Harpers Ferry Hike and Shaq

Took advantage of the nice weather Saturday, May 7 (partly cloudy, windy, high in the 70s) to hike up Maryland Heights opposite Harpers Ferry. Brother EB and friend JK came along, and the Dog as well. I assigned her the task of carrying her own provisions, which seemed to make her happy as she likes to feel like she is contributing. We started near ATC HQ, about a mile above the railroad bridge over the Potomac. After walking down the hill through town, past Hilltop House, crossing the bridge and going about a quarter mile up the C&O towpath, we reached the trailhead. The trail is a five mile loop hike, with a fairly steep uphill grade for the first half (and, of course, an equally steep grade downhill for the second half), gaining 1,100 feet in 2.5 miles. On the way up, we passed old civil war gun emplacements and powder magazines. On the top are the ruins of the Union fort, including a 100-pound battery (a very large cannon for its day), that commanded the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers for much of the Civil War. On the way back down is a spur trail - about a half mile round trip from the main trail – that leads to the cliffs overlooking Harper’s Ferry, with a spectacular view up and down the Potomac, and up the Shenandoah. This is one of the more scenic vistas available within a few hours of DC and well worth the trip. For those who want to do this hike, I recommend paying the park service fee and parking your car near the railroad bridge in Harpers Ferry, unless you want to cap off your day hike with a one-mile uphill hike, like we did. It would have been worse if any of the taverns in Harpers Ferry allowed dogs, which they don’t. Doing that last uphill leg with cool muscles and a belly full of beer would not have been much fun. As it stood, we waited until we got back to Ashburn, only 35 minutes away, to quaff a few cold ones. Next time, I may leave a six-pack in a cooler in the trunk.

No observations on the world today, although a minor rejoinder on the Kwame Brown posting is in order. Sports divas, as I've said, are the bane of professional sports. Shaquille O’Neal has proved that point in the past several days. He is “boycotting” the media for several days because he wasn’t voted MVP this year. I just can’t root for a player who behaves like that, regardless of how talented he is. Michael Wilbon wrote a relatively balanced piece in today’s Post on the subject. Wilbon could have gone further in refuting any insinuations of racism, and his criticism of Shaq was more circumspect than it needed to be, but at least he set the facts out on the table. Steve Nash earned the award fair and square, and that’s the way it goes. Shaq had a strong case, but he came up short in the voting. He has every reason to be disappointed. However, Mr. O’Neal would be doing himself and the rest of us a favor if he would react with a little grace and dignity, and check his attitude at the door.