Maryland AT: privies and bear cables?

[bigben]

Me and my son will be hitting the AT Wednesday the 7th, hiking southbound from the Free State Hiker Hostel to Harpers Ferry. Completely new trail to me. Which shelters and areas have privies and bear cables? Is there a restroom or water spigot at: Annapolis Rocks? Washington Monument? Dahlgren? Gathland SP? If anyone has any recent first hand info on the water situation, as well as the ticks/skeeters, and anything else I'd want to know, please post it.

Also, how much can I expect to spend on dinner for two at the South Mountain Inn?

Thanks in advance,

Bigben

[couscous]

Some of your questions can be answered by looking at the ALDHA guide - pages 126-128 http://www.aldha.org/companyn/wv-ny10.pdf

[Don H]

Dahlgren CG has hot showers. If camping near Gathland check out Maple Tree CG about 1/2 mile by road from the War Correspondent monument. Ticks and Lyme disease is a real concern in MD. You should make yourself aware of symptoms and prevention.

[Mrs Baggins]

There are regular restrooms at Washington Monument State Park and at Gathland. There is a spigot outside of the restrooms at Gathland. Gnats are HUGE problem right now along that section. I've been out 4 times between Jun 17 - Jun 29 and they were worse every time. Mosquitoes were a problem at Pine Knob shelter, if you go there, in mid-June. Dahlgren Backpack Campground is excellent - real restrooms, hot showers, nice tent sites and picnic tables - all free. Garvey shelter is very nice but know that the spring is 4/10's of a mile straight down the hill from the shelter and that's a long climb back up if you're loaded down with water. If you can load up at Gathland and arrive with plenty of water to drink and cook, you'd probably be fine. No real water sources after the Garvey shelter all the way to Harpers Ferry - - unless you attempt to get down to the river. Could be dangerous.