3/23/00
Day 1
David Lesser Shelter
9.3 miles

Here it is - the accumulated wit, wisdom, and ramblings of my first day on the trail.

I am tired.

Walked down to the historic area of Harpers Ferry this morning.  20 yards along the trail I take a wrong turn, missing the clearly marked dogleg onto High Street.  About ten minutes later I attempt the precarious climb onto Jefferson Rock - WEARING MY PACK - then get stuck and end up sitting my butt down in a rain puddle.  Another wrong turn attempting to climb back up into town to visit the AT Conference office.  Later in the day, during my lunch break, I use my brand new Swiss Army knife to slice open a bagel - and also my left thumb.  But none of this tops the way I started this trip yesterday morning.

Joe drops me off at South Station in Boston.  I walk into the terminal looking for the men's room and finally notice I have left my fanny pack behind in Joe's car!  In addition to my camera, 1st map, and many small items of essential gear, this contains most of my money, my phone card, and credit cards.  In a panic, I try to get some quarters to call Joe, hoping he has his cell phone with him.  I then realize that his Portland cell phone is a long distance call from Boston.  I dial the Operator and try to make it a collect call, but she can't do it to a cell phone.  She'll accept a credit card but that's traveling North with Joe.  Finally I remember that I made a photocopy of my cards, so I read the number off to her.  Joe answers!  He's on the Tobin Bridge so it's going to be a real bitch to find a place to turn around.  But he makes it back with time to spare and I vow that the fanny pack will never leave my waist again - except maybe when I shower.

Typical of me to start off dwelling on the negative - although it's usually funnier.  After I calmed down, I enjoyed the train ride.  Stopping in Penn Station in NYC, I thought of you, Don.  In fact I think I saw you.  You were the guy in the office building, talking on the phone, right?

Looking out the window as the train rumbled along, I noticed a gradual change as I traveled south.  At first there was no green to be seen anywhere.  Then I started to notice patches of tiny plants poking up from the forest floor.  Then hints of green in the undergrowth.  And finally an occasional tree showing green or red buds.  By Maryland, forsythia's were blooming in people's yards.  And trees (dogwoods?) covered in white flowers.  Spring hasn't really arrived here yet, but it's a lot closer than in Portland.

After an initial tough climb up from the bridge crossing the Shenandoah River, the trail turned into a more gentle ridge walk.  I patched the blisters I had gotten during the way up and then sauntered along at a reasonable pace.  I came to realize that I was beginning to feel happy.  The weather was turning warmer, after some very heavy rains that they got before I arrived.  I reached the shelter earlier than I had expected and may have it to myself tonight, although there's a nice young couple tenting down below.  Well, it's an hour before sunset, so I better get dinner (whatever's heaviest) started so I don't have to eat in the dark.