Outdoors Girl: Devil of a day at South Mountain State Park - Maryland parks and outdoors: Life in Maryland’s great outdoors by Candy Thomson

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July 8, 2010

Devil of a day at South Mountain State Park

After completing the Park Quest at South Mountain State Park, I have a new respect for the Civil War soldiers who marched up and down these hills in wool uniforms and without bug spray.

This challenge included a 2-mile, round-trip hike along the Appalachian Trail to Fox Gap, where a general from each side died in the fighting on Sept. 14, 1862.

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."

It was said about the bloody battle for a small piece of turf on South Mountain, according to the historic marker at the battlefield's edge.

The devils would feel right at home on a day like today.

Heading for home now. Friday is another day and four more Quests.

Park Quest 24/7 tracker

The monument to Union General Jesse Reno, who died in the battle for South Mountain in 1862.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Park Quest 2010

Comments

Enjoy your own bed and shower tonight, you earned it! You are doing GREAT!

Posted by: Nita | July 8, 2010 9:26 PM

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About Candus Thomson

In a world of paper vs. plastic and candy mint vs. breath mint, my early memories involved a debate about the merits of freshwater vs. saltwater.

On the one hand, a great uncle’s fishing cabin on the Susquehanna River beckoned, but so did family gatherings on the Jersey Shore.

The correct answer, thankfully, was, “both.”

As The Sun’s outdoors writer for more than a decade, I’ve fished across Maryland in one day, hiked the width of the state in one hour, camped overnight in the median of I-95 to experience the wildlife between the fast lanes and chased mountain bikers in a 24-hour marathon race.

Those are some of the highlights. I’ve also fallen in a raging Gunpowder River during a trout survey (photo available upon request), had a shark spill its guts on my clothes and been stuck in a sub-freezing Vermont wilderness with men armed with flintlocks and hatchets, shuffling along on ancient wooden snowshoes.

And, in my travels I’ve met lots of you, who share a love of the outdoors and the good times and mishaps that go along with it.

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