On Monday, I went on my traditional birthday hike and decided to tackle Loudoun Heights trail at Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. I hiked around other Appalachian Trails and around Harper’s Ferry for a 16 mile trek. It was wonderful, though these old bones were rattling by the end of the day. I wanted to share some of the pictures with the blog.
For the Loudoun Heights portion of the hiking, I took the AT White Trail to the Loudoun Blue Trail and then took the Orange Trail back to hook up with the AT for the final stretch to Harper’s Ferry. I left my stick in the car, which was a mistake. Particularly with wet weather, sticks are a good idea (I ended up fashioning myself a walking stick). I also recommend long pants.
I ended up on the return going to the top of one of the hills where Storer College is located. A historically black college, Storer is also the location of the first U.S. meeting of the Niagara Movement with W.E.B. Du Bois. Nearby is a cemetery which is filled with very old grave and overlooks the town (just off the AT). The most striking thing is how many children are buried there — a reminder of the high fatality rate for children in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Here are some of the pictures from yesterday:
