Well happy birthday to me.
My day started out by being woken up around 1:30 to some hiker's headlamps. It turned out to be DS, Castor, Scruggs, Big Dipper, and Scout. They ended up going in to town to watch the NBA finals. I left camp at 7:45 and ran into them at about a half mile later. They were all still asleep.
Hiking through the day, the rocks were still rough. The new shoes have made the feet hurt even more. In the afternoon, I made it into Delaware Water Gap. In town, I did a little resupply. I also stopped by the post office to mail some maps of PA home. Truly, I don't know why I sent them home. I don't plan to ever hike in PA ever ago. If you are thinking about it, then please think again.
I also stopped by the local outfitter. After resupplying, we went to the Doughboy for dinner. It was some what of a birthday dinner. I ate with Turkey, Thrasher, and Fusion.
After dinner, we headed out of town. We crossed over the Delaware River and into New Jersey. It was a boring state crossing as there was no sign telling us we were in a new state. The climb up to the camp ground was not too bad. However, I was ready to get there. Once I got there, I was speaking to a guy and he asked if I wanted a beer. I couldn't turn him down, especially on my birthday! We decided we would wait until it got dark as there was a ridgerunner around the campground. T and T, Fusion, and I joined the ridgerunner at his tent which overlooked the valley and another ridge. We watched the sunset and spoke with him. Once the sun went down, we met up with the guy with beer. Four of us (not including Turkey) split a six pack. I got two since it was my birthday. It was actually the other guy's birthday too. Before going to sleep, he asked Fusion and I if we wanted something special. We asked what it was, and he pulled out moonshine. We spent some more time drinking it and watching people come into the campsite really late. After a few drinks, we all parted ways to our tents.
My feet hurt, but it was a good birthday overall. I have tried to do something extreme the last three years. Three years ago it was skydiving. Two years ago it was old school roller skating. A kids high ropes course was last year. This year it is the Appalachian Trial. It's been an adventure and continues.
Showing posts with label PA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PA. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
June 17 - 20.4 / 1,268.8
Fusion and I got out of the hostel around 7:15. It took a few minutes to get a hitch, but we eventually got picked up by a young adult heading to work. She was running late and had to work a 12 hour days as a PA. She said picking us up would give her an excuse for being late and would help to brighten her day. She seemed outdoorsy and mentioned her and her husband do quite a bit of hiking. She dropped us off at the trail head and headed on her way.
We too headed on our way and began the ascent out of town. The climb required some focus as some of it was a little boulderring and rock scrambles. I got ahead of Fus and waiting for him at the top. The climbed offered some excellent views of the town, the valley, and the surrounding area. However, it is terrible that pollution has allowed for the views and the fun climb. Fus showed up after I had waited for about 30 minutes. He said he ended up following a fake blaze and climbed the wrong way. The climb took him to the peak and overlooking a vertical cliff down. He said he instantly knew something was wrong. He descended and ran into Turkey and Thrasher (T and T). He saw their path and got back on the trail.
For the next 4 or 5 miles we walked along a ridgeline. Again, we just saw more devastation from the zinc plant. T and T ended up catching up. We all ended up hiking together for the rest of the day. The hike didn't bring too much except good conversation and rocks. I won't be surprised if I start dreaming about rocks.
Speaking of dreams, I had a dream last night that I was back in school. However, the setting was my elementary school. I was there taking an exam to graduate college. However, I was prepared because I had not studied for it. I think it was because I was hiking instead of studying. While on the trail, I have had a few of these back to school dreams and taking tests that I was not prepared for. I don't know what they mean so feel free to leave a comment if you think you have an idea.
Back to the real world. We did stop at a shelter for a rest and a snack before finishing the day. I visited the privy and was quite surprised to see the trail maintenance crew for the shelter actually stocked it with toilet paper. That can be a blessing out here.
The end of they day brought us down into a town called Wind Gap. The four of us walked down a street to a local motel. Our guide books mentioned the motel as being hiker friendly and providing water. The stretch we hiked today lacks water. Therefore we went the whole day based on what we had packed out from Palmerton this morning. We got some water and ate dinner in the parking lot. We inquired about a room to catch the Celtics v Lakers. However, none of us really care about NBA so we decided to hike back into the woods.
We walked just a quarter or so mile in and set up camp. Finding a camping spot in this area is more difficult than most. Our guides lack saying where campsites are in this area. Plus, it is really rocky which can make it difficult to set up a sent. We did find something suitable even though there are no camping signs posted and the hwy is just through the trees. I tell myself the signs are for the locals and that thru hikers are exempt. We respect the trail, right?
DS and the others did not make it this far. As of this morning they were talking about either hike 16 to the shelter or making it to town to catch the game.
Before bed was tick check time. I found 6 on me earlier today. This area is tick central. I don't need Lyme's Disease. Some people are even on medicines for bites they have gotten. Wrapping up for the evening, my feet hurt. I am not sure if it is the rocks, my new shoes, or both. The shoes seem to be causing some sore spots though. I am going to give them a few more days, hopefully with less rocks. I hate to have to get something else, but I might have to.
Tonight I go to bed 27. Tomorrow I wake up 28. I'm getting old.
Night, friends.
We too headed on our way and began the ascent out of town. The climb required some focus as some of it was a little boulderring and rock scrambles. I got ahead of Fus and waiting for him at the top. The climbed offered some excellent views of the town, the valley, and the surrounding area. However, it is terrible that pollution has allowed for the views and the fun climb. Fus showed up after I had waited for about 30 minutes. He said he ended up following a fake blaze and climbed the wrong way. The climb took him to the peak and overlooking a vertical cliff down. He said he instantly knew something was wrong. He descended and ran into Turkey and Thrasher (T and T). He saw their path and got back on the trail.
For the next 4 or 5 miles we walked along a ridgeline. Again, we just saw more devastation from the zinc plant. T and T ended up catching up. We all ended up hiking together for the rest of the day. The hike didn't bring too much except good conversation and rocks. I won't be surprised if I start dreaming about rocks.
Speaking of dreams, I had a dream last night that I was back in school. However, the setting was my elementary school. I was there taking an exam to graduate college. However, I was prepared because I had not studied for it. I think it was because I was hiking instead of studying. While on the trail, I have had a few of these back to school dreams and taking tests that I was not prepared for. I don't know what they mean so feel free to leave a comment if you think you have an idea.
Back to the real world. We did stop at a shelter for a rest and a snack before finishing the day. I visited the privy and was quite surprised to see the trail maintenance crew for the shelter actually stocked it with toilet paper. That can be a blessing out here.
The end of they day brought us down into a town called Wind Gap. The four of us walked down a street to a local motel. Our guide books mentioned the motel as being hiker friendly and providing water. The stretch we hiked today lacks water. Therefore we went the whole day based on what we had packed out from Palmerton this morning. We got some water and ate dinner in the parking lot. We inquired about a room to catch the Celtics v Lakers. However, none of us really care about NBA so we decided to hike back into the woods.
We walked just a quarter or so mile in and set up camp. Finding a camping spot in this area is more difficult than most. Our guides lack saying where campsites are in this area. Plus, it is really rocky which can make it difficult to set up a sent. We did find something suitable even though there are no camping signs posted and the hwy is just through the trees. I tell myself the signs are for the locals and that thru hikers are exempt. We respect the trail, right?
DS and the others did not make it this far. As of this morning they were talking about either hike 16 to the shelter or making it to town to catch the game.
Before bed was tick check time. I found 6 on me earlier today. This area is tick central. I don't need Lyme's Disease. Some people are even on medicines for bites they have gotten. Wrapping up for the evening, my feet hurt. I am not sure if it is the rocks, my new shoes, or both. The shoes seem to be causing some sore spots though. I am going to give them a few more days, hopefully with less rocks. I hate to have to get something else, but I might have to.
Tonight I go to bed 27. Tomorrow I wake up 28. I'm getting old.
Night, friends.
June 16 - Zero Day
I thought it was going to be a fun filled day of hiking when I woke up. I got out of the bunk and walked over to the door. I noticed two things. First, the sky was cloudy. Second, two of the three other non-AT hikers (the ones who said they were hiking the AT but we all think they were just bumming space) were sleeping outside on the concrete just outside the door. I had heard them walking around at 3 or so in the AM, but never heard them walk outside. It was a little different. Anyway, I checked the weather on my phone and noticed it sad rain starting at 7 and t-storms coming in around 10. That gave me a good reason to not hike especially with the climb and ridge walk we had right out of town. A side note, the mountain on the ascent out of town is an EPA Superfund site. A zinc plant/furnace was in the area in the 80's. The smoke and result of the burning of zinc has destroyed the mountain. Most of the side of the mountain is bare. A few tree exists, but most were killed off or look burned. It is a sad sight.
Deciding it would not be smart to hike in storms, I started to walk over to Fusion's bunk as he was starting to stir around. Together we decided we would take a zero. For him, it would be only his second zero for the entire trip thus far. We both got back in our sleeping bags and feel asleep. I was awake an hour later as El Hefe and the 3 non-hikers started to get up and moving. Soon, El Hefe decided he wasn't going to hike either. We decided we wanted to get breakfast but wanted the 3 crazies to leave first. While waiting, I went and asked what the policy was for staying a second night. The guy at The Borough told me only those with a medical reason could stay. Therefore, I would have to find somewhere else to go. Neither, Fusion, El Hefe, or I thought that was cool. So we decided we would pack up our stuff, tell the crazies we were hiking, and then just return to The Borough once all the workers left for the evening.
Before leaving for breakfast, Turkey and Thrasher arrived. We gave them a heads up about taking a zero and about the crazies. Fus, EH, and I all left with our packs. T and T joined us outside with the important belongings. All of us, less El Hefe, walked across the street and grabbed breakfast. I had an omelet and chocolate chip pancakes. They were excellent. We all headed to the library after breakfast. I sat there from 10 something to 5. Fusion and I closed the place down. While at the library, DS, Castor, Big Dipper, Scruggs, Scout, and Hopi all showed up. Some of them had stopped short of town the night before. The others hitched in from about 10 miles out. DS got behind when I left Port Clinton. His feet are bothering him again. I think he even went to a doctor. I also learned that Castor's friend Spatula got off the trail. His leg and feet were in too much pain. I think he might meet back up with Castor in Mass.
After 5, Fusion and I went back to The Borough. The place was packed with hikers. I would guess 16 to 18 were there by the end of the night. Dinner was at the Beer Zone. PA has weird alcohol laws. This place looked like a beer store, but they also served pizza. Therefore, one can buy a 6 pack, 12 pack, etc there. They don't have beer in grocery stores or convenience stores, only food places. Dinner was a lot of fun. It was Fusion, EH, T and T, and two second hikers from Florida.
After dinner, we went back to the Hostel. The others were throwing around a frisbee. I joined them and we decided to walk down to the park and play ultimate. It was 7 of us so I decided to sit out and sub for the tired ones. I have a little ultimate background in me. I am decent when it comes to the league I play in, in Atlanta. (Spears and Caroline feel free to give me some credit. Or you can throw me under the bus and tell people how bad I am.) However, I looked like a pro when playing with these guys. It was a quick game, but still fun.
That wrapped up the evening. The hostel was pretty loud until after 10. I somehow feel asleep with the lights on and while others were up talking and laughing. Also, I didn't get caught staying a second night. Watch out.
By the way, it never rained even with the forecast saying so. I think a light post could do a better job then a meterologist, just my two cents.
Deciding it would not be smart to hike in storms, I started to walk over to Fusion's bunk as he was starting to stir around. Together we decided we would take a zero. For him, it would be only his second zero for the entire trip thus far. We both got back in our sleeping bags and feel asleep. I was awake an hour later as El Hefe and the 3 non-hikers started to get up and moving. Soon, El Hefe decided he wasn't going to hike either. We decided we wanted to get breakfast but wanted the 3 crazies to leave first. While waiting, I went and asked what the policy was for staying a second night. The guy at The Borough told me only those with a medical reason could stay. Therefore, I would have to find somewhere else to go. Neither, Fusion, El Hefe, or I thought that was cool. So we decided we would pack up our stuff, tell the crazies we were hiking, and then just return to The Borough once all the workers left for the evening.
Before leaving for breakfast, Turkey and Thrasher arrived. We gave them a heads up about taking a zero and about the crazies. Fus, EH, and I all left with our packs. T and T joined us outside with the important belongings. All of us, less El Hefe, walked across the street and grabbed breakfast. I had an omelet and chocolate chip pancakes. They were excellent. We all headed to the library after breakfast. I sat there from 10 something to 5. Fusion and I closed the place down. While at the library, DS, Castor, Big Dipper, Scruggs, Scout, and Hopi all showed up. Some of them had stopped short of town the night before. The others hitched in from about 10 miles out. DS got behind when I left Port Clinton. His feet are bothering him again. I think he even went to a doctor. I also learned that Castor's friend Spatula got off the trail. His leg and feet were in too much pain. I think he might meet back up with Castor in Mass.
After 5, Fusion and I went back to The Borough. The place was packed with hikers. I would guess 16 to 18 were there by the end of the night. Dinner was at the Beer Zone. PA has weird alcohol laws. This place looked like a beer store, but they also served pizza. Therefore, one can buy a 6 pack, 12 pack, etc there. They don't have beer in grocery stores or convenience stores, only food places. Dinner was a lot of fun. It was Fusion, EH, T and T, and two second hikers from Florida.
After dinner, we went back to the Hostel. The others were throwing around a frisbee. I joined them and we decided to walk down to the park and play ultimate. It was 7 of us so I decided to sit out and sub for the tired ones. I have a little ultimate background in me. I am decent when it comes to the league I play in, in Atlanta. (Spears and Caroline feel free to give me some credit. Or you can throw me under the bus and tell people how bad I am.) However, I looked like a pro when playing with these guys. It was a quick game, but still fun.
That wrapped up the evening. The hostel was pretty loud until after 10. I somehow feel asleep with the lights on and while others were up talking and laughing. Also, I didn't get caught staying a second night. Watch out.
By the way, it never rained even with the forecast saying so. I think a light post could do a better job then a meterologist, just my two cents.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
June 15 - 17.7 / 1,248.4
Before I forget, one of my former Young Life kids has passed away. I do not have many details, but I ask that you keep him, his family, and our YL kids in your thoughts and prayers.
I woke up to the problem of trying to get my bear bag rope out of the tree. Fusion and I tried tying his rope to the end of mine and pull the rope back over the limb. That didn't work and my throw bag just got more tangled up. We then went to plan D or E. I wrapped the rope around some other trees to gain leverage. As I pull as hard as I could, Fusion cut the cord on my throw bag with my knife that he had tied to the end of a 20 foot limb. It was a perfect cut. My rope and carabiner fell to the ground while the throw bag stayed wrapped around the limb. I can get another one further up the trail.
Both of us were planning to leave camp early, but the bear bag set us back about an hour and a half. The hike was over lots and lots of rocks. We made it to the Knife Edge around 7 miles in. This was a stretch of huge boulders and even required a little scrambling. I could have tripped and fallen about 30 or 40 feet down. Some places were further than that. Sometimes it baffles me on why the trail goes where it does. We also went over Bear Rocks and Bake Oven Knob. Bake Oven Knob was one of the dirtiest places I have seen on the trail. It is a few hundred yards from a road. I guess the locals think they can use it as a trash dump. The trail up on top of Bake Oven got a little iffy. There were many times where Fusion and I would spend 10 to 15 minutes trying to find a blaze. Half the time, I don't know if I should look for them on rocks or trees. Other times, I have to walk back a hundred yards and try to relocate a blaze.
The rest of the day was filled with many breaks and many more rocks. We did come across the best WORST trail magic on the trail so far. Yes, that means it was the lowest of low. I don't even know if I should classify it as trail magic, but here is the story. (Disclaimer - not for younger audiences) Fusion and I were coming down a hill to a road crossing. An older couple got out of their car and started to approach the trail. We could tell that he wanted to discuss what we were doing. We stopped, and he started to ask the typical thru hiker questions. He even through out a "you ins" which made me laugh. Anyway, he gets finished asking his questions and Fusion and I head on our way. We then hear him yell, "Hey!" Thinking he was talking to his wife, we headed on. He then yelled it again, but this time it was a lot louder. We figured he was talking to us, so we stopped. He looks at us and says, "she lost a bet." Not understanding, we asked, "What?" Again, he says, "she lost a bet." As he says this, this 70 something year old, over-weight lady lifts up her shirt and exposes her breasts to us. Both of us stood there not knowing how to even respond. You can't say thanks, what are those, what the heck, wow those are nice, wow those are old. However, words do come out of Fusion's mouth. He asks, "What was the bet?" The gentlemen responds with an "alright," turns around, and starts walking to his car. Fusion and I immediately turn around and start walking as fast as we can up the hill. The biggest climb of the day felt like nothing as we were still shocked at what just happened and couldn't stop laughing. We warned a guy hiking south about them. He probably didn't even believe us when we told him the story.
It was 5 more miles before we got to town. I made it to 2 to go when I had to stop and rest again. My feet didn't want to go anywhere. We eventually got up and went on into Palmerton. The hitch was pretty quick. We were picked up by two gentlemen and a lady. They were very polite. One of the gentlemen, Ox, even hiked the trail back in 2007. We discussed the trail on the ride in to town. They dropped us off at The Borough where the city allows hikers to sleep in the basement. I think the building used to be used by the Police Department. We dropped our packs there and claimed a bed. There were three other hikers already there. One of the guys says that he had over 10,000 hiking miles from all over the world. Fusion and I know he was full of it. These people were more drifters than anything. It did get a little hairy a few times.
Fusion and I spent the rest of the afternoon/evening exploring the town. We went to the library, got adult beverages, washed clothes, and ate dinner. A local bought us a beer which was nice. Dinner was at the Palmerton Hotel. We made their happy hour from 9-10. I had nachos which were some of the best I have ever had. They had the cheese like Taco Bell puts on their nachos. El Hefe joined us for a drink too, and then the retired back to The Borough.
I woke up to the problem of trying to get my bear bag rope out of the tree. Fusion and I tried tying his rope to the end of mine and pull the rope back over the limb. That didn't work and my throw bag just got more tangled up. We then went to plan D or E. I wrapped the rope around some other trees to gain leverage. As I pull as hard as I could, Fusion cut the cord on my throw bag with my knife that he had tied to the end of a 20 foot limb. It was a perfect cut. My rope and carabiner fell to the ground while the throw bag stayed wrapped around the limb. I can get another one further up the trail.
Both of us were planning to leave camp early, but the bear bag set us back about an hour and a half. The hike was over lots and lots of rocks. We made it to the Knife Edge around 7 miles in. This was a stretch of huge boulders and even required a little scrambling. I could have tripped and fallen about 30 or 40 feet down. Some places were further than that. Sometimes it baffles me on why the trail goes where it does. We also went over Bear Rocks and Bake Oven Knob. Bake Oven Knob was one of the dirtiest places I have seen on the trail. It is a few hundred yards from a road. I guess the locals think they can use it as a trash dump. The trail up on top of Bake Oven got a little iffy. There were many times where Fusion and I would spend 10 to 15 minutes trying to find a blaze. Half the time, I don't know if I should look for them on rocks or trees. Other times, I have to walk back a hundred yards and try to relocate a blaze.
The rest of the day was filled with many breaks and many more rocks. We did come across the best WORST trail magic on the trail so far. Yes, that means it was the lowest of low. I don't even know if I should classify it as trail magic, but here is the story. (Disclaimer - not for younger audiences) Fusion and I were coming down a hill to a road crossing. An older couple got out of their car and started to approach the trail. We could tell that he wanted to discuss what we were doing. We stopped, and he started to ask the typical thru hiker questions. He even through out a "you ins" which made me laugh. Anyway, he gets finished asking his questions and Fusion and I head on our way. We then hear him yell, "Hey!" Thinking he was talking to his wife, we headed on. He then yelled it again, but this time it was a lot louder. We figured he was talking to us, so we stopped. He looks at us and says, "she lost a bet." Not understanding, we asked, "What?" Again, he says, "she lost a bet." As he says this, this 70 something year old, over-weight lady lifts up her shirt and exposes her breasts to us. Both of us stood there not knowing how to even respond. You can't say thanks, what are those, what the heck, wow those are nice, wow those are old. However, words do come out of Fusion's mouth. He asks, "What was the bet?" The gentlemen responds with an "alright," turns around, and starts walking to his car. Fusion and I immediately turn around and start walking as fast as we can up the hill. The biggest climb of the day felt like nothing as we were still shocked at what just happened and couldn't stop laughing. We warned a guy hiking south about them. He probably didn't even believe us when we told him the story.
It was 5 more miles before we got to town. I made it to 2 to go when I had to stop and rest again. My feet didn't want to go anywhere. We eventually got up and went on into Palmerton. The hitch was pretty quick. We were picked up by two gentlemen and a lady. They were very polite. One of the gentlemen, Ox, even hiked the trail back in 2007. We discussed the trail on the ride in to town. They dropped us off at The Borough where the city allows hikers to sleep in the basement. I think the building used to be used by the Police Department. We dropped our packs there and claimed a bed. There were three other hikers already there. One of the guys says that he had over 10,000 hiking miles from all over the world. Fusion and I know he was full of it. These people were more drifters than anything. It did get a little hairy a few times.
Fusion and I spent the rest of the afternoon/evening exploring the town. We went to the library, got adult beverages, washed clothes, and ate dinner. A local bought us a beer which was nice. Dinner was at the Palmerton Hotel. We made their happy hour from 9-10. I had nachos which were some of the best I have ever had. They had the cheese like Taco Bell puts on their nachos. El Hefe joined us for a drink too, and then the retired back to The Borough.
June 14 - 23.5 / 1,230.7
I woke up thinking that everyone else would be up. However, I rolled over in my sleeping bag, but no one else was even stirring. It was around 6, and I knew the post office didn't open until 7:30. I figured that they must be waiting for it to open too. I went ahead and ate breakfast while the others started to move around. I went to the post office once it opened and shipped my Salomon trail runners ahead in case my new shoes don't work out. I left town with Hopi. We were walking through Windsor Furnace when a lady offered us some chocolate. We both received two Hershey Dark Chocolate bites. We left from there and headed up to Pulpit Rock. As we were resting there, Fusion showed up. Pulpit offered a decent view of the farmland below. Also up there was an observatory and an outhouse. I made use of one of them.
The next few miles brought many more rocks and a few views of the same farmland. One of the named views was The Pinnacle. Recently, the rocks have torn up my feet. Again, this is the worst I have felt on the entire trail. It is hard for me to go more than 3 or so miles without stopping to rest the poor little puppies.
The three of us walked down the ridge to Hawk Mountain Road. 0.2 miles down the road was a shelter with a caretaker. We decided to go rest there for a little bit before heading on. We were met by a few section hikers who had already claimed spots. While resting, Hopi decided he wasn't going to go any further. Fusion and I knew if we did more today, then we would have less to do to get into town. We snacked for about an hour and even claimed some more trail magic. This time it was snickers, pretzels, and cokes. Fusion and I left the shelter around 5 and began the climb up to Allentown Hiking Club Shelter. Guess what? We hiked over more rocks. Our pace had slowed down to about 2 miles an hour instead of the normal 3. It seemed like the day was never going to end.
We were about two miles from the shelter when I about crapped my pants. I came around a bend in the trail and was starring straight at the largest black bear I have ever seen. I think it was 550 to 600 pounds and could have easily been more than that. I think I said a few choice words and froze in place. The bear and I met eyes. He then lowered his head, turned, and headed into the words. I was glad that the outcome was not something else. Fusion and I raised our voices and banged our trekking poles together just to make more noise. We began to hike again once he moved far enough into the woods.
We arrived at the shelter some time after 8. El Hefe was in the shelter and a father and son had set up their tent off to the side. It was the first time I had met El Hefe. He is hiking from Harpers Ferry to Katahdin. He hiked from Springer to Harpers Ferry last year. We spoke with him for a little bit as we ate dinner. I was too tired to heat anything up so I just ate pop tarts, a Nature Valley bar, and some gummy bears/peach rings. Afterwards, I threw my bear rope over a tree, but it got entangled in a branch. Both Fusion and I took turns in trying to get it down. However, it was not going anywhere. We threw his rope over a limb and left my for the morning.
It was some of the deepest sleep I have had in a while. I did wake up a few times though with my legs throbbing in pain. Advil isn't even working now.
The next few miles brought many more rocks and a few views of the same farmland. One of the named views was The Pinnacle. Recently, the rocks have torn up my feet. Again, this is the worst I have felt on the entire trail. It is hard for me to go more than 3 or so miles without stopping to rest the poor little puppies.
The three of us walked down the ridge to Hawk Mountain Road. 0.2 miles down the road was a shelter with a caretaker. We decided to go rest there for a little bit before heading on. We were met by a few section hikers who had already claimed spots. While resting, Hopi decided he wasn't going to go any further. Fusion and I knew if we did more today, then we would have less to do to get into town. We snacked for about an hour and even claimed some more trail magic. This time it was snickers, pretzels, and cokes. Fusion and I left the shelter around 5 and began the climb up to Allentown Hiking Club Shelter. Guess what? We hiked over more rocks. Our pace had slowed down to about 2 miles an hour instead of the normal 3. It seemed like the day was never going to end.
We were about two miles from the shelter when I about crapped my pants. I came around a bend in the trail and was starring straight at the largest black bear I have ever seen. I think it was 550 to 600 pounds and could have easily been more than that. I think I said a few choice words and froze in place. The bear and I met eyes. He then lowered his head, turned, and headed into the words. I was glad that the outcome was not something else. Fusion and I raised our voices and banged our trekking poles together just to make more noise. We began to hike again once he moved far enough into the woods.
We arrived at the shelter some time after 8. El Hefe was in the shelter and a father and son had set up their tent off to the side. It was the first time I had met El Hefe. He is hiking from Harpers Ferry to Katahdin. He hiked from Springer to Harpers Ferry last year. We spoke with him for a little bit as we ate dinner. I was too tired to heat anything up so I just ate pop tarts, a Nature Valley bar, and some gummy bears/peach rings. Afterwards, I threw my bear rope over a tree, but it got entangled in a branch. Both Fusion and I took turns in trying to get it down. However, it was not going anywhere. We threw his rope over a limb and left my for the morning.
It was some of the deepest sleep I have had in a while. I did wake up a few times though with my legs throbbing in pain. Advil isn't even working now.
June 13 - 22.8 / 1,207.2
I woke up from the 501 shelter and got ready. DS was up and gone. He didn't say goodbye or anything. I left the shelter with Fusion, and shortly after, we hit the PA rocks. I had always heard about PA being bad. Now I know the truth. It sucks! Most of the morning was either spent going over boulders or dodging small razor sharp rocks. Even if you think you are about to step on level ground you end up stepping on a rock and tweaking an ankle. In the morning, we also passed by a few weekenders out with their boys. The two men and three boys are planning to hike part of the Long Trail in VT later this year. This is just practice for them.
I had to take quite a few breaks during the day as my feet were killing me. During the hike, we met Traveling Astronomer. He was a really cool guy from MA that was SOBOing. He recommended a few places to stop at further north. I found out via a shelter log on 6/15 that he thru hiked the trail back in '85. He actually ran into Hobbit, aka Dick in a Box, who also hiked it then. How cool that each of them met up 25 years later and remembered each other from their hike.
As the hike went on, I came across some more trail magic in PA. I think all the trail magic is because people know this state is terrible. In a spring were about 40 soda cans. I grabbed a DP and Pepsi. They were from Fiddler who hiked the trail in '07, I believe.
After the break, I continued on to Port Clinton. The trail there was all rocks and my feet had had enough. I thought the decent into the town was going to be worse. Fusion was even told, "You fall, you die." I made it down without a problem. Fusion and Hopi were right behind me. As we arrived at the pavilion in to town, the Cabela's van pulled up. Turkey and Thrasher got out. Fusion, Hopi, and I jumped in. We ended up picking up DS, Castor, and Spatula as they were walking down the road. Shortly after we arrived at the largest Cabelas in the nation (that is a fact). This place was huge. I ended up buying new shoes from Vasque and some more socks. My Salomons were going to fall apart at any second on these rocks.
We all got a ride back to the pavilion and stayed there for the night. Also there were Turkey, Thrasher, Walking Man, and Grace & Glory.
I had to take quite a few breaks during the day as my feet were killing me. During the hike, we met Traveling Astronomer. He was a really cool guy from MA that was SOBOing. He recommended a few places to stop at further north. I found out via a shelter log on 6/15 that he thru hiked the trail back in '85. He actually ran into Hobbit, aka Dick in a Box, who also hiked it then. How cool that each of them met up 25 years later and remembered each other from their hike.
As the hike went on, I came across some more trail magic in PA. I think all the trail magic is because people know this state is terrible. In a spring were about 40 soda cans. I grabbed a DP and Pepsi. They were from Fiddler who hiked the trail in '07, I believe.
After the break, I continued on to Port Clinton. The trail there was all rocks and my feet had had enough. I thought the decent into the town was going to be worse. Fusion was even told, "You fall, you die." I made it down without a problem. Fusion and Hopi were right behind me. As we arrived at the pavilion in to town, the Cabela's van pulled up. Turkey and Thrasher got out. Fusion, Hopi, and I jumped in. We ended up picking up DS, Castor, and Spatula as they were walking down the road. Shortly after we arrived at the largest Cabelas in the nation (that is a fact). This place was huge. I ended up buying new shoes from Vasque and some more socks. My Salomons were going to fall apart at any second on these rocks.
We all got a ride back to the pavilion and stayed there for the night. Also there were Turkey, Thrasher, Walking Man, and Grace & Glory.
June 12 - 17.9 / 1,184.4
Before going to bed, we decide that we were going to get up early to hike into town and catch the soccer match between the US and England. I got yup around 5 and was out by 6. I came across some trail magic within the first two hours. It was a cooler full of snacks, soft drinks, and popsicles. I was the first to arrive and decided to start eating a popsicle. Once o heard the others walking down the trail, I started to walk southbound. They saw me eating the popsicle, got excited, and started to yell. We sat around for about 30 minutes enjoying the trail magic and then hiked on. Again, I was the first one to leave. It wasn't 30 minutes later that I came across another thing of trail magic. The local trail boss had set out a cooler full of snack bars, fruits, and drinks. He was actually around when I got there. We talked about the trail which was pretty cool. He was about to walk to the top of the mountain to do some trail maintenance. Again, I hiked on.
I made it to the top of the climb and started to walk across the ridge. The top was very overgrown and there was poison ivy everywhere. I am currently waiting for it to pop up on my body. Being alone, I kept hiking and made it to a shelter. I breaked there while the others caught up.
Eventually, DS, Castor, and Spatula showed up. They took a break too, and then we all pushed on wanting to make it to town. We had about 5 or 6 miles to go from the shelter. Finally, pretty worn out, we made it to Hwy 501 and the 501 shelter by 1:00! That was the earliest I had ever finished 17.5 miles. It felt really good. We dropped our stuff off at the shelter and talked to the local caretaker who lived a few yards away. Being new to the area, she wasn't sure of a place to watch the game. However, the did offer some Ben & Jerrys which we all four gladly excepted. We walked back to the road to try and hitch into town.
It was about an hour before we got a hitch. Probably the second longest I have ever had to wait. Castor claims it was the "double delorian" that got us a ride. He was on Spat's shoulders with his thumb out when a car pulled over. The guy gave us a ride into town to O'Neals Pub. There we caught the second half of the soccer match. Overall, I was pleased with US's play. I wish we attacked more, but England is a tough competitor in our pool. A tie is better than a loss.
After the game, the four of us walked to the grocery store to resupply. We then got a hitch back to the shelter. For dinner, it was my specialty. I made chicken tacos. We did get a good laugh before dinner. Castor was opening a can of chicken when it went all over him. Literally, hit him in the face and went all down his shirt.
I took some time and spoke with the caretaker after dinner. Her and her husband had just moved there and begun the roll of care taker of the shelter. She thru hiked previously and wanted to give back. This was their way of doing so.
For the night, the shelter was full. It was myself, Fusion, DS, Castor, Spat', Grace & Glory, Walking Man, Inferno (a lady I met while walking up to Bear's Den before leaving trail for the bro's wedding), Lefty, and some section hikers.
I made it to the top of the climb and started to walk across the ridge. The top was very overgrown and there was poison ivy everywhere. I am currently waiting for it to pop up on my body. Being alone, I kept hiking and made it to a shelter. I breaked there while the others caught up.
Eventually, DS, Castor, and Spatula showed up. They took a break too, and then we all pushed on wanting to make it to town. We had about 5 or 6 miles to go from the shelter. Finally, pretty worn out, we made it to Hwy 501 and the 501 shelter by 1:00! That was the earliest I had ever finished 17.5 miles. It felt really good. We dropped our stuff off at the shelter and talked to the local caretaker who lived a few yards away. Being new to the area, she wasn't sure of a place to watch the game. However, the did offer some Ben & Jerrys which we all four gladly excepted. We walked back to the road to try and hitch into town.
It was about an hour before we got a hitch. Probably the second longest I have ever had to wait. Castor claims it was the "double delorian" that got us a ride. He was on Spat's shoulders with his thumb out when a car pulled over. The guy gave us a ride into town to O'Neals Pub. There we caught the second half of the soccer match. Overall, I was pleased with US's play. I wish we attacked more, but England is a tough competitor in our pool. A tie is better than a loss.
After the game, the four of us walked to the grocery store to resupply. We then got a hitch back to the shelter. For dinner, it was my specialty. I made chicken tacos. We did get a good laugh before dinner. Castor was opening a can of chicken when it went all over him. Literally, hit him in the face and went all down his shirt.
I took some time and spoke with the caretaker after dinner. Her and her husband had just moved there and begun the roll of care taker of the shelter. She thru hiked previously and wanted to give back. This was their way of doing so.
For the night, the shelter was full. It was myself, Fusion, DS, Castor, Spat', Grace & Glory, Walking Man, Inferno (a lady I met while walking up to Bear's Den before leaving trail for the bro's wedding), Lefty, and some section hikers.
Monday, June 14, 2010
June 11 - 18.0 / 1,166.9
I got up and got going around 7:45. Walking Man and Grace & Glory had already left. I started my hike with Fusion, and hike with him for the first 6 miles. That is when we came across some wonderful trail magic. It was a box full of soft drinks, gatorade juice boxes, capri sun, candy bars, fruit roll ups, cookies, chex mix, fruit snacks, pudding, and more. The two of us were sitting there when the rest of the guys showed up. DS pretty much walked right past us and didn't realize there was a box of food right there. I think we sat there for a good hour or so before we moved on.
We made it 0.4 miles and stopped again at a river crossing. The plan was to swim, but the water was way too cold. We sat for another 30 minutes before we headed on.
For the most part, the rest of the hike was uneventful. We stopped for a little bit at an old village site. I saw the outline of an old wall and that was about it. We finished the day at Rausch Gap Shelter. The area was an old mining area and a lot of the ground was mixed rock and coal. We did find a spot to set up tents though. We had some great down time to relax and even throw the frisbee. I also had my other shoe lace break. Therefore, I had to replace it too.
We all went to bed pretty early in order to get up early the next morning in order to get to the next town to catch the US/England World Cup Game.
We made it 0.4 miles and stopped again at a river crossing. The plan was to swim, but the water was way too cold. We sat for another 30 minutes before we headed on.
For the most part, the rest of the hike was uneventful. We stopped for a little bit at an old village site. I saw the outline of an old wall and that was about it. We finished the day at Rausch Gap Shelter. The area was an old mining area and a lot of the ground was mixed rock and coal. We did find a spot to set up tents though. We had some great down time to relax and even throw the frisbee. I also had my other shoe lace break. Therefore, I had to replace it too.
We all went to bed pretty early in order to get up early the next morning in order to get to the next town to catch the US/England World Cup Game.
Friday, June 11, 2010
June 10 - 22.6 / 1,148.9
As I was laying on my sleeping bad, I heard what I thought was either a person or a large animal. I kept waiting to hear a pack hit the ground or a tent being zipped up. I heard neither so I figured it was an animal and went to bed. When I got out of my tent in the morning, I saw a tent set up a few yards away. It was one I hadn't seen before and figured it was just a section hiker that got in late.
I packed up my tent and headed over to DS's. He was still asleep in his hammock. A little surprised, I woke him up for breakfast. We got going and stopped about 8 miles in for a quick break. Well, I thought it was going to be quick. I went to adjust my shoe laces as they felt a little loose from the morning hike. In looking down, I noticed my shoe lace had broke. Luckily I had bought replacement laces a few days earlier. It ended up taking me an hour to relace. The laces are small kevlar ones and were a pain to try and get through the eye lits. While sitting there, Fusion, a thru hiker we hadn't met yet, passed by. We told him to meet us at The Doyle in Duncannon for lunch.
On the way in to town, DS and I met a southbounder. The crazy thing is that this guy had a four year old iguana climbing around on his pack. It even decided to take a liquid piss/poop while we were standing there. We continued on to Duncannon and The Doyle. Fusion was there when we arrived. Fusion, DS, and I all had lunch there. For me, it was the Chuckwagon burger which was a deep fried patty. It was actually good. We didn't stay at The Doyle, but we heard from others that it is what you pay for. For $25, that can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing. I took a nap after lunch outside on the sidewalk. I was not too impressed with Duncannon. It was a little depressing to walk around a town that is so run down.
We had a 1.5 walk through town before we got back to the woods. DS and I got a good view of a perigren falcon flying around. We suspect that it had a nest under a bridge that we walked over. It would fly out and then fly back toward us and cut under the bridge at the last second. It was a good climb once we got into the woods. At the top of the climb, we were met by Castor who was actually hiking southbound. We were caught off guard as we thought he was a day ahead of us. He asked if we had seen Spatula. He said that the two of them had left town together about 3 hours before hand. Castor stopped at the shelter to take a break, but Spat had not shown up in over three hours. It is only an hour walk from the road to the shelter. Eventually, Castor called Spat and discovered that he had passed the shelter and hiked on. We were relieved to know he wasn't lost.
DS, Cast, and I hiked on to the next shelter. We arrived fairly late. The water source at the shelter was not the most accessible. To get water, one had to walk down 307 stone steps and then walk those steps back up to get back. Luckily for me, DS volunteered to do it and take my bucket down to fill up with him.
My legs really hurt by the end of the day. I got to enjoy the PA rocks for most of the day. Even if I am not hiking on top of rocks, the ground seems hard and as if the rocks are just below the surface. However, it is flat for the most part which makes it bareable.
The shelter was a very nice shelter. Walking Man and Grace and Glory were the only two that stayed in the shelter. It was the first time I had seen them in a few hundred miles. Things had changed since the last time either. For some reason they set their tent up in shelters. I understand to not have to deal with the bugs, but why not just put the tent on the ground outside of the shelter especially if you know it isn't going to rain? I'm baffled. The rest of us tented or hammocked. It was a good group: DS, Castor, Spatula, Fusion, Hopi, and myself.
As I was talking to Michelle and about to go to sleep, I heard someone start yelling for help. It was Castor, and he was saying he had a bug fly into his ear. To some degree it had a little humor to it. DS got out of his tent and help to resolve the situation with some water and a water syringe that Hopi had in his first aid kit. I did provide WFR support by helping to tell DS what to do to flush his ear out.
The rest of the night was calm and the temp was perfect.
I packed up my tent and headed over to DS's. He was still asleep in his hammock. A little surprised, I woke him up for breakfast. We got going and stopped about 8 miles in for a quick break. Well, I thought it was going to be quick. I went to adjust my shoe laces as they felt a little loose from the morning hike. In looking down, I noticed my shoe lace had broke. Luckily I had bought replacement laces a few days earlier. It ended up taking me an hour to relace. The laces are small kevlar ones and were a pain to try and get through the eye lits. While sitting there, Fusion, a thru hiker we hadn't met yet, passed by. We told him to meet us at The Doyle in Duncannon for lunch.
On the way in to town, DS and I met a southbounder. The crazy thing is that this guy had a four year old iguana climbing around on his pack. It even decided to take a liquid piss/poop while we were standing there. We continued on to Duncannon and The Doyle. Fusion was there when we arrived. Fusion, DS, and I all had lunch there. For me, it was the Chuckwagon burger which was a deep fried patty. It was actually good. We didn't stay at The Doyle, but we heard from others that it is what you pay for. For $25, that can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing. I took a nap after lunch outside on the sidewalk. I was not too impressed with Duncannon. It was a little depressing to walk around a town that is so run down.
We had a 1.5 walk through town before we got back to the woods. DS and I got a good view of a perigren falcon flying around. We suspect that it had a nest under a bridge that we walked over. It would fly out and then fly back toward us and cut under the bridge at the last second. It was a good climb once we got into the woods. At the top of the climb, we were met by Castor who was actually hiking southbound. We were caught off guard as we thought he was a day ahead of us. He asked if we had seen Spatula. He said that the two of them had left town together about 3 hours before hand. Castor stopped at the shelter to take a break, but Spat had not shown up in over three hours. It is only an hour walk from the road to the shelter. Eventually, Castor called Spat and discovered that he had passed the shelter and hiked on. We were relieved to know he wasn't lost.
DS, Cast, and I hiked on to the next shelter. We arrived fairly late. The water source at the shelter was not the most accessible. To get water, one had to walk down 307 stone steps and then walk those steps back up to get back. Luckily for me, DS volunteered to do it and take my bucket down to fill up with him.
My legs really hurt by the end of the day. I got to enjoy the PA rocks for most of the day. Even if I am not hiking on top of rocks, the ground seems hard and as if the rocks are just below the surface. However, it is flat for the most part which makes it bareable.
The shelter was a very nice shelter. Walking Man and Grace and Glory were the only two that stayed in the shelter. It was the first time I had seen them in a few hundred miles. Things had changed since the last time either. For some reason they set their tent up in shelters. I understand to not have to deal with the bugs, but why not just put the tent on the ground outside of the shelter especially if you know it isn't going to rain? I'm baffled. The rest of us tented or hammocked. It was a good group: DS, Castor, Spatula, Fusion, Hopi, and myself.
As I was talking to Michelle and about to go to sleep, I heard someone start yelling for help. It was Castor, and he was saying he had a bug fly into his ear. To some degree it had a little humor to it. DS got out of his tent and help to resolve the situation with some water and a water syringe that Hopi had in his first aid kit. I did provide WFR support by helping to tell DS what to do to flush his ear out.
The rest of the night was calm and the temp was perfect.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
June 9 - 14.3 / 1,126.3
DS and I both wanted to get back on the trail at a decent time. However, as always we got sucked into the vortex known as town. Before getting back to Boiling Springs, we ate breakfast and resupplyed at a local grocery store. I got a chance to speak with my parents too. I like enjoy giving them updates. Plus it is great to hear their voice.
Once in Boiling Springs, I had to mail some stuff home. Then, DS and I said our goodbyes to his family. It is crazy to think of them as my parents, but I feel like I could call them my other mom and dad. They have treated me like their son over the past few days and have provided a hospitality. His family his amazing, and it is hard to believe that they have done this while only knowing me for a few months. It was 11:30 and raining when we started to hike. Luckily the terrain was flat, and I truly mean flat. Half the time was spent hiking either in a field or along side a field. The downside was that I was soaking wet. I sent my rain pants home about two weeks ago so my shorts were the first to get drenched. Since it is warm enough, I hiked with just my rain jacket and no shirt. It helped to give me a dry shirt one I stopped hiking this evening.
I got to see a lot of cool looking barns. They seem bigger out here then what I am accustomed to. Some of them have been five stories. This part of the hike seems to be through people's personal property. At one point we came to the end of a driveway. We saw a lady walking towards the road in the rain. Both of us figured she was going to pick up the mail. So I grab it, passed it to DS, and DS ran down the driveway to give it to her. He said she seemed a little startled, but was thankful once she figured out what he was doing. I would be frightened too if I saw DS running towards me, especially with his crazy hair. It has gotten long.
We were a few hours into the hike when we came to a road crossing. As we came out of the woods, DS said that he thought he saw Upgrades girlfriend standing next to a car. As we approached we could tell it was her and saw Upgrade and Fredo standing off to the side. She had met them to give them some trail magic. DS and I also got some out of it too, Pepsi and fruit. They left shortly afterwards. DS and I sat around and then headed on.
One of the strangest sights occurred today. We found a really old car in the middle of the woods. Both of us wondered how it got there. We couldn't see any remnants of an old road and plus it was in a rocky area. It also wasn't on the outskirts of a farm or field. We couldn't tell how old or what type. It was definitely old though. My guess would be the '20's or '30's.
The first shelter of the day was at 14 miles in. After some discussion, DS and I decided to stay here for the evening. It is shorter than we had planned, but still works with our schedule. There are a few section hikers here. They took over the shelter which is fine with me and gave me a reason to tent.
I did spill boiling water on my hand and leg this evening. It was ironic since DS and I had discussed not seeing anyone burned yet while cooking just a few hours earlier. I think I will survive. No blisters so it seems pretty mild.
The rain is putting me to sleep. Hopefully it will stop before I wake. To all, hope you are doing well and thanks again for continue to read the blog.
Night, friends.
Once in Boiling Springs, I had to mail some stuff home. Then, DS and I said our goodbyes to his family. It is crazy to think of them as my parents, but I feel like I could call them my other mom and dad. They have treated me like their son over the past few days and have provided a hospitality. His family his amazing, and it is hard to believe that they have done this while only knowing me for a few months. It was 11:30 and raining when we started to hike. Luckily the terrain was flat, and I truly mean flat. Half the time was spent hiking either in a field or along side a field. The downside was that I was soaking wet. I sent my rain pants home about two weeks ago so my shorts were the first to get drenched. Since it is warm enough, I hiked with just my rain jacket and no shirt. It helped to give me a dry shirt one I stopped hiking this evening.
I got to see a lot of cool looking barns. They seem bigger out here then what I am accustomed to. Some of them have been five stories. This part of the hike seems to be through people's personal property. At one point we came to the end of a driveway. We saw a lady walking towards the road in the rain. Both of us figured she was going to pick up the mail. So I grab it, passed it to DS, and DS ran down the driveway to give it to her. He said she seemed a little startled, but was thankful once she figured out what he was doing. I would be frightened too if I saw DS running towards me, especially with his crazy hair. It has gotten long.
We were a few hours into the hike when we came to a road crossing. As we came out of the woods, DS said that he thought he saw Upgrades girlfriend standing next to a car. As we approached we could tell it was her and saw Upgrade and Fredo standing off to the side. She had met them to give them some trail magic. DS and I also got some out of it too, Pepsi and fruit. They left shortly afterwards. DS and I sat around and then headed on.
One of the strangest sights occurred today. We found a really old car in the middle of the woods. Both of us wondered how it got there. We couldn't see any remnants of an old road and plus it was in a rocky area. It also wasn't on the outskirts of a farm or field. We couldn't tell how old or what type. It was definitely old though. My guess would be the '20's or '30's.
The first shelter of the day was at 14 miles in. After some discussion, DS and I decided to stay here for the evening. It is shorter than we had planned, but still works with our schedule. There are a few section hikers here. They took over the shelter which is fine with me and gave me a reason to tent.
I did spill boiling water on my hand and leg this evening. It was ironic since DS and I had discussed not seeing anyone burned yet while cooking just a few hours earlier. I think I will survive. No blisters so it seems pretty mild.
The rain is putting me to sleep. Hopefully it will stop before I wake. To all, hope you are doing well and thanks again for continue to read the blog.
Night, friends.
June 7 - 19.2 / 1,112.0
I woke up to breakfast again. The Rhynes had made us all an eggs scramble with meat and vegies and breakfast burritos. Again, it was delicious.
Prophet was the first to leave camp, The Traveling Circus, and then the rest of us. I hiked with Ten Fifty and another guy for most of the morning. Castor, Spat, and DS caught up right before lunch. The four of us decided to hike to the next road and walked down the road to a little deli. I got a cheeseburger sub and chips. It was pretty good. I think I was still full from the ice cream the night before. I did burp it up a couple of times while hiking. During lunch, we met four guys working for the Park Service. They were out in the area to spray/kill a plant that is not native to the area.
PA is known for rocks. The last few days have not been too bad. However, they appeared in the afternoon. They weren't too bad to hike on as they were more boulder size. The smaller sharp rocks will come though.
As we neared Boiling Springs, we came to a large farm field. Castor and I were together and Spat was a few hundred yards behind. We hiked through the field following blazes. We then got to the end of the field and there were no blazes in sight. At some point we missed where the trail turned in the field. There was a rail road track through some brush. We knew we were to cross the tracks in order to get to town. So, the three of us bushwacked to the tracks. We then walked about a mile down the tracks. As we approached a road crossing, we saw Thrasher and Turkey. They were about 20 or 30 minutes behind and had now caught up as we had walked so far through the field. We joined up with them and hiked into Boiling Springs.
We saw DS, his dad, and his brother fishing. We spoke with them for awhile and then walked a little further to where DS's mom was. She fed us. DS and I said our goodbyes to everyone and headed towards Gettysburg with his family. We are to take a zero there and visit the battlefield. The others were planning to stay at the Allenbury Inn in town. It looked like a really cool place.
While in BS, DS said he ran into Speed Stick aka Super Mike. He provided DS with some bad news in that he was planning to get off trail in a few days. He thinks he has fractured a bone in his foot and has some other matters he has to tend to. It is a sad thing to hear. That is now three from out original group that are not on the trail. I wish him the best and hope to cross paths with him some time in the future. He told DS that we can stay with him if we decide to go into NYC for a day or two.
In Gettysburg, the Rhynes and I checked into the hotel and went and got dinner at an Italian restaurant. We were all full and exhausted. Bed time was shortly there after.
That's all for the 7th.
Prophet was the first to leave camp, The Traveling Circus, and then the rest of us. I hiked with Ten Fifty and another guy for most of the morning. Castor, Spat, and DS caught up right before lunch. The four of us decided to hike to the next road and walked down the road to a little deli. I got a cheeseburger sub and chips. It was pretty good. I think I was still full from the ice cream the night before. I did burp it up a couple of times while hiking. During lunch, we met four guys working for the Park Service. They were out in the area to spray/kill a plant that is not native to the area.
PA is known for rocks. The last few days have not been too bad. However, they appeared in the afternoon. They weren't too bad to hike on as they were more boulder size. The smaller sharp rocks will come though.
As we neared Boiling Springs, we came to a large farm field. Castor and I were together and Spat was a few hundred yards behind. We hiked through the field following blazes. We then got to the end of the field and there were no blazes in sight. At some point we missed where the trail turned in the field. There was a rail road track through some brush. We knew we were to cross the tracks in order to get to town. So, the three of us bushwacked to the tracks. We then walked about a mile down the tracks. As we approached a road crossing, we saw Thrasher and Turkey. They were about 20 or 30 minutes behind and had now caught up as we had walked so far through the field. We joined up with them and hiked into Boiling Springs.
We saw DS, his dad, and his brother fishing. We spoke with them for awhile and then walked a little further to where DS's mom was. She fed us. DS and I said our goodbyes to everyone and headed towards Gettysburg with his family. We are to take a zero there and visit the battlefield. The others were planning to stay at the Allenbury Inn in town. It looked like a really cool place.
While in BS, DS said he ran into Speed Stick aka Super Mike. He provided DS with some bad news in that he was planning to get off trail in a few days. He thinks he has fractured a bone in his foot and has some other matters he has to tend to. It is a sad thing to hear. That is now three from out original group that are not on the trail. I wish him the best and hope to cross paths with him some time in the future. He told DS that we can stay with him if we decide to go into NYC for a day or two.
In Gettysburg, the Rhynes and I checked into the hotel and went and got dinner at an Italian restaurant. We were all full and exhausted. Bed time was shortly there after.
That's all for the 7th.
June 6 - 19.9 / 1,092.8
Woke up to the smell of breakfast. DS's parents eggs, bacon, and sausage. Too bad it isn't like that every morning.
Tanner, DS's younger brother, joined us on our hike for the morning. While DS and Tanner hiked at a little slower pace, Castor, Spatula, and I hiked ahead. We got to a road crossing about seven miles in and waited for them to catch up. Shortly after they arrived, the Traveling Circus and Prophet showed up. They were slack packing for the day. Super Feet is sponsoring their documentary so each of the TC had small Osprey packs with Super Feet's logo. DS also got interviewed by them while at the road so perhaps he'll make it into the video.
After a break we headed on. We were just short of a shelter when we saw DS's parents hiking southbound. Castor, Spatula, and I took a break at the shelter while the Rhyne family hiked back to their car. While at the shelter, a girl asked if we had seen Menno and Mexico. She said that they couldn't be too far behind us. I haven't seen either of them since Fontana Dam. I wasn't sure if they were still on the trail or not. It's good to know they are.
We hiked and met the Rhyne family at their car for a sandwich and snacks. Tanner stayed with his parents as we hiked for the rest of the day.
A milestone was made at 3 in the afternoon. I reached the halfway point. We took a few pictures and videos. We had to go off the 2009 halfway marker since one for 2010 was not on the trail. Someone had either stolen it or one had not been placed yet. It was a good feeling to know that I've made it this far. I know a few people doubted I would. Those people probably aren't keeping up with my blog, but if you are, I have proven you wrong.
We got to Pine Grove Furnace State Park about two or so miles after the halfway point. That is where we stopped for the evening and where the Rhynes met us again. This is also the location of performing the half gallon challenge. The challenge is to eat a half gallon of ice cream in a sitting. People prepare in all different ways...eat or don't each before hand. I went with the don't eat much opinion as I had only eaten a half sandwich and gummy bears since breakfast. I had a few options of ice cream flavors. I ended up choosing neopolitan (sp?) in order to mix up the flavors as I ate. The 2010 record is 13 minutes and the days record was 23 minutes. After taking a deep breathe and letting my ice cream melt a little bit, I started. Ten minutes in, I was feeling good but still had a long way to go. At 15 or so in, my whole body was cold and shaking. My legs were bouncing up and down just to keep my body warm. At 30 minutes and 53 seconds, I was done! I completed the half gallon challenge.
The rest of the evening was spent going to the lake to swim, throwing a baseball, and sitting around camp. The Rhynes cooked dinner for us again. This time it was chili, beans, rice, and salad. The camp was full too. There was DS, Prophet, Thrasher, Turkey, Castor, Spatula, Lightning, Monkey, Ring Leader, and myself.
The night was cool, especially for this time of the year. I got cold in my summer bag, but it felt good. I would take a cold night over a hot night any day.
Tanner, DS's younger brother, joined us on our hike for the morning. While DS and Tanner hiked at a little slower pace, Castor, Spatula, and I hiked ahead. We got to a road crossing about seven miles in and waited for them to catch up. Shortly after they arrived, the Traveling Circus and Prophet showed up. They were slack packing for the day. Super Feet is sponsoring their documentary so each of the TC had small Osprey packs with Super Feet's logo. DS also got interviewed by them while at the road so perhaps he'll make it into the video.
After a break we headed on. We were just short of a shelter when we saw DS's parents hiking southbound. Castor, Spatula, and I took a break at the shelter while the Rhyne family hiked back to their car. While at the shelter, a girl asked if we had seen Menno and Mexico. She said that they couldn't be too far behind us. I haven't seen either of them since Fontana Dam. I wasn't sure if they were still on the trail or not. It's good to know they are.
We hiked and met the Rhyne family at their car for a sandwich and snacks. Tanner stayed with his parents as we hiked for the rest of the day.
A milestone was made at 3 in the afternoon. I reached the halfway point. We took a few pictures and videos. We had to go off the 2009 halfway marker since one for 2010 was not on the trail. Someone had either stolen it or one had not been placed yet. It was a good feeling to know that I've made it this far. I know a few people doubted I would. Those people probably aren't keeping up with my blog, but if you are, I have proven you wrong.
We got to Pine Grove Furnace State Park about two or so miles after the halfway point. That is where we stopped for the evening and where the Rhynes met us again. This is also the location of performing the half gallon challenge. The challenge is to eat a half gallon of ice cream in a sitting. People prepare in all different ways...eat or don't each before hand. I went with the don't eat much opinion as I had only eaten a half sandwich and gummy bears since breakfast. I had a few options of ice cream flavors. I ended up choosing neopolitan (sp?) in order to mix up the flavors as I ate. The 2010 record is 13 minutes and the days record was 23 minutes. After taking a deep breathe and letting my ice cream melt a little bit, I started. Ten minutes in, I was feeling good but still had a long way to go. At 15 or so in, my whole body was cold and shaking. My legs were bouncing up and down just to keep my body warm. At 30 minutes and 53 seconds, I was done! I completed the half gallon challenge.
The rest of the evening was spent going to the lake to swim, throwing a baseball, and sitting around camp. The Rhynes cooked dinner for us again. This time it was chili, beans, rice, and salad. The camp was full too. There was DS, Prophet, Thrasher, Turkey, Castor, Spatula, Lightning, Monkey, Ring Leader, and myself.
The night was cool, especially for this time of the year. I got cold in my summer bag, but it felt good. I would take a cold night over a hot night any day.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
June 5 - 13.2 / 1,072.9
DS and I had planned to get up and going at an early time. However, we didn't roll out til closer to 8.
I am a day behind on this blog, and truly can not think what we did during the day, hiking wise. I think most of it is due to not really doing anything.
The end of the day got us to Caledonia State Park. I sat for about an hour on a picnic bench while DS went to go get a campsite and check on his parents getting to the park. By the time he got back, The Count, Maple, Long Shanks, Turtle, Mellow Yellow, and Snack Attack had arrived. It wasn't 5 minutes later from once everyone arrived that a lady came over and asked if we would like some food. A group out for a retirement party had rented out one of the pavilions and had the most food we had seen on trail.
I ate a hamburger, a hot dog, chips and dip, mac and cheese, and a spinach and strawberry salad. However, my favorite food was a buffalo chicken dip. I am going to have to figure out the recipe when I get home.
As we were eating, DS's parents arrived. I joined them at their campsite once I was finished. Castor, Spatula, Turkey, and Thrasher also showed up later in the afternoon. We sat around talking for a few hours and even crammed people under DS's tarp while it rained. For dinner it was hamburger patties, rice, vegetables, brownies, and red velvet cake.
After dinner, we went to a pavilion and looked at DS's pictures on his parent's computer. I was in my tent, and before I was asleep, I heard Tanner (DS's younger brother) throwing up. It wasn't the most pleasant experience to fall asleep to.
I am a day behind on this blog, and truly can not think what we did during the day, hiking wise. I think most of it is due to not really doing anything.
The end of the day got us to Caledonia State Park. I sat for about an hour on a picnic bench while DS went to go get a campsite and check on his parents getting to the park. By the time he got back, The Count, Maple, Long Shanks, Turtle, Mellow Yellow, and Snack Attack had arrived. It wasn't 5 minutes later from once everyone arrived that a lady came over and asked if we would like some food. A group out for a retirement party had rented out one of the pavilions and had the most food we had seen on trail.
I ate a hamburger, a hot dog, chips and dip, mac and cheese, and a spinach and strawberry salad. However, my favorite food was a buffalo chicken dip. I am going to have to figure out the recipe when I get home.
As we were eating, DS's parents arrived. I joined them at their campsite once I was finished. Castor, Spatula, Turkey, and Thrasher also showed up later in the afternoon. We sat around talking for a few hours and even crammed people under DS's tarp while it rained. For dinner it was hamburger patties, rice, vegetables, brownies, and red velvet cake.
After dinner, we went to a pavilion and looked at DS's pictures on his parent's computer. I was in my tent, and before I was asleep, I heard Tanner (DS's younger brother) throwing up. It wasn't the most pleasant experience to fall asleep to.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
June 4 - 14.5 / 1,059.7
The summary for this day was laziness. Knowing that we had two days to hike some 27-28 miles, we were not to rushed to get out of camp. We still left around 7:30 though.
We got to the first shelter, 5 miles in, in pretty good time. We could hear some voices coming from the side trail so we thought we should go check it out. It was a few other thru hikers. Next thing we know we had our packs off and joined them in conversation. We stuck around for about 1.5 hours before moving on.
We hike another 5 miles to Pen Mar County Park. Captain Radish and Rifka were leaving as we arrived. Also there were a few hundred elementary school kids. We sat at a picnic table and soon decided to order food from a local restaurant. My guide book said they delivered to the park. We got the one pizza, ten wings, one liter drink special. It arrived 20 minutes later. We spent the next few hours eating and watching the kids run around the park. I followed that up with a nap, and DS went around and read about the history of the park. After sitting there for almost 4 hours we decided that we should probably hike the last 4.5 miles for the day.
After leaving the park, we crossed over the Mason Dixon line and into Pennsylvania.
We could hear thunder in the distance that was definitely coming towards us. Well, we got to experience that thunder and lightning about 2 miles later. Luckily, we got to a low point on the trail and set up the fly to DS's hammock in approximately 30 seconds. We dove up it and sat out the downpour for the next 30 minutes. We were dry, and that is all that mattered.
We hiked the last 2.5 miles to the shelter. Also here for the evening are Captain Radish and Rifka, The Count (a section hiker), and two other section hikers. We all enjoyed a good meal and socialization.
I forgot to mention I got some trail magic yesterday: a lemon lime soft drink and some pretzels. They were in a cooler beside a house the trail passed.
We got to the first shelter, 5 miles in, in pretty good time. We could hear some voices coming from the side trail so we thought we should go check it out. It was a few other thru hikers. Next thing we know we had our packs off and joined them in conversation. We stuck around for about 1.5 hours before moving on.
We hike another 5 miles to Pen Mar County Park. Captain Radish and Rifka were leaving as we arrived. Also there were a few hundred elementary school kids. We sat at a picnic table and soon decided to order food from a local restaurant. My guide book said they delivered to the park. We got the one pizza, ten wings, one liter drink special. It arrived 20 minutes later. We spent the next few hours eating and watching the kids run around the park. I followed that up with a nap, and DS went around and read about the history of the park. After sitting there for almost 4 hours we decided that we should probably hike the last 4.5 miles for the day.
After leaving the park, we crossed over the Mason Dixon line and into Pennsylvania.
We could hear thunder in the distance that was definitely coming towards us. Well, we got to experience that thunder and lightning about 2 miles later. Luckily, we got to a low point on the trail and set up the fly to DS's hammock in approximately 30 seconds. We dove up it and sat out the downpour for the next 30 minutes. We were dry, and that is all that mattered.
We hiked the last 2.5 miles to the shelter. Also here for the evening are Captain Radish and Rifka, The Count (a section hiker), and two other section hikers. We all enjoyed a good meal and socialization.
I forgot to mention I got some trail magic yesterday: a lemon lime soft drink and some pretzels. They were in a cooler beside a house the trail passed.
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