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home » Hike For Discovery » HFD 2007 » Apr 21, 2007 - Washington Monument State Park to Annapolis Rocks

Meet the 2007 HFD Team

Aileen Goss
Andrea Hoffman
Brianna McMullen
Cindy Kiamko
Cindy Vogelberger
Clint Reach
Deb Donofrio
Ellen Brooks
Erin Noseworthy
 Greg Palmer
Heather Mitchell
Heidi Sowers
 Jessica Koman
Joel Shalowitz
 Kate Brotman
 Kate Greenberg
Kendra Plemmons
Kevin Pearson ‡
Kim Guercio
Kyle Bray *
Lisa Fronc *
Lauren Allen †
Olivia Darden
Patti Harden **
Paula Finkelstein
Terrill Esposito
Tracy Kight
Rosamaria Somarriba
Samuel Somarriba
** Hike Leader
* Mentor
† LLS Staff
‡ Honorary Team Member


Hike Hero - Gary

A Hike Hero in the Hike For Discovery program is a person that is currently fighting a blood cancer. The members of each group hike in honor of this individual.

The Hike Hero for the Maryland Chapter is Gary Todd. He first discovered he had enlarged lymph nodes during a visit to the hospital after having chest pains during a hike in late November 2003. In June 2005 he began feeling tired and experiencing night sweats. At first he thought he was worrying unnecessarily because of his impending retirement the next year. However, after a number of tests it was diagnosed with Stage 4, Non-Hodgkin’s spleenic lymphoma.

Gary underwent a chemotherapy treatment in six cycles over eighteen weeks and on January 1, 2006 went into remission. Unfortunately in late March of 2006 he began to feel sick again and in mid-May he began treatment with Rituxin*. He has been diagnosed with chronic lymphoma and will be taking Rituxin every ninety days for at least the next two years.

* Rituxin is an advanced and less invasive medicine that was made possible by money donated for research. It attacks only the cancerous cells and leaves healthy cells intact.







Apr 21, 2007 - 12th Training Hike
Washington Monument State Park to Annapolis Rocks

Time of Hike: 9:00 AM
Distance Hiked: 10.5 Miles
Temp During Hike: Low 55.9 °F   High 75.0 °F
Elevation Change: 700 Ft

This proved to be our most difficult hike yet but it was really fun and we were all prepared for it. We started at the elevation of 1600ft in Washington Monument State Park and headed north on the Appalachian Trail. Our route took us 3 miles and several hundred feet down the mountain to the footbridge over I-70 then we climbed another 2.2 miles up to Annapolis Rocks at an elevation of 1700ft.

Not only was this a long and steep hike, it was also our hottest one yet. There was not a cloud in the sky and since the leaves are still not out on the trees we had no shelter from the sun. It was perfect practice for the canyon.

When we arrived at Annapolis Rocks there was a group of people rock climbing so we had to share the view but we also had some entertainment while we ate lunch. It looked like a lot of fun but of course they wouldn’t share their ropes with us.

  About Washington Monument State Park
and the AT

Washington Monument State Park is the home of the first monument in the country built to honor George Washington. The monument was dedicated in 1827 and is a rugged stone tower on top of the mountain providing an excellent view of the valley below.

The Appalachian Trail, commonly known as simply the AT, is America’s first National Scenic Trail. It stretches 2,175 miles through 14 states with end points in Maine and Georgia. It was conceived in 1921 and completed in 1937. Every year 1000s of people hike the trail, many of them attempting to hike the entire length.

For more information about the park & forest visit:

For more information about the Appalachian Trail visit:

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