Sugarloaf Mountain

For something different, we headed out to Frederick, MD 

to Sugarloaf Mountain to try out one of their trails.  It's quite the popular place.  

People were hiking, rock climbing and picnicking.  

We headed off on the trail and encountered the steps from hell.  Steps are far worse than hiking up an incline- and that's saying a lot for me because I really struggle on inclines.

The friendly neighborhood vultures were in the trees above me.  

Pretty sure they smelled death.

The view was definitely worth the climb though.

It was a shame it wasn't a sunnier day out,

but it was still gorgeous.

Of course, when we reached the summit

we realized we weren't on the trail we had planned to be on.

We ended up needing to take another trail to get to where we planned to go.

There was another vista called White Rocks that was also gorgeous.

Even my normally afraid of heights son was impressed with the view- 

so much so he ventured out on the rocks.

We were finally headed back towards the car,

though it felt like the never ending trail.

It was supposed to be a 5 mile loop, 

but we weren't sure how much extra mileage we picked up 

when we went the wrong way.

We eventually made it back to the car.

I pointed out we could have seen gorgeous views 

staying in the parking lot.

In the end we hiked 7.4 miles

which is the longest hike since last October.

I didn't have much weight in my pack, 

but all in all I did pretty good.

Lucy did good too

though I did have to carry her for a short while

as she was getting tired.

Definitely want to go back to this spot and try some other trails.

Back to Catoctin: Hike 11

So, I'm pretty far behind in my posts.

If only I could stay home and write blogs all day and eat ice cream.

Anyway...

Hike 11 was at Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland.

We did the loop that took us past Cunningham Falls, 

past the view at Hog Rock (above)

and back to the Visitor's Center.

Our spring has been nuts this year, and we went from 40* weather to 80* weather overnight.

The heat kicked my butt.

We ended up walking along the road for a bit to shorten the hike

but still managed to do over 6 miles.

St Patrick's Day Hike 8

St Patrick's Day weekend brought some sunny weather and my 4 year old grandson.  It's awesome that he's as into hiking and camping as we are, because it makes it easy to find things to do.  We recently purchased a used pop up camper, so we set that up in my parents back yard (it's a 6.5 acre back yard) and camped out in the "super great tent fort" all weekend.  Temps were in the 20's at night, but the camper heater worked really well.
On Saturday, we went for a hike at Hashawha.  We're getting a little tired of Hashawha because that seems to be the default hiking location, but they have an aviary with various birds of prey that are unable to survive on their own in the wild.  This let's my grandson see some wildlife up close.  Plus, there's a playground and a nature center, so it's a great place to take a 4 year old with a boatload of energy to burn off.
We hiked just under 3 miles by taking our usual route on the Vista and Green trails that took us by creeks and Lake Hashawha.  All four year olds love water, and my grandson is no exception.  I'm sure it will be even more fun when the weather is warmer and he can see some turtles, fish and snakes.  Still, he was thrilled looking for different animal prints.  Large dog prints were wolf prints, and my husband's boot print was an obvious sign of Sasquatch activity (this boy is seriously awesome).
At the end of our hike, we took some time to let the boy play at the playground.  It's amazing how a playground can give a 4 year old some renewed energy!  All in all, a decent hike.  It was good we managed to get this hike in, because just a few days later we ended up with 12+" of snow on the first day of spring.

Hike #7- Hashawha.... Again

For our 7th hike, we ended up at our faithful standby hiking destination: Hashawha Environmental Center.  I don't remember the exact mileage, but I'm guessing it was somewhere around 3 miles give or take. 
We took a short detour onto a longer trail, though we didn't follow it very far.  I was lucky enough to snap this photo.  Every now and then I get a lucky shot.  I think it shows just how quiet it is hiking through a grove of pine trees, which is one of my favorite things to hike through.
Here's hoping that spring will bring some nicer hiking weather (though so far that's been a bust).

The New Hiking Partner

I love the idea of having a 4 legged hiking companion.

I have 2 dogs, but neither one would make a good hiker.

One is 14 and having arthritis issues.

The other one, while physically fit, isn't the best around strange people or animals,

so not the easiest to work with.

I've been fostering for a rescue for a year now, and when I saw this girl, I knew.

Lucy is a Boston Terrier Mix.

I can't tell you what she's mixed with, 

her mom was around 18 pounds with pointy ears and brindle fur.

Her dad was a full Boston.

She's 100% spoiled brat.

She has a thing for sleeping under blankets.

I'm guessing I'll have to come up with a sleeping bag for her

when we're ready for overnights.

Right now we're working on house breaking, basic commands 

and leash manners.

She'll do anything for a treat.

She'll be completely up to date on all of her shots in 2 weeks.

For anyone hiking with dogs, it's a good idea to get all the shots-

including those for Lyme's disease and Leptospirosis

(Plus your Distemper, Parvo and Rabies)

before taking your dog out to public areas.

Make sure your dog has a decent flea and tick preventative.

I've always used Frontline Plus, but right now we have a free trial of Nexgard

(and I've heard from other hikers with dogs that it works great).

If you have a young dog like I do, or even an older dog who has never hiked before,

make sure you talk to your vet about how to go about getting started.

Young dogs should not go on any extreme hikes.

Lucy will most likely do a mile or less to start and on easy trails.

Puppies bodies are growing, and you don't want to strain any ligaments, tendons or cause problems with growing bones.

And with an older dog who might not be in shape, you want to start out small and build up their muscles and endurance-

the same as you would for yourself.

So, in the meantime,
Lucy will be working on her training,
and most likely her napping.
For those on Instagram, Lucy has her own IG account
(my husband thinks I'm nuts)
Lucy The Boston Mix

Hike 4: Beaverdam Park

This past weekend, my husband and I went for a quick weekend getaway to the Tidewater area of Virginia.  I've been traveling to this area of Virginia my whole life.  My family has property there that has been in the family for generations. Even though we were on a mini vacation, I still wanted to get a hike in.  I found Beaverdam park located in nearby Gloucester, VA that had several different trail options.
Once again the weather was on our side.  The temperature reached 60 degrees and the sun was shining.  There are several trails at the park of varying mileage so you can really tailor your hike to your needs.  There is a trail for hikers only and trails that are considered multi use meaning horses and bikers are also permitted on the trail.  We opted to start out on the hiking only trail which is about 3 miles.

Most of the trail runs along the edge of the Beaverdam Reservoir.  There were quite a few boaters out fishing.  Beaverdam is apparently the only freshwater fishing hole in the Middle Peninsula of VA.  I'm used to the saltwater fishing on the rivers and bay in the area.  Unlike the trails at home in Pennsylvania, the trail here had very few inclines, and the ones it had were short and not too steep.  There were no rocks either, but there were areas where the tree roots stuck up across the path.  I think I almost prefer rocks as those roots seemed to pop up out of no where under the leaves.
When hiking the hiker only trail, you can either return on the same trail, or you can choose to return on the multi use trail.  My husband and I decided to take the slightly longer multi use trail return since the weather was gorgeous.

As the sign says, take caution on the multi use trail, there might be poop.
I've hiked trails that are considered multi use, but I've never encountered more than one or two cyclists.  On this trail, we actually encountered 4 different horses- and 2 of them more than once.  There were also many people on bikes.  I'm going to take this moment to mention a PSA about courtesy on the trail as it seems to be something a lot of people need help with (here anyway).  The rule is: Everyone yields to horses
Bikers and joggers yield to hikers and downhill hikers yield to uphill hikers (unless I'm the uphill hiker then I use the moment to catch my breath and let the others pass).  I want to stress the horse thing.  I know there are a lot of people who do not have horse knowledge.  If you are hiking or biking and come upon some horse back riders, step off the trail to let them pass.  Be visible and ask the riders if you're in a good spot.  Some horses spook at the strangest things, and if they haven't realized you're there and you scare them, it could cause a situation where a rider is thrown or someone is kicked.  Cyclists- this means don't ride up on a horses butt.  I saw a family out riding bikes that rode right up on a horse.  The kids were lucky the horse only picked up speed because if the horse had kicked, it would have surely hit one of the kids.
Anyway, it was a very nice hike.  It was warm and it smelled like earth and pine.  We were actually pretty tired from the hike, though we are pretty out of shape.  This one completed one of my hikes to a body of water.  I have 1 more left of those, and I already have an idea of where I'd like to go for that second one (it involves looking for shark teeth fossils).  I've completed 2 of my 5 waterfall hikes as well.  I still have a bunch of challenge objectives to complete, but we have 48 more hikes to go!
On a side note, Beaverdam Park is a great place to visit for the day if you're in the area.  It has very clean bathrooms, boat rentals, picnic areas and of course the trails.  Our family will definitely be visiting again!.

The funny thing about this, my husband's name is Ernie.

Hike Number 2: Hashawha

 

For my second hike, I headed out to a local Environmental Center that has several trails.  I hike here often as it's close, offers a nice bathroom in the Nature Center and has enough trail options to be able to tailor your hike to several different mileage lengths.
The weather was still cold.  I think the dashboard temperature reading showed 12 degrees.  I'm pretty much over the frigid temperatures.
The small pond at the beginning of the trail was frozen pretty thick.   I don't know what it is about frozen water and the way it whispers to you, "Come on, walk on my, I'm solid."  I always manage to resist because, you know, hypothermia. We ended up doing what has become our usual hike at Hashawha that is about 3 miles long.  It takes us past the raptor cages where I always hoot a greeting to the resident owls.  They don't hoot back, in fact, one turned his back on me.  The lower portion of the trail follows a stream before coming to the larger pond on the property that you cross using a series of boardwalks.  There were still icy patches on the stream, and one section looked pretty cool with the water running under the ice.  It was cold, but the sun was strong, so I was almost sweating towards the last portion of the trail.  As always, I was pleased I had pushed myself to go.  It seems every time it's cold out, I start talking myself out of going outside.  But in the end, getting some exercise in the outdoors helps clean out some of the winter head fog.

Hike 1 of 52: The 52 Hike Challenge

I don't really make New Year's Resolutions anymore, but I do make goals for myself to try to accomplish in the coming year.  One of those goals is to try to hike every week at least once.  So I signed up for the 52 Hike Challenge.  
There are three different challenge options.  The first is just committing to hike 52 hikes (1 for each week of the year) anywhere you like to hike.  The second option is the adventure series and the third is the explorer series.  I opted for the Adventure series.  





It asks you to complete these 17 specific types of hikes within your 52:

• 5 Waterfalls (even if they are dry)
• 1 Forest (if not possible, go to National Park/ Site)
• 1 National Parks, Monuments, Preserves, Recreation Area or Historic Trail
• 2 Hikes to bodies of water: Lakes, Rivers, or Ocean
• 1 Stewardship hike (pick up trash or join group to help with a restoration project)
• 1 Group hike (if you are regular to one group, visit a new group to meet new people)
• 1 Introduce someone new to hiking (on an easy trail)
• 1 Sunset or Sunrise hike
• 1 Hike from your Bucket list (somewhere you have always wanted to go)
• 3 Reflection hikes (journal at the beginning, middle, and towards the end of your challenge).

The weather here, as with much of the East Coast, has temperatures in the teens.  My area hasn't gotten too much snow, really just about an inch with the "Bomb Cyclone" that came up the coast.  Still, those temps in the teens have kept me in the house. So, I missed the First Day Hike because of the weather.  This made me more determined to get the first hike of 52 accomplished. 
Because the temperature was supposed to rise to the 20's (balmy compared to the weather we've been having), my husband, mother and I planned a short hike.  So yesterday we headed out to Cunningham Falls State Park to do a short mile hike to Cunningham Falls.



I don't think the temperature ever reached 20 degrees.  And I'm pretty sure my husband asked me 5 times if I was sure I really wanted to hike.  But I was/am determined.  So we headed down the trail.  I wanted to get a look at the waterfall frozen.  The trail is only a 1 mile round trip trail.  I'm horribly out of shape and didn't want to push it- plus it was cold. 
It didn't take long to get to the falls.  It was cool to see it frozen, though it wasn't as spectacular as some other ones I've seen photos of. We took a few photos and then headed back towards the car.  We all said we could have gone longer, but the other trail option was more difficult with steeper inclines.  Since I'm so out of shape, I felt it was best to stick with the easier trail.



It felt great to get outside.  Hiking definitely helps clear out the brain funk when you're stuck inside in the winter.  I'm looking forward to the next hike

Me on "Little McAfee Knob"

Happy Spring?

Just when I think I'm starting to get back into the regular hiking (and blogging) swing of things, Mother Nature decides to get a little witchy and throws 12+ inches of snow our way.  Last week starting Monday night, we had some snow.  It was quite a shock to the system after experiencing 60-70 degree days.  I mean, I even had the heat off and the windows open several days.  Then WHAM! (not the band) a crap ton of snow (yes, crap ton is an official measurement).
So yesterday when my mom suggested a short hike, I went.  It was sunny and in the 40's, so we headed to nearby Gettysburg National Military Park to "hike".  We actually ended up walking along a seldom used road near historic Sach's Covered Bridge that crosses another historic bridge to another seldom used road that winds through some farmland.  We had our hiking poles put neither of us took our packs.  It was more about being outside and moving those muscles.
Our next big adventure is the end of next month, so getting prepared is a necessity.  We'll only be doing an overnight, so I'm hoping that means less weight and no issues for me.  I'm planning to really get my workouts started at home on the treadmill, and I'd like to hike each weekend with my pack to prepare.
In my spare time, I've been fostering rescue dogs for a local dog rescue.  I've successfully fostered 2 and had both adopted.  I get my third one in the near future. I'm secretly hoping I find one that makes an excellent hiking companion.  I have a good vibe about the one I'll be getting, so I plan to take him out for some test hikes. 
In the meantime, I'm working out the packing list for my trip and trying to decide what to take and what to leave.  I'm also wondering what the heck to purchase with this year's REI dividend.  Between the dividend and the snow, it's almost like Christmas!

Prepping and Planning

January 29th we all got together (my mom, husband, cousin, son and myself) at Catoctin Mountain Park to some hiking to prepare for the spring.  It was quite the blustery day and the temps were forecasted to be in the low 40's, but the windchill factor had it feeling much colder.  We had planned on hiking a large loop we had done before heading to Cunningham Falls then looping to a couple of the vistas then back to the visitor's center.  Unfortunately, the high winds closed the falls trail due to some potentially dangerous dead trees.  So we changed our route and headed up to the Thurmont Vista.  And it is up.
My son was trying out his new hydration bladder and had some weight in his pack.  Overall, I think he'll do just fine when we head out for our overnight at the end of April.  He seems to manage the pack and weight without problem.  He did complain about his knee hurting, but after some ibuprofen and keeping him talking about video games, he forgot about his knee.
We made it to the Thurmont Vista which boasts a gorgeous view of the town of Thurmont.  There we met up with a couple of hikers out for the day.  One was a guy who was what one might call a gear junkie.  He talked on and on about his gear he had, the gear he'd read about, the gear he had at home but didn't bring, the gear he just HAD to buy.... you get the idea.  The other hiker was an older man who seemed content to just sit and enjoy the view.  Like many older hikers I've met (all 2 counting this guy) he had an adventurous soul.  He was talking about his trip to Egypt with his wife.  This, of course, renewed my interest and my cousin's interest in traveling to Egypt (she even checked out prices when she got home).  I would have loved to have stayed and chatted with this man.  I too crave adventure though life and responsibilities prevents me from having too many, so I live vicariously through others.  I have found that older adventurers have the greatest stories.  I encountered the other older hiker at my local McDonald's one morning before heading out for a hike.  Looking at him, I would never have guessed he was an avid hiker having hiked the whole AT.  He was headed out later that week to hike sections of Tennessee and Virginia.  Anyway, I digress.
After admiring the views of the vista and chatting with the hikers, we headed on down the trail to Wolf and Chimney Rock.  The temps got colder as the wind was hitting that side of the mountain.  It took me some time to dig out my hat.  I'm not one for wearing winter hats, but having one with you (that also covers your ears) is important when you're hiking in seasons where the temps can drop.  Once I had that hat on, I was feeling quite comfortable.
  
We eventually got back to the Visitor's Center after hiking 5.27 miles then we all headed off to dinner.  It's amazing to me how fast food becomes an important obsession when you're hiking.  About an hour into our trip, my cousin and I were dreaming about mashed potatoes.  Luckily the restaurant we went to had a buffet complete with steaming mashed potatoes, and yes, I ate about 6 pounds worth.  After dinner, we all planned out some weekend backpacking trips for the coming year.  It's great that we all seem to have the same "Top 10" list of places we want to hike.  This year we'll be finishing Maryland (end of April) and doing section in PA with my son's Boy Scout Troop, going to hunt the elusive WooWoo/ Bighoot in the Delaware Water Gap and heading to Shenandoah National Park towards Fall.
In the meantime, I'm working on building muscles in my injured butt/hip and gaining stamina/losing weight.  I'm also still working on that book of paranormal stories from along the AT.  All in all, it's going to be a busy spring/summer/fall!

Quick Hike at Hashawha

I'm really lucky to live in an area that offers so many hiking options within an hour;s drive time.  Locally, we have a place called the Hashawha Environmental Center.  It has a Nature Center and several different trails for hiking, biking and horse back riding.  Most of the trails are relatively easy.  I've taken my 3 year old grandson out on them and he managed fine in his sneakers.  There are some loops that offer a little more strenuous hiking (though nothing like the AT or the trails at Catoctin Mountain).  On January 21st, my mom, husband and myself headed to Hashawha to get some hiking in.  Usually I take along a weighted pack, but this time I opted to leave the pack at home.  Without a pack, my injury doesn't really bother me too much, so it was great to be out and just enjoying the woods.
We took one of the extra loops that does have some inclines on it and offers some gorgeous views.  I learned I am very out of shape from sitting around this winter because even without carrying a loaded pack, I was tired and out of breath often.  A large section of the trail travels through some pine groves.  I think pine groves are my favorite place to be, or at least one of the top places (a secluded beach is up there too, it's a toss up between the two).  Pine groves are just so silent and have a certain reverence about them.  Like they're the cathedral of the forest.  I would be content to sit under the pines for hours. However, sitting under pine trees doesn't build muscle or help anyone get back into shape.  So we hiked on.  We managed to hike 3.10 miles.  Looking forward to some more training hikes and the upcoming back packing season.

On the Mend

It just occurred to me that I hadn't blogged about the hike we took back on October 9th.  We were supposed to do an overnight hike from Dahlgren Campground to the Ed Garvey Shelter and down into Harper's Ferry.  As luck would have it, the weather was rainy, and we opted not to go.  It would have been my son's first overnight, and I didn't want crappy weather to sour him to backpacking.
Luckily, Sunday was a gorgeous day.  We parked in the parking area on Weverton Rd and hiked up to Weverton Cliffs.  It was all uphill and full of switchbacks.  My injury typically flares up on inclines, so I was concerned how I was going to handle it.  I made it to the cliffs with minimal rest stops.  We enjoyed the view for a bit, took a bunch of photos and chatted with the other hikers out enjoying the day.  Then we headed back down to head to Harper's Ferry. 
The hike into Harper's Ferry is an easy one once you're past the parking area.  Here the Appalachian Trail travels along part of the C&O Canal Towpath which is a level hike.  While I was getting tired, my injury was holding up pretty well.  I learned that if I take smaller strides, there was less strain on my hip muscles.
Along the way to Harper's Ferry, we were passed by two trains, and watched a Great Blue Heron fishing in the Potomac.  The only drawback in my opinion was the bicyclists.  While some are polite when sharing the trail, some are rather rude and indignant, as if hikers shouldn't be hiking along their bike path.

We finally made it to the footbridge heading into Harper's Ferry.  The sun was starting to set, and we were all getting a little tired.  We stopped for some ice cream before my cousin went to get her car to take us back to the starting point.  It was a great hike, especially for me as I was mostly pain free.  It was a sure sign that I'm on the mend.

Backpacking Trip: The Final Push

The 4th and final day of the hike turned out to be gorgeous.  My cousin and I got up and got ready to head out to meet up with my mom and husband.  My aunt decided to join us, so we made our way to Harper's Ferry.
In the meantime, my mom and husband prepared to make their way to Harper's Ferry.  Their breakfast that morning was just some oatmeal (my breakfast was waffles and eggs).  From the looks of their photos, this section of the height is gorgeous.  Both said they were pretty tired on this section.  My mom thinks a lot of their fatigue was because they didn't have a bigger breakfast and what they had didn't offer protein for their muscles.
The views from Weverton Cliffs were spectacular, but the trail down was killer.  After descending Weverton Cliffs, the trail goes under an overpass and follows the C&O Canal footpath.  My mom thought the area under the overpass was creepy, and the footpath seemed  never ending.  This was mostly because they were both tired and ready to be done.  My mom also said that they could see the church steeple in Harper's Ferry so they thought they were close, but in reality they still had miles left to hike.

My husband with my cousin and I photobombing in the background

My cousin, aunt and I were patiently waiting for their arrival.  We were watching the stairs that lead up to the footbridge over the river.  Finally I noticed a familiar form slowly pulling himself up the steps.  We made our way down the bridge to meet them.  They were so tired, they didn't even notice the shenanigans going on just past my husband's shoulder.  We all walked back across the bridge and met up with my dad and son who came to take us all home.  We weren't able to find any parking available, so we said our good byes to my aunt and cousin and headed out to find food. 
I don't think I've ever seen two people enjoy food more.  There's just something about eating a burger when you've been eating your meals out of a Ziploc bag after adding boiling water to them.  I'm hoping to get back and finish the parts of the Maryland section that I missed.  Luckily it's only a two day trip, so I won't miss any time from work plus I'm hoping my 10 year old goes as well.  He recently received his own Osprey backpack so he can start joining us for trips.

Backpacking Trip: Day 2

View from Annapolis Rocks

The second day of our trip dawned on an overcast morning.  The rain from the night was long gone, and the sky had a promise of sun.  Unfortunately, I can't say the same for my disposition.  I did not sleep during the night.  Between the privy runs in torrential downpours, the changing of wet clothes, the worry about getting my new down sleeping bag wet, the worry my tent would leak and the ever increasing pain in my butt, it's a wonder I didn't wake up mutated into a shorter version of Godzilla ready to destroy Tokyo grumpier than I was.  We ate breakfast and packed up camp and got ready to head down the trail.  I was personally trying hard not to cry and failing.  It really was not a good morning.  I didn't care about the view, all I wanted to do was get moving.  I knew that my aunt had planned to meet us at our stop for the night at Dahlgren Campground.  All morning, I struggled mentally about whether or not I should make the choice to end my hike.  The pain was pretty bad, especially on any inclines, and I knew I had some inclines coming in the next couple of days.  I kept thinking that if I ended my trip, I would be failing, and then I was fighting back the tears again, which made it difficult to breathe while carrying 30 pounds with a bad ass.  I tried to keep quiet and push on.  As we hiked south, we began meeting up with day hikers heading north to Annapolis Rocks.  Annapolis Rocks is a popular destination for the view, hiking and rock climbing.  These people carried nothing except small hydration packs or day packs and some were wearing nothing more than flip flops.  I hated each and every one of them on sight.  The happier they were, the more I plotted their demise resented them.

My cousin, myself and my husband

Finally, we made it to the Interstate 70 overpass.  This was my husband's thrill of the trip.  As a kid (and adult) he passed under that bridge on trips to visit his grandparents, and he always wanted to walk across it.  My cousin and I did our best to muster pleasant faces for the photos that we weren't thrilled about having to take.

Once we crossed over the bridge, we meandered around people's backyards before deciding to take a break and have a snack.  We met a few people out for a day hike who were headed the same direction we were.  One was a Hispanic man in a bright yellow shirt (he's important later).  After resting and eating some snacks, we got up and headed back on the trail.  Our plan was to hike the roughly 3 miles to the Washington Monument (the original one in Boonsboro, MD not the one in DC) and eat our lunch there.
It was a grueling 3 miles because 1. It was the longest 3 miles I've ever hiked and 2. There was a never ending mountain hill.  As we climbed the mountain hill, I had to stop every couple of feet to rest and stretch my butt.  It was about this time that my mom began feeding me lifesavers.  My cousin swore several times that we were "almost there" and several times she came near death when each time we were nowhere near almost there and more mountain hill lay in front of us. Then I spotted something bright yellow making its way down the hill.  It was the Hispanic man we had met earlier.  He took one look at me and said "Jew are berry close, berry close" in his accented English.  I think I said "God bless you" 4 or 5 times to him as I realized that I wasn't in the 4th level of hell  going to be hiking this mountain hill forever.  I now refer to that man as my "Little Ray of Mexican Sunshine".

We did finally make it to the top.  There we met 2 men headed north on a hike and we stopped to chat with them.  I asked how far it was to the Dahlgren campground.  One said less than a mile and his partner said, "No it isn't, remember you can't trust information from other hikers on the trail"  Turned out it was more like 2 miles.  I thought about all the horrific stories we heard about upcoming terrain from The Wannabes and Eeyore and realized the guy was right, you can't trust the information.  They assured us that the hike wasn't too bad and that we wouldn't have any trouble getting there after we ate. 

We got to the monument and sat on the bench for lunch.  The Monument was still closed for repairs.  Prior to our trip, the monument was struck by lightning and damaged.  There were 2 women in it at the time, and one was seriously hurt.  That afternoon it was a sunny, though windy, day.  There were 2 men there bird watching.  I assumed they were watching peregrine falcons, but I was too tired to bother to go ask them.
The vultures were there. Circling.
Normally I would be interested in walking around and looking at the view, but all I wanted to do was die not move.  My mom walked around and took pictures, thankfully.
















After lunch and a rest, we headed out.  At this point, I had made the decision that I needed to end the hike.  My cousin had also come to this decision as she was dealing with some pain as well.  My husband is the one who really pushed that I needed to stop.  So the choice was made, my cousin and I would be heading to her house for the remainder of the trip while my mom and husband continued on.  As we made our way down the trail, we discovered that there was more to the Washington Monument State Park than we realized.  Down the hill from the monument, there are pavilions, picnic areas, a museum and bathrooms.  Had we known, we might have eaten our lunch comfortably at a picnic table. 
As we hiked on, we that we would all have dinner at the Olde South Mountain Inn which was where we were meeting my aunt.  The thought of a hot meal that didn't require me to boil water and a soft bed I didn't have to blow up gave me a little extra energy (not to mention all the extra sugar from the lifesaver candies my mom was handing me). We reached the parking lot of the restaurant and my cousin and I sat on the curb and waited while my mom and husband went to set up their camp at the Dahlgren Backpacking campsite.  When my aunt pulled in, my cousin and I were all smiles and waving.  My aunt commented that we made it past MD 77 which was further than she thought we would make it (like I said, she's hilarious).
When my mom and husband made it back, we all headed into the restaurant.  We weren't exactly dressed for the occasion, though luckily, none of us stunk too bad.  There was a wedding rehearsal dinner going on, and we were all a little self conscious about our clothes.  The staff at the Inn were very nice and treated us just like any other customer who might be in better attire.  Our meals were awesome as was the dessert.  Starting back on day 1 about an hour into the hike, we were all dreaming about food.  I guess when you're hiking through the woods with little to no signs of civilization carrying everything you need to survive on your back, food becomes an obsession.  My mom, cousin and husband started talking about Key Lime pie and continued talking about it right up until we were seated at the table in the Inn. And wouldn't you know it, the South Mountain Inn had Key Lime pie.  I had the chocolate Godiva cake and it was awesome.  This turned out to be a surprise gem in our trip.  We had a great time, ate great food and had a great waiter.  The only odd treatment we received was some hoity toity blonde woman who turned her nose up at us as we walked out (I swear we didn't stink).  For those planning hikes along the trail here, note that the menu is pricey (though so worth it).  After dinner, we said our goodbyes and my cousin and I headed to her place for showers and clean clothes.  It was up there in my top 5 showers (hard to beat the shower I had after living in a field for several days at the UFO Ranch in Washington or the one I had after a weekend of Scout Camporee and nothing but Port-a-Pottys)

Day 3 coming up!