Maryland Complete!!!

Another state complete, Maryland was short, but quite enjoyable.  I would definitely recommend hiking Maryland to individuals who are new to backpacking and want to give it a try.  Maryland's terrain is rather easy overall, but still has a great variety of terrain and flora to keep you interested and entertained.

Tuesday 9 June 2015
My CVMA brother Riversnipe dropped Mom and I off at the trailhead near Ensign Cowall shelter and we said our final goodbyes.  Riversnipe and his wife Randi were absolutely amazing supporters and trail angels!!

It has been awhile since we got to stroll through an open field, Hendo's Mom trudging north through Maryland.

All throughout Maryland we were walking through history.  This rock wall was definitely built to keep someone or something out, probably the damn Yankees.  It is by far one of the largest rock walls we have come across, approximately 4ft tall x 5ft wide.

A view of the wall while hiking over it.

A big ol' toad out for a hop up the AT

Quite the handsome fella

We spent the night at Raven Rock shelter and met Ranger, a fellow 2015 thru-hiker.  Ranger is 74 years young, a Vietnam combat veteran, Army Ranger and fellow paratrooper.  It was great to hear his stories and meet a fellow paratrooper!!!

Wednesday 10 June 2015
There have been a few days of extremely hot and humid weather, so Mom and I have been getting up at 0530 hrs and getting on trail at 0630-0700 hrs, hiking until noon, taking a break during the heat of the day and getting back on at 1700 hrs and hiking until 2000hrs.  On this day we were up and on trail at 0630hrs and making great time until Mom tripped on a rock, falling to her left, bouncing off the left side of the trail, landing on the right side of the trail, rolling twice and ending up splayed out in the middle of the trail.  She was like a pinball bouncing back and forth and rolling all over the place.  She told me to let her lie still for a minute before helping her up, so I snapped a quick picture.  She is ok, just a twisted ankle and bruised right rib cage area.

Maryland is pretty much flat, but it does have a couple of interesting rocky areas, which helps to keep it 'fun' and interesting.

We hit the trail magic jackpot when we arrived at PenMar County Park, just south of the Mason Dixon Line/MD PA state border.  Women from the Rouzerville United Methodist Church in Waynesboro, PA set up a buffet of yummy food items for we thru-hikers at the overlook pavillion in Pen Mar County Park.  The amazing ladies said they come out every Wednesday to feed we hikers as the NOBO bubble passes through.

While the church ladies were amazing, Ragan the Pen Mar County Park overseer was a complete Jackwagon and one of the few and rudest people we have come across on the trail.  Our tent was wet and needed to be dried out, so we hung our tent and fly over two benches in the sun.  There were numerous benches and picnic tables throughout the park and no one was near or using the rwo benches we hung our tent over.  Ragan came over and told us we were not allowed to hang out our tent.  We explained we would just be 20-30 minutes and then we would be moving on as we were hiking the AT.  He said he didn't care we weren't allowed to hang it out and sped away in his golfcart.  Mom and I ignored him and let the tent dry.  20 minites later Ragan came back and said we needed to pack up our tent again.  Mom amd I had had enough of him and packed up and moved on.  We weren't hurting anything or anyone, heck we were the only people in the park, but yet Ragan had to come and boss somebody around, such a jerk.

And Maryland is done, we made it to the Mason-Dixon Line, the stateline between Maryland and Pennsylvania!!!