Hike #25 Best Laid Plans & Beauty of the Detour
Day 2 | July 25, 2025 | Hiking with Katie | 9.19 miles, 1,175 ft ascent, 1,339 ft descent | Wolfsville Road to Route 40
Sometimes, the trail teaches you lessons you didn’t expect, and today was one of those days.
We were up early, determined to beat the intense Maryland July heat with a 7 AM start. The forecast was brutal: real-feel temps reaching 110°, and tomorrow’s hike holds the longest stretch in Maryland without a bailout point. So today, we really wanted to knock out the longer day. Our plan? Park one car at Washington Monument State Park, shuttle (thanks to the amazing Carl) to Wolfsville Road, and then hike southbound.
But when we arrived at the park, ready to drop our car… the gate was locked. A sign greeted us: “Park opens at 8:00 AM.” Cue the sigh. We circled around, searching for a safe parking option… nothing. Finally, we made the call to head to the next access point: Route 40. It meant a shorter day than planned (9.19 miles instead of 12+), and a shift in our carefully mapped timeline. Frustrating? Definitely.
At first, it felt like another plan foiled by forces outside our control. But as the miles unfolded, something unexpected happened, as it often does on the AT.
We met so many people on the trail today. One thru-hiker named Jedi was absolutely glowing with excitement (or maybe that was sweat gleaming in the sunlike) since he was almost at the halfway point between Georgia and Maine. His joy was contagious. Later, we met a father and son who had just bought their first trekking poles and had no idea how to use them. We gave them a quick crash course, focusing on keeping three points of contact which is a crucial safety principle that helps maintain stability and prevent falls. They were so grateful, and you could tell they felt more confident heading into the woods.
It made me pause and reflect: maybe this was what today was meant to be.
Not a perfectly planned 12-mile hike, but a day for engagement and going with the flow.
Even Katie, who had no privy today (just the great outdoors😂), took it in stride.
The Appalachian Trail has a funny way of giving you what you need, not necessarily what you planned. Sometimes that’s a summit. Other times it’s a locked gate that leads to an unexpected encounter or a moment of impact.
And maybe that’s what trailblazing is really about…showing up, adjusting when needed, and trusting the journey… even when it reroutes. Now we have to figure out how to make up those 3.6 miles. Onward, Kim