Day 91: Mt Holly Springs to Shippensburg Road

Today's Miles: 19.0

Total Miles: 1096.8

What an incredibly rewarding day. The rain had finally stopped, and I was ready to head back to the trail this morning. It was still wet and flooded in some areas, but I was surprised at how dry it was in most places. 

I found myself at Pine Grove Furnace State Park early, the home of the AT Museum and the Half Gallon Challenge. The museum was closed so I wasn't able to explore. It's supposed to contain items from some of the early AT hikers like Earl Schaffer and Grandma Gatewood, and it would have been interesting to see how different it is now. The Half Gallon Challenge is supposed to mark reaching the halfway point on the trail, and hikers strive to finish a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting. I didn't participate. Being by myself, I felt that it would be more depressing than anything! Besides, I don't think I need a special challenge to finish off a half gallon. I think I was capable of that before I even started hiking the trail. 

A few miles later, I saw the sign marking the midpoint on the trail from a few years ago. I still had a few miles left before passing the real midway point, but there was no marker at the real one. I thought I would be more excited about reaching this point. I think I tried to make myself feel more than I really was. It was just another day, just another mile passed on the trail. Maybe Harper's Ferry will feel more significant (this is accepted more as the mental halfway point on the trail). As I was reading the register at the midway point, a park ranger walked up with a group of college students. They were learning about the AT in their American Studies class, and she asked if I would mind answering some questions for the students about the trail and being a thru hiker. I agreed to do so, and it was great to see their interest in it. Maybe some of them will be future thru hikers themselves. 

When I was talking to the ranger, she was saying that one of the Tom's Run Shelters was burned down just last week. They don't know the cause, but it was unfortunate to see. I sincerely hope that someone wouldn't do something like that intentionally. So many volunteers work so hard to manage the trail, and to see some of that work erased so quickly is disheartening. I even passed some volunteers on the trail today who were trying to divert some of the water that had caused the trail to be become a stream. They wasted no time after the storms to get out to the trail and continue to maintain it. It was impressive, and I made sure to thank them as I do all the other volunteer trail maintainers I pass. 

I was excited to get through the next few miles of the day. I have a friend in Texas who absolutely insisted I get in touch with her family when I passed through PA since they only live a few miles from the trail. Today was the day I would be staying with them. Service was terrible at the trailhead, but I managed to get a message out after having to stand on a fence for some height advantage. 

I have to say I have been completely spoiled today. Kelly and her family were so hospitable and inviting, and I couldn't have asked for more. It was a great end to an incredible rainy stretch, and they did so much to make me feel at home. Thanks to Ashley for urging me to make the arrangements, and to the whole family for being so welcoming and incredible all around! 

Halfway point!

One state at a time

Day 90: Boiling Springs to Mt Holly Springs

Today's Miles: 8.8

Total Miles: 1078.8

It was another short and wet day today. What was supposed to be only a half inch of rain turned into 8 inches. Everything is flooding, and I often found myself wading through ankle deep water. The creeks are all rising and turning into rivers. 

I passed Center Point Knob, the original midpoint of the AT, and had to make my way past what is referred to as the Rock Maze. It's just another crazy rock formation, and it wasn't the most fun when it was wet. There were a few ups and downs, and the trail was a stream in a few areas. It was gross and miserable, and I have a whole new set of blisters from walking in wet shoes. I ended the day early, wet and annoyed, but glad to be somewhere dry. I hope this will be the last of the rain for a little while. 

Water to the ankles 

Center Point Knob

Day 89: Darlington Shelter to Boiling Springs

Today's Miles: 14.3

Total Miles: 1069.0

It rained and rained and rained today. I dreaded heading back out on the trail, but finally made it out of the shelter around 10:30. It was that soaking rain, the one where it doesn't matter how much wet weather gear you have on - you're going to get wet. The trail today was flat, so it made it go by fast. There were a lot of road crossings, and I was just waiting for that moment that a car would drive through that puddle that would result in me being even more soaked. Thankfully it didn't happen, but I don't know that I would have noticed a difference anyway. 

Fields, fields, and more fields with an occasional short walk in the woods. That's what the day primarily consisted of. I was able to find an AT information sign to hunker down under for lunch, but I didn't stop for long. It got cold fast, and the rain was falling harder. I made it to the road for Boiling Springs by 3:30 and headed to Allenberry Resort a half mile down the road. They offer an incredible deal on hiker rooms, and I couldn't resist. They have an amazing buffet, and I made sure to get my fill. One of the Captains is here for a few days, and the section hikers from last night are here too. Everyone had the same idea to get out of the rain. 

I had to consider how many times it was acceptable to return to the dessert table at the buffet tonight. I finally settled on just one trip but managed to fit three small pieces of pie and a sweet roll - that's acceptable, right? I think I did manage to draw a few strange looks from that plateful, honestly. 

 Flooded underpass

Something got a little hungry!

I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little tempted to get one...

19th century cemetery 

I got to walk through a horse pasture. This was pretty cool. 

Drying out. 

Day 88: Duncannon to Darlington Shelter

Today's Miles: 11.3

Total Miles: 1054.7

It was supposed to start raining this morning, but it ended up holding off until the late afternoon. I sincerely contemplated staying in town since I don't feel like I got a wink of sleep and was in serious zombie mode. I went across the street from the Doyle for breakfast and took my time getting ready until checkout at 10:00. My original plan was to attempt a marathon day to Boiling Springs since it would have been a fairly flat day, but the weather and my general state would certainly not have permitted that. There is an 18 mile section between the Darlington Shelter and the Alec Kennedy Shelter where stealth camping is not allowed. This section is supposed to cross a lot of farmlands, so it's very understandable. That made this shelter my only practical option, and 11 miles seemed easy enough. 

I still had a bit of a town walk before I headed back to the woods. The first challenge was the ascent, which wouldn't have been bad on any other day. The guidebook warned that there was a 6 mile stretch of very rocky trail, but I really couldn't distinguish much of a difference between this part and any other section of PA. 

When I made it to the shelter, I started to unpack my things and found that someone had left a phone here. One of the Captains came up shortly after to claim it. That would have been an unfortunate and inconvenient loss. I'm glad someone didn't take it before he made it back.

The rain is really coming down pretty hard now. I crawled into my sleeping bag almost as soon as I got to the shelter, made some ramen, and hoped that if I kept thinking warm thoughts it would warm me up. Today is one of those days I would love to be sitting on the couch in a big comfy sweater drinking hot cocoa. The rain makes it feel so much colder than it really is. Two section hikers came up a while after I got in, but I was too cocooned in my sleeping bag to be social. I really really have to pee, but I'm dreading heading out into the rain. It's inevitable, so I suppose I should just suck it up and get it over with, right?

Day 87: Rattling Run to Duncannon

Today's Miles: 22.0

Total Miles: 1043.4

Since I was ahead a few miles from yesterday, I was able to push into Duncannon today. I was looking forward to it since I hadn't slept as well as I had hoped last night. I had a descent to Route 325 and a quick ascent back up, where I slowed some to talk to a few section hikers. They were doing a few day hikes in the area and gave me some good info on things coming up. There were a lot of side trails in the area today. I was impressed by how well marked all the trails were. Most of the day was spent on the ridge line, where it was mostly flat. I saw a sign saying I had only 2 miles to the first road crossing, so I thought I could really cruise through them. I found myself trying to navigate through a boulder field and even climbing uphill. This was NOT what I was expecting before the descent. It wouldn't be so bad at the start of the day, but at the end it just serves as a motivation killer. I made it through and started the final descent. It was steep but quick. I headed towards town, crossing the bridge spanning the Susquehanna, followed by a long walk through Duncannon. All the houses were decorated for Halloween, and it really just made me feel slow. 

I'm staying at the Doyle tonight, one of those places that is a trail icon. It's a hotel that is over one hundred years old and definitely shows it in some areas. I had planned on stopping for the food, since it comes highly recommended, but staying the night was not in the original plan. As soon as I walked in the door I was greeted with, "Hiker trash!" from Vickie and the others at the bar. It looks like I caught up to a small SOBO bubble. I enjoyed a delicious dinner made by Pat while talking to Chicken and Rooster, two section hikers here. I met the Captains who are a pair of veterans hiking for an organization that encourages active lifestyles for veterans. They seem pretty quick though, so I don't think I'll see them around for very long. There were some others here, but they came in later so I wasn't able to catch their names. 

It looks like the weather will be slightly less than enjoyable for the next few days. It's calling for a chance of rain showers during the next 3 days or so. It's not always ideal, but I think the trail needs it. It will be good for the springs and other water sources around here. 

Happy birthday to my little Dexter! Wish I was there. 

Ammo can trail register

The Doyle

Day 86: William Penn Shelter to Rattling Run

Today's Miles: 20.7

Total Miles: 1021.4

It felt good to be back to decent miles today, and I was able to do more than I had originally planned for. I was correct about my little squirrel visitor last night. When I went to put on my shoes, I found an acorn placed carefully in the heel of each one. Sorry little guy, you didn't pick a very good hiding place.

The morning was easy. The trail followed on a grassy ridge for awhile. There were a lot of fallen limbs from yesterday's little storm all over the trail and a fresh blanket of leaves disguising all the rocks. It was flat, but my shoes were soon soaked from the dew-covered grass. I stopped early for lunch so I could dry them out some. The sun was starting to peek through the trees, so it was nice to sit and enjoy it for a minute. I had a fairly steep descent, where I had to cross quite a few roads. Somehow I passes Route 72 three times. I'm actually still not sure how the trail managed that one. 

There was actually a small mountain I had to go over with a noticeable ascent and descent on both sides. Lately it's just been an ascent to the ridgeline where I stay for a while, so this was a nice change even though I did end up on the ridge shortly after. 

I got to the campsite I intended to stay at before 4:00. I figured it would be good to put in a few extra miles and stealth near the next water source. I was confident there would be a stealth site here to camp. There are tons all over PA, and having one by water is almost a guarantee since it's such a scarcity around here. There was supposed to be a side trail here to an old coal mining settlement that I was tempted to check out, but I pushed on. I made it to Rattling Run by 5:00, which is still much earlier than I usually finish the day. I often find myself trying to beat the setting sun, but today I had time to set up my tent, cook, clean up, and just relax before it got dark. My tent is tucked into a spot between the rhododendron bushes alongside the water. I'm hoping the relaxing atmosphere of the location will result in a restful sleep tonight. 

This is why it's recommended that people don't let balloons go free. They just end up tangled in a tree on a mountain somewhere. This is the 4th one I've seen on the hike so far. 

Day 85: 501 Shelter to William Penn Shelter

Today's Miles: 4.1

Total Miles: 1000.7

There was a thunderstorm expected today, so I booked it to the first shelter as fast as I could. It was foggy and misting when I left, but I thought I could beat the worst of it, being only 4 miles away. I could feel the wind starting to pick up, so my pace quickened. When I made it to the shelter, I checked the weather and saw there was now a tornado warning as well as the predicted thunderstorms. That was about the point I decided to stay put. This was a good sturdy shelter to wait it out in. I sat and watched the wind knock down branches and blow most of the remaining leaves off the trees - nothing tornado strength, but not something I would want to be hiking through or even in my tent for. It started to get cold because the wind was blowing rain into the shelter, so I moved to the loft. It was great that this one had this feature on a day like today. The rain stopped in the late afternoon, but I decided to stay here since the next shelter was still 13 miles away. There was a rain soaked squirrel running around the picnic table and the edge of the shelter, so it looks like I might have company tonight. As long as stays out of my food, I won't mind. 

Didn't make it far today, but it still put me past the 1000 mile mark!

Day 84: Eagles Nest Shelter to 501 Shelter

Today's Mileage: 15.1

Total Mileage: 996.6

With mileage like this, I quickly feel like I'm going nowhere. I was kept up most of the night by some heavy snoring, so I was still tired when I finally got up. I spent some time talking to guys that were up, and they offered me a pumpkin pie pop-tart. Who even knew these beauties existed? It was incredible.

The day was gray and thick with fog when I headed out. There were supposed to be some viewpoints along the way, but it was too overcast to see much of anything. I stayed up on the ridge all day, so it was mostly flat and, of course, rocky. I had to cross Route 183, and I managed to step in the only mud in all of PA...up to my ankles. I tried to step on a stick, but it was swallowed too. The road crossing was terrible. Both sides came up around a curve, and I couldn't see anything. Thankfully there was a guy on the other side with his family who told me when it was clear. He had a bit more visibility on his side. I stopped at Hertline Campsite for a break and filled up on water since there was actually a good source, a rare site these days. A section hiker named Blueline was passing by, so we stopped and talked for a while. He tried to tell me a joke, and it went completely over my head. I think he had to tell me about 3 times before I finally understood (Did you hear about the guy who lost his left side? He's alright. All right. Get it?) 

I was excited to get to this shelter tonight since there is a place that delivers pizza nearby. The shelter is close to a road, but it also has a caretaker on the property. There was another hiker there who was a flip-flopper. The shelter has two resident cats, probably to keep the mice population in check. There was a shower here as well, or at least something that resembled a shower. It was a hose with a spray attachment through a hole in the wall of the wooden stall, but there is supposed to be hot water when the tank on top gets warmed up during the day. That obviously didn't happen today since there wasn't much sun. It was still nice to rinse off some, especially the mud that had squeezed its way into my shoes. I ordered my pizza and ate with two begging cats circling around. The caretaker stopped by and said inflatable sleeping pads were not advised with the cats, so it looks like I'll be sleeping on a hard wooden bunk tonight.    

No views :(

501 Shelter. Skylights and all. 

This shelter is supposed to be closed too. 

Day 83: Hamburg to Eagle's Nest Shelter

Today's Miles: 9.3

Total Miles: 981.5

I left town late and didn't make it very far today. I was kept up a lot last night by the pains in my feet and ankles. I had hoped it would take a little longer than this to return, but I guess the terrain hasn't helped much. 

I started the day by walking through Port Clinton a little ways and up a steep ascent. It was a gain of almost a thousand feet, but it was fairly quick. It was just hot and slow thanks to the humidity and the afternoon heat. 

I wish there was more to talk about today, but it was pretty boring and typical Pennsylvania - rocky and mostly flat. Sometimes I feel like I'm never going to make it out of this state, which makes me worry about how I'll handle being in Virginia for so long. The last few states passed by so fast, so I guess it's just an adjustment. 

I was a little unimpressed when I saw the spring at the shelter. It was barely flowing. Maybe the rain forecasted for tonight will help it out some. I was the first one at the shelter tonight, but a group of 4 guys in their late 30's showed up shortly after. They were old college buddies out for the weekend and were a pretty entertaining crowd. It sounds like they'll be up for a while as I get ready for bed. Good thing I can sleep through almost anything!

Day 82: Eckville Shelter to Hamburg

Today's Miles: 14.5

Total Miles: 972.2

Today was a short day and very slow going. It was very warm since there's a bit of a heat wave passing through, and it reached the 80's today. There were actually some elevation changes today, and plenty of rocks to go around. 

The day started off nicely, and there were even some areas of no rocks. I headed up to the Pinnacle and took what would be the first in a series of very long breaks today. I sat and watched some birds flying by. I don't know what they were, but they were so close I could hear their wings cutting the air as they passed. There were at least a dozen of them at one point. 

I continued on to a rocky descent and stopped for lunch shortly after. There was a lady out with her two dogs that I had leapfrogged with a few times throughout the day, and she passed for the final time since she was heading out at the next road. She had just had knee surgery, and this was her first trip out since then. A big kudos to her. A few other day hikers passed by while I ate. 

There were a few more small ups and downs, and I decided to head into town to pick up a few things. Mostly, it was because I had run out of fruit snacks and didn't think I could survive without them. I called Cabela's at the trailhead, and they picked me up. I needed to get some fuel anyway, so it worked out. I've been using the same canister since Maine, so I'm sure I'll be running out soon. I stayed at the hotel in Hamburg, where they fortunately had a single room open up last minute. I'm looking forward to the more affordable lodging options further south. There is no way I could afford to stay in towns if it stayed this way. My laundry's in the wash, and I was able to take a hot shower. I dined on some Red Robin for dinner, and it was delicious. Yummm. I was reminded today of my recent craving for banana creme pie after I heard mention of it in the audiobook I was listening to, so I picked some up at Walmart and ashamedly ate the whole thing. I'm looking forward to a good night's rest tonight.  

A giant stack of rocks

No rocks!

A ground level shot of the PA rocks

Part of the giant Cabela's taxidermy display

Day 81: Bake Oven Knob Shelter to Eckville Shelter

Today's Miles: 17.4

Total Miles: 957.7

I woke up to a flat air mattress this morning. I'm hoping this was caused by an open valve and not a hole somewhere. I can't imagine having to replace this thing. I packed up and started towards Bake Oven Knob and the Knife Edge. I expected a lot more of the Knife Edge. It was supposed to be a narrow rocky trail with steep drop offs on both sides, or that's how the NOBOs made it sound at least. It was, overall, very short and not very dramatic. 

I stopped at the Blue Mountain B&B at a road crossing to fill up on water. This might not have been the best idea. The spigot was underneath a dryer vent, and I still haven't been able to get the taste of fabric softener out of my water bottle. 

I took a break at the Allentown Hiking Club Shelter, and overall it was a very nice shelter. It was well maintained, and there was a checkerboard painted on the floor. There was one problem though - it was infested with stink bugs! They were everywhere. I was happy that I wasn't staying here tonight. 

The remainder of the day was mostly flat and rocky, as was expected. I made it to the shelter, which is located on a road and has a caretaker on the property, but the caretaker wasn't there. He showed up after dark and told me the shelter was technically closed because of the shutdown, but it was ok if I stayed. He even gave me a cold soda. This was the first time I thought about how the government shutdown might affect my hike. I'm supposed to be going through the Shenandoah National Park in a few hundred miles, and I don't know what I'll do if it's closed. For now, I'll take things day by day. That's all I can do at this point. 

 Knife Edge

Walked into a web and found this on me. Anyone know what kind of spider it is?

Stink bugs. Gross.