Yep, I hiked it, 120+ miles in 12 days. Handles are removed from iodine-treated wells between Nov. 15 and Apr. 15. With all the sewage treatment plants along the Potomac River, I did not boil, treat, or use any water from the Potomac. I boiled some water from a small creek at mile 134, but otherwise carried everything I drank. I left Paw Paw carrying 7 liters, left Williamsport carrying 6, and left Shepherdstown carrying 4. If I had to do it over, I might leave town carrying a little more. My sleeping bag weighs 4 pounds and my Texsport tent weighs 3.5 pounds. I carried a cell phone, a tablet, a Z-lite pad, a Big Agnes Q-core inflatable, six pairs of socks, three pairs of underwear, thermal bottoms, snow pants, two fleece jackets, tea kettle, alcohol stove, food, toilet paper, bandages, tape, nylon jacket, Frogg Toggs jacket, two headlamps, spare batteries, two lighters, two shirts, three pairs of nylon pants, a tablespoon, and a plastic knife, so anything but ultralight. A few days I did more than ten miles, and some days less. I walked a mile every 25 minutes (2.4 MPH), or 20 minutes (3 MPH) on my long day resupplying in Shepherdstown on top of the 12.5 miles between successive hiker biker campsites.
It snowed on me for about an hour one morning, and rained on me for 3 miles into Harpers Ferry. Otherwise, precipitation fell at night while I was in my tent. There were miles of ice and colder temperatures near Cumberland, but mostly got above freezing during the day.
After Hancock, the trail surface was all gravel, with no hiker-friendly grassy median. Just as I was ready to curse the hard terrain, I encountered a long stretch of mud where the trail was under construction.
It snowed on me for about an hour one morning, and rained on me for 3 miles into Harpers Ferry. Otherwise, precipitation fell at night while I was in my tent. There were miles of ice and colder temperatures near Cumberland, but mostly got above freezing during the day.
After Hancock, the trail surface was all gravel, with no hiker-friendly grassy median. Just as I was ready to curse the hard terrain, I encountered a long stretch of mud where the trail was under construction.
I am human and I need to be loved - just like everybody else does