Blog update

6/16

Distance Travelled: 24 miles

Wildlife & Plant life: several deer and a tree with 7 trunks

Wilderness? I encountered 4 flush toilets today! It was nice! I think Maryland might be my favorite state so far!

There were many historical markers along the trail today. My favorite was the original monument to George Washington. It was wonderful having my historian husband hiking next to me today!

6/17

Distance Travelled: 22.7 miles

Weather: cold & rainy all day long

Highlight: at Pen Mar park, my husband “Mad Hatter” and I rewarded ourselves for enduring through the rain by ordering pizza. The park was right next to a road and our supper arrived in about 15 minutes. We were delighted!

Disappointment: there was no sign indicating we crossed the Mason Dixon line.

6/18 (Happy birthday to my grandmother, Sam!)

Distance Travelled: 23.2 miles

At one point today, we came to a place called Caledonia State Park. Here we found a snack bar where I ordered cheese fries, chicken nuggets, and a cone with 3 scoops of cookie dough ice cream. After eating, I got to swing on a grown-up sized swingset for a while as I looked out over a large creek. I was really happy.

6/19

Distance Travelled: 9.9 miles

Mad Hatter returned home today L

Why I had such a short day: Hardcore got behind me when she took a “zero day” at Bears Den Hostel south of Harpers Ferry and then planned to attempt what is called the “4-state challenge,” in which one must place a foot in VA, WV, MD, and PA within 24 hours. This stretch of the AT is 43 miles. Hardcore is not usually one to pass up any challenge given to her. However, as she was doing the 4-state challenge yesterday, she actually met the man who invented this challenge. He informed her of the “Connecticut in a day” challenge, which is 51 miles in 24 hours. Upon hearing about this, Hardcore determined it’d be ok if she did not actually do all of the challenges on the AT. So she stopped a little short of her 43 mile goal and remained behind, and I allowed her to catch up.

Funniest thing I’ve ever witnessed: HALF GALLON CHALLENGE! Today we reached the half way point of the AT, where the tradition is for thru hikers to attempt to eat an entire half gallon of icecream. This was very good entertainment! As I waited for Hardcore to arrive, I watched 12 hikers try this challenge. Most succeeded. The funniest person was “Stud the Dud,” a 19-yr-old guy who is recovering from a tick illness, therefore having a decreased appetite and weak stomach from his medications. S.t.D. would quickly shovel several spoonfuls into his mouth and then the ice cream would run straight back out into the carton, and he’d slump over defeated and wait a few minutes before trying again. At one point, he plopped on the ground next to his back pack, which had a “fun-o-meter” button attached. Stud turned the meter down to below “low” and then started to cry. He actually ended up completing the challenge though, after which he immediately threw up. Those who joined him in completion received small wooden spoons stamped with “half-gallon club.”

Most incredible trail magic ever: As we sat around eating ice cream, a man came up by the trail name of “Hijack.” We’d met his wife “Rusty” a few days ago, and learned that she was a thru hiker. Hijack only hiked sections of the trail, but he lived close by. Everyone was dismayed by the fact that they’d made themselves sick from ice cream and still had to hike 7 miles to the next shelter, with a bad storm coming in. Hijack said that we could just stay at his house and we were shocked! 8 smelly hikers in his house?! He shuttled us there in 2 trips, gave us showers, laundry, internet, beer, his hot tub, mattresses and sofas to sleep on, and Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Arc.

6/20

Distance Travelled: 19.4 miles

Hijack amazingly offered us another night’s stay this morning, and explained that we could slackpack to Boiling Springs where he could pick us up and then drop us off again tomorrow morning. We could not refuse such incredible hospitality. When we returned to his house at the end of the day, we again got showers, laundry, internet, beer, the hot tub, and the movie Transformers. It was pretty awesome.

I hiked with a ringpop on my finger today and really enjoyed it! It took my mind off of the rain.

My worst fall yet happened today. I got several scratches, scabs, and bruises. It hurt.

As we strolled into Boiling Springs, PA, we almost walked right through the middle of a wedding that was taking place at a pavilion next to the trail. We had to laugh at the fact that these folks decided to have their nice little wedding right where dirty, smelly hikers were walking.

6/21 (Happy Father’s Day, Happy Summer Solstice, & Happy Hike Naked Day!)

Distance Travelled: 25.7 miles

Wildlife: BEAR CUB!

Hijack dropped us off at Boiling Springs again today where there was more trail magic – fresh fruit and bagels – waiting for us at the trail. After enjoying these treats, we marched on towards Duncannon, PA. I did not see anyone hiking naked today, though I met some folks who claimed to. One girl apparently found large leaves to pin to her sternum strap for some privacy. I think she somehow covered her rear and groin areas with a bandana or two. When I made it to Duncannon, I checked in at the Hotel Doyle, a legendary lodging place for hikers. I enjoyed eating pizza on the porch with other hikers and talking to my dad on the phone (happy Father’s day), and I was thrilled to see my darling husband Mad Hatter, who greeted me with a rose, but as for the actual interior of Hotel Doyle, I cannot say I was pleased. It is the most laughable business that has ever received my money. Holes abounded the ceilings, floors, and walls. The bathroom should be renamed the moldroom. When we rested on our mattress, we completely sank. It is a wonder to me that this place is not condemned by the state. Anyway, it is something I can proudly say I survived, and I suppose this experience of staying at Doyle is just one of many that unites the hiking community.

6/22

Distance Travelled: 11.3 miles

After errands, resupplying food, and enjoying the town of Duncannon, Mad Hatter and I got to hike together. It was great to be with him!

6/23 (my 2 year anniversary!)

Distance Travelled: 17.5 miles

Today was the perfect anniversary hike. The weather was lovely, we saw lots of wild roses, and we slept near a stream under our tarp.

6/24

Distance Travelled: 17.4 miles

Wildlife: tortoise, snake

Trail Magic: we found some freeze pops in a cooler next to the trail J

Most of today was disappointing – Mad Hatter left the trail to go home, there was a ridiculously long section of the trail that was both very rocky and completely taken over with poison ivy, and worst of all, the shelter where we stayed, contrary to what was written in my guide book, did not have a rope swing. We’d feared someone may have cut the rope swing down, and planned to braid all of our bear lines together and make a new rope swing if we had to, but alas, there was not even a pond over which to hang the rope. I really can’t tell you how terribly disappointing this was; it was bad.

6/25

Distance Travelled: 23.7 miles

Wildlife: deer, rabbit, 2 snakes, toads, chipmunks… everyone else seemed to see rattle snakes

Historical highlight: Fort Dietrich Snyder Marker. This man operated a lookout post on the AT (before the AT existed) in 1755, during the French & Indian War

Another cool thing: I crossed Reading Railroad! I used to love playing Monopoly, so this was very exciting to me. By the way, we crossed the B&O in Harpers Ferry.

Also, we got to slackpack today. A local lady, in exchange for a small sum of money, picked up our gear from the shelter where we slept and delivered it to Port Clinton, PA, our destination for the day.

In Port Clinton, I enjoyed the candy shop, taking a dip in the river, “cowboy camping” (sleeping under the stars), and hanging out with a local old man on his porch while he told me stories of other hikers and gave me soda and water.

6/26

Distance Travelled: 22.6 miles

Wildlife: red epts, toads

Weather: Raaaaiiiiiin

Terrain: rockiest I’ve seen yet!

Lowpoint: I slipped on a wet rock and tumbled and bruised my rear end

Mistake: Somehow I missed a shelter where I intended to stop to wait on my friends to catch up. So I ended up getting way ahead of them – 7 miles. It turned out great, though because I got to camp with other hikers who I’d not yet met, and that was fun.

Highlight: Early Bear’s stories. This hiker, with whom I camped tonight, has had all sorts of crazy encounters out here with bears, raccoons, and most famously, a rabid skunk. The story with the rabid skunk is really awesome but way too long for me to type here right now, so I may just have to type it later or tell y’all in person the story.

6/27

Distance Travelled: 17.7 miles

Wildlife: copperhead, I think? I didn’t get too close to it.

This was my favorite day of trail yet! It started with the most challenging trail I’ve “hiked” yet. Actually, “bouldering” is a more appropriate term for this section called by some “the cliffs” and by others “the knife blade.” I struggled and had 2 bad falls, but enjoyed the exciting landscape. Afterwards, I got to climb the “bear rocks” and rest at “bake oven knob.” The views of the Pennsylvania countryside were lovely today, and for once, it actually didn’t rain at all today! By far, though, the best part of my hike today was the blueberry paradise that I encountered for my final miles of the day. I’d thought the knife blade was my slowest mile I’ve ever done out here, but that changed once I started picking handfuls of blueberries between every couple of steps.

Something fun: Palmerton. The city operates a hostel in what was once a jail. It was fun leaving a message with my parents that I was sleeping in a jail cell. Actually, the hostel was pretty nice. Here I became friends with another group of hikers that is mainly girls (unusual for the trail). Their collective name is “Babes in Boots.” We went out to eat and then went out for drinks. Some locals at the bar decided to pick up our tab J