mostly a tourist attraction for history buffs and a huge milestone for AT hikers. It's widely known as the "psychological midpoint" of the AT, even though the actual midpoint is about 70 miles further north, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Headquarters are there. We stopped by the ATCH to have our picture taken for the official through-hiker log they keep there. They have records going back decades.

Official Picture

Walking through Harper's Ferry was like walking back in time. The town must look almost exactly like it did 200 years ago. It reminds me very much of France, with narrow streets and closely packed stone buildings. It's really a beautiful town.

Downtown Harper's Ferry

Saint Peter's Catholic Church, one of the oldest in town

John Brown's Fort

We also saw some interesting non-town related things during the 7 miles before we reached town. The hike was flat and easy, the weather was perfect, and the trail was quite beautiful. the leaves are turning and falling, and I'm enjoying watching the seasons change. There was also a good view right before we descended into town.

Jefferson's Rock. The Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers converge in the gorge below this rock, and Thomas Jefferson said the view was "worth crossing the Atlantic for."

The AT cuts right through the middle of town, so we ate lunch at a local hamburger/hot dog/ice cream dive in down and wandered around for a bit. There are so many museums and historical things to see there, and the town is so earthy and friendly. I definitely recommend it. We hiked about 3 more miles after lunch and wandering town, and we actually finished the state of West Virginia and passed into Maryland. That means we have 5 states down and 8 to go. Now it's actually sounding like I'm making progress.

Just like Lewis and Clarke