“Wisdom says we are nothing.
Love says we are everything.
Between these two our life flows.”
– Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
I am unsure how many times I have hiked the Maryland Heights trail that starts in Harpers Ferry and takes you on a short, but steep climb. The boys and I decided to complete it a few weekends ago, for old time’s sake. I know I sometimes spend too much time with my nostalgia, but when my current situation started to feel familiar I sought comfort by retracing my steps. Days leading up the trip I was haunted by a familiar malaise – different relationship, different reason- but the same sinking gut feeling. There’s that old adage “You have survived 100% of your worst days.” Sensing impending life shifts and bad days ahead I sought nature, familiarity and quality time with my boys. The nagging negativity I was trying to leave behind sat trapped in my chest. Too many times in my kids’ lives I have thrown the three of us in a car to drive off for an adventure so I could clear my head, let nature cleanse my emotional baggage and bond with the two people who mean the most to me. We arrived later than I intended, so the lower lot in Harpers Ferry was full, so I had to park at the Visitor Center Parking Lot outside of town. We took the shuttle down to the town rather than adding more miles. The hike itself is a 4.5 mile out and back, with 1,079ft elevation gain.
Our several trips to Harpers Ferry always started at the upper parking lot. We normally hike down to town, passing Jefferson Rock and walking on the Appalachian Trail for a bit too. We hadn’t taken the shuttle to town since 2020. The perfectly timed recording plays twangy country tunes before the audio starts in telling the passengers about the history of Harpers Ferry. Once a powerhouse in the industrial revolution, Harpers Ferry was once destroyed by floods, the Civil War and neglect. In 1944 President Roosevelt signed the Harpers Ferry National Monument bill which hoped to restore the historic town’s remaining buildings and create a tourist destination. Between then and 1963, when it became Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, a lot of work went into creating the quaint downtown. Buildings built before 1859 were restored, evictions were made, buildings completed after 1859 were torn down and museums and visitors centers were constructed. Harpers Ferry is most well known for John Brown’s raid, the start of the Civil War. After we disembarked from the bus in the lower town, we walked past John Brown’s Fort, which was an old fire engine house that the Park Services moved closer to the water to prevent people from fishing and swimming in the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers – a move to boost tourism and decrease recreational use of the area.
The boys and I walked up the ramp to the Winchester and Potomac Railroad bridge that takes you from Harpers Ferry, WV to Sandy Hook, MD. After crossing the bridge, a set of stairs takes you down and to the right the AT continues north, to the left is the C&O Canal Tow Path, and further ahead Maryland Heights trail. Despite the sunshine that day, the wind across the open Tow Path was chilly. We crossed Harpers Ferry Road where the start of the climb begins. Between the wind protection from the trees, and the ascent, we warmed up quickly! The trail is wide, well worn from its popularity and offers only a few level spots on the almost 1,000 foot climb. James, my oldest, plowed ahead of us. As we climbed I pointed out spots where we had stopped in trips past, either because they were much smaller and wore out quickly back then, or low blood sugars had forced us to stop, eat, recover. As it turned out, Charlie’s blood sugar went low, so we stopped for a few minutes on some tree stumps on the right of the trail to treat his low blood sugar.
“Information is just bits of data. Knowledge is putting them together. Wisdom is transcending them.” -Ram Dass
As we continued to climb, I became very appreciative of my time in nature and all the patience I have cultivated from these adventures with the boys, and also the serenity it gives me. Just as sometimes climbs can feel impossible, the future seems ominous, slowing down my mind and taking the time to find stillness, beauty and gratitude to be a part of this ecosystem gets me through the harder times. After the trail summits about 2 miles in, there is a descent to the rocky outcrop that faces downtown Harpers Ferry. We made our way down, and James was still far ahead of us and also very adamant that Charlie and I were not to take the steep shortcuts. Surprisingly for a Saturday, the overlook was not too crowded. I have been there when it’s teeming with people. We enjoyed some trail snacks and we looked across to downtown Harpers Ferry and the surrounding mountains. Following the trail back to town, we decided to eat someplace new. Traditionally post-hike meals have been at Almost Heaven, but this time we went to Coach House Grill n’ Bar. The reviews aren’t great, but we all really enjoyed our food. I had forgotten that this was the bar that Ken and I went to after our first ever AT backpacking trip. Maybe the reviews aren’t great because they were welcoming to the stinky, smelly, fresh off the trail after a few day hikers?
“There’s hope even when your brain tells you there isn’t.” – John Green
On our way back to the car, we once again rode past the remains of the old Shanendoah canal and the ruins of the industrial buildings that used to power the small, industrial town. I started to think about romantic relationships. At what point do you give up, and walk away? Harpers Ferry has flooded several times throughout history. In 1870 the Shenandoah River rose high enough to trap many people on Virginius Island, ruin the homes and industrial buildings there and kill 42 people. Just 7 years later another flood was so bad it closed the Shenandoah Canal. I have had two serious relationships in adulthood, my ex-husband and the one I am currently in. If floods are fights, then they break emotional levies, they cause considerable damage and there is always the choice to make after the waters recede – clean up and rebuild, or walk away. The C&O canal has endured major flooding and exists today. I can only hope that the current relationship I am in can withstand “flooding,” “wars” and the stuff worth staying is restored while what was devastated can be torn down.
-Liz