Considering an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, or curious about trail life? You’re in the right place! This post continues our journey with week-by-week insights into trail life.
Hi! I’m Cindy. In 2022, my husband, Barrett, and I completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail! 🥳
I journaled daily on the trail. Now, every month, I post another week of our AT journey for anyone interested in our thru-hike tale!
🔗 Want to start at the beginning with week one? 👉 Click here.
🔗 Browse all the weekly trail journals 👉 Here.
If you plan to attempt an AT thru-hike, be ready for an incredible adventure! Before diving into week fifteen, here’s some background on how our own journey evolved.
After months of research, we originally planned to hike northbound (NOBO) from Georgia starting in early April.
However, by week thirteen, we assessed our pace and progress relative to the main NOBO group and decided to switch to a flip-flop thru-hike, altering our route to better suit our needs and preferences.
(Looking back, starting as Flip Floppers from the beginning, or as NOBOs but starting in March instead of April, would have matched our pace and style better from the start.)
Just know, when picking a route for the Appalachian Trail, you can always change it up anytime!
👉 Click here for tips on where and when to start an Appalachian Trail Thru Hike. 👈
👉 And click here for advice on thru-hiking backpacking gear. 👈
Alrighty! Welcome back to my Appalachian Trail journal series! Now, let’s dive into the specifics of week fifteen and pick up where we left off on the trail.
Week fifteen of our Appalachian Trail hike was one for the books. We soaked up the beauty of Shenandoah National Park, complete with panoramic ridgeline views, a detour to the park’s highest peak, and even a sit-down pasta dinner, before trading the scenic park for a rockier, more rugged stretch headed out of Virginia and toward West Virginia.
The week wrapped up with one of the most emotional moments of our entire journey: walking into Harpers Ferry, WV, and reaching the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (aka, the Unofficial Halfway Point of the AT).
Add in some family time, a pool day, a trip to Hersheypark, and preparation for our flip up to Maine, and week fifteen had a little bit of everything.
Day 99
July 12, 2022
This morning, we took advantage of the nearby lodge’s coffee offerings and bathrooms.
As Barrett returned to our camping area from the lodge, he told me he had been followed by a grey fox down the trail for a few minutes and showed me a video.
When he was looking at her, she would pause, but then when he turned his back on her, she would follow him and bark at him. The video gave a very protective vibe. She must have had kits near the trail.
We also ordered some new shoes via the cell phone before taking off.
After all of that, we were on our way and hiking by 11:25 am.
We took a blue blaze that added a bit of mileage to reach Hawksbill Summit, so we could say we hit the tallest peak in Shenandoah National Park while we were there.
We reached the Skyland Lodge area by dinner time, just before round one of the evening’s incoming storm hit.
While there, we enjoyed a pasta dinner (they even had a gluten-free option!), drinks, and dessert in the Pollock Dining Room.
After a lovely dinner, we ran into the woods and set up camp, mere moments before the big storm came rolling in.
✔️ Length: 7.8 AT trail miles
Day 100
July 13, 2022
Last night, we camped at what I’m guessing officials would have deemed a little too close to the trail and amenities. However, we were full from that dinner, it was pouring outside, and we knew there was a Starbucks in the Skyland Lodge for some extra morning motivation.
Decisions were made.
At 6:00 pm today, we’re getting picked up at mile marker 944.4 for some family time. 😻
We had the luxury of a little bit of moseying around time on this day since we only had to hike 9.6 miles.
So, we had a brekkie chat with another thru-hiker, Toga.
We also waited for Barrett to be ready to poo. 😂 (He’s going to hate that I put that in here.) 😬 But I did it to point out that when you have mosey time, you get to choose to wait to use an actual restroom, instead of having to hide and dig a hole off-trail in a crowded national park.
By 10:50 am, we were walking.
We hit up a handful of Shenandoah National Park landmarks along the trail today, and had beautiful weather and views at them all!
Here’s the view from Stony Man Mountain:
And the view from Little Stony Man Mountain:
And from The Pinnacles:
We also saw a lot of lilies today (which I love): 😻
And then this next view was not at an official landmark, just an outcropping we decided to pause at.
I remember this stop fondly, and honestly, it was the best of the day.
We snacked and reflected on what we had accomplished so far, including the decision to flip and, overall, how wild it was to be this close to closing out the southern portion of the Appalachian Trail!
Lastly, the view from Marys Rock:
At 6:00 pm, Barrett’s step-siblings, Dustin and Rachelle, picked us up at mile marker 944.4.
The next five days would include a mix of family time and slackpacking.
They also took us to Sheetz. Here’s an actual food order placed by two hungry thru-hikers:
Note: Here is some important information to understand our hike from this point on:
A while back, we decided we wanted to do our flip from Harpers Ferry. Barrett, who was originally very attached to ending our hike at Katahdin but also hails from West Virginia, felt he could justify ending it at Harpers Ferry instead.
Therefore, we had hoped to be a bit closer to his family (near Harpers Ferry) by this date, but this is as far as we made it. They were kind enough to make the extra drive.
So, in order to make our flip from Harpers Ferry happen, this is how the rest of our hike will play out:
- We are taking July 14th off to spend with family.
- On July 15th, we will pick up our hike at mile marker 999.4 and leave behind our first-ever gap (which we will come back to complete later this year: 55 miles between 944.4 and 999.4).
- On July 16th, we will reach Harpers Ferry.
- On July 17th and 18th, we will spend more time with family.
- Then, on July 19th, we will start our drive to Maine with my mom so we can complete our Katahdin hike on July 21st, since July 20th and July 21st were the Baxter State Park lean-to camping dates so kindly gifted to us via Facebook back in Week 13.
(I know that was a lot. I hope it all made sense! I have always found this part of the flip to be the most difficult to explain.)
✔️ Length: 9.6 AT trail miles
Day 101
July 14, 2022
We spent this day in and around Waynesboro, PA, with some family before they took off for their summer vacation. (We wanted to be sure we saw them before leaving, hence the jump forward for the moment.)
Our room during our stay 😂 😍:
Here we are at High Rock Overlook in Maryland:
My mom also went to REI on this day and sent us a bunch of pictures of backpacking meals and meal bars she could grab for us to bring along on our flip up to Maine. We circled what we wanted and sent it back to her.
Here’s a glimpse into what eating on the trail for us looked like:
Also, here is a glimpse into what week 15 Appalachian Trail thru-hiker feet look like:
✔️ Length: 0 AT trail miles
Day 102
July 15, 2022
This morning we were back on the trail! Barrett’s dad and stepmom dropped us off at mile marker 999.4 for a short slackpack.
We’ve jumped into the middle of a section called the rollercoaster because it has a lot of ups and downs and, of course, also rocks.
We of course saw more deer and tons of squirrels.
Also, lots of birds today. It felt like we were in an aviary in the first five or so miles.
This day was very different than the Shenandoah National Park portion of the trail we left behind, looking much more like a traditional forest.
The rollercoaster lived up to its name; it was not smooth. Also, so many rocks. Honestly, so rocky we didn’t even notice elevation as much.
Next, we encountered a wild four-lane highway crossing, complete with an informative historical sign to read before risking it all in our bolt across the pavement.
Then, we reached West Virginia!
Here’s Barrett, celebrating his arrival in his home state of West Virginia:
The trail changed and got sandy once we crossed into West Virginia and exited the rollercoaster, which was lovely.
There were a couple of small views on this day, but nothing like what we were getting in Shenandoah. At times, there were large boulders and some stream crossings.
It was a shorter slackpack, but it was somehow still rough on our bodies.
We were in the middle of what I would call “a traditional American forest” all day.
At the end of the hike, Quigley (who you may remember from the first couple weeks of the journal) picked us up at the Blackburn Trail Center and drove us back toward Barrett’s dad’s house.
(They had a cabin there for hikers to stay in, which would have been a very cool place to spend the night if things played out differently.)
✔️ Length: 14.3 AT trail miles
Day 103
July 16, 2022
This morning, Barrett’s dad and stepmom dropped us back at the Blackburn Trail Center, and we started hiking by 9:45 am.
There was very little up and down on this day.
It rained on us for about an hour early on, but dried out by the end of the day.
Here’s some of the rain that was coming down while we were at the Keys Gap road crossing:
Once again, there was a lot of ridge walking, but the forest was more open today.
We saw lots of ferns, green grass, berries, and deer.
There were still a few rocky sections, but they were split up for the most part, with lots of super easy flat path between them.
Eventually we connected with the Loudoun Heights Trail near Harpers Ferry, which we have hiked before.
However, it looked completely different from the last time we hiked it; they must have cut down half the trees, and there was a lot of trail work done. Some parts were so well manicured it seemed almost like we were in a city park around the last few miles out of the mountain.
For the next little bit, the trail crossed in and out of Virginia and West Virginia, then officially back into West Virginia for good.
Once we reached the bridge over the Potomac River, we both got emotional.
Both the feeling of accomplishment and the fact that we are nuts hit us at the same time. 😹
By 4:00 pm, we reached the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry, WV, marking the Unofficial Halfway Point of the Appalachian Trail!! 😭😭🥳🥳
There was a past thru-hiker named Poptart working there. He was awesome, and he took our pic for the thru-hiker book.
He made us feel accomplished, made the visit feel triumphant, and told us a lot about Maine.
We were picked up by Barrett’s dad and stepmom at the ATC, and then went to Harpers Ferry Brewing, where Barrett had a celebratory pretzel, and I had an ice cream flight.
✔️ Length: 11.7 AT trail miles
Day 104
July 17, 2022
This was a zero day with Barrett’s side of the family, spent mostly at the pool.
✔️ Length: 0 AT trail miles
Day 105
July 18, 2022
And this was a Hersheypark day with Barrett’s side of the family!
Cindy & Barrett Theme Park Fun Facts:
1️⃣ I spent a summer working on a rollercoaster during my undergrad years.
2️⃣ Barrett proposed to me on a Ferris Wheel. 🎡 ❤️
We had the best time, rode so many rides, and ate all the things! A day at Hersheypark was just what the doctor ordered.
Tomorrow we start our drive to Maine with my mom and begin making our flip official!
✔️ Length: 0 AT trail miles
Conclusion: Week Fifteen of our Appalachian Trail Hike
Week fifteen was a week of milestones, memories, and a whole lot of terrain variety. From the sweeping vistas of Shenandoah to the emotional bridge crossing into Harpers Ferry, this stretch of trail reminded us exactly why we took on this adventure in the first place.
With the unofficial halfway point officially behind us, and the flip to Maine on the horizon, the excitement was very real. Stay tuned for week sixteen, where we head north to tackle the beginning of our flip and Mount Katahdin!
