Appalachian Trail Hiking Maryland West Virginia

Hike #27 From Bike Tires to Hiking Boots: A Full-Circle Journey to Harpers Ferry

Kim FordJuly 27, 2025144

Day 4 Maryland COMPLETE | July 27, 2025 | Hiking with Katie |10.28 miles, 899 ft ascent, 1,614 ft descent | Gathland State Park, MD to Harpers Ferry, WV

Zipline at Pen Mark Park at PA/Maryland Border

There are some moments in life where you pause, take a deep breath, and realize just how far you’ve come. Not just in miles, but in meaning. This weekend, Katie and I completed the entire Maryland section of the Appalachian Trail, ending in Harpers Ferry, WV. And while it was an incredible physical accomplishment, the story behind it goes deeper.

We started Day 1 at the Pennsylvania border early in the morning, excited and ready to hike. Before we even hit the trail, we found zip lines tucked in the park and of course, we had to try them. (Wouldn’t you?) 😄 It was the perfect reminder to embrace the fun, the spontaneous, and the childlike joy in every journey. That set the tone for the next 40+ miles of hiking.

The final stretch into Harpers Ferry was on the C&O Canal, a flat, peaceful path that felt worlds apart from the rocky climbs of earlier days. But here’s the full-circle moment: that very trail is the same one Katie and I rode on during our 350-mile bike journey from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC back in June of 2017. I’ll never forget the moment we biked into Harpers Ferry, tired but energized, and met thru-hikers from the Appalachian Trail. I had never even heard of the AT before that trip, yet I remember thinking how incredible those hikers must be to even attempt to hike that kind of distance.

2017 in Harpers Ferry meeting an AT thru-hiker named Uncle Heather

Fast forward to now, and we’re some of those (maybe a little crazy) people. Today, standing here with Katie, not as spectators but as hikers who completed the Maryland section, was surreal.

I’m so incredibly proud of my daughter. She works hard, trains harder, and gives her best to everything she does. Whether it’s producing or directing sports broadcasts or hiking 40+ miles of mountainous terrain, she shows up. Every time.

This wasn’t just about completing a section of trail. It was about bonding, reflecting, and reminding ourselves that time spent together doing hard things builds legacy. It was about honoring the past, celebrating the present, and being intentional about the future.

Sometimes, the trail you take brings you right back to the place that sparked the dream… only now, you’re living it.

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