Allen's Adventures

Friday, 7/3

AT Miles = 16.7 / 1340.4
Other Miles = 0.7 / 46.9
Total Miles = 17.4 / 1387.3

Every time I woke up last night I could hear the swarm of mosquitoes buzzing on the other side of the netting on my hammock. It was a bit unnerving, actually.

It was still very damp when I got up this morning, and I ate and packed hurriedly so I could get moving and try to escape the mosquitoes. Are you starting to see that tiny little insects are now in control of my life?

After the three falls I took yesterday, I was leery of all the wet rocks this morning and I moved more slowly and carefully than usual. When I got to High Point State Park I stopped at the tower just south of the High Point Monument; not for the view, as there wasn't anything to see but fog, but rather because it was windy up on top of the tower and I could sit and eat without the 'squitoes bothering me.

The AT does not go over High Point, but I took the few minutes necessary to drop my pack and scamper up to the highest point in New Jersey, and then back down.

After leaving the park the trail goes through some lowlands where it threads it's way through some nearly suburban neighborhoods. There was lots and lots (and lots and lots) of mud through here, but the air was freshening and felt drier and cooler, and the sun was starting to break through more and more. At one point I was actually in New York State, but only briefly before crossing back into New Jersey. Then the trail makes a loop through the Wallkill River (isn't Wallkill River a redundancy?) NWR. The sun was out now and at one point I came upon a large, expansive bench next to what I assume is a wildlife viewing blind, and I stopped here and spread all my wet stuff out. I ate my lunch and was just settling down with my book when I heard the rumble of thunder in the distance. I just had time to get my gear stowed away when the sky opened up and it poured on me. So much for trying to dry my boots!

It was only a couple miles from the wildlife refuge to this shelter, and by the time I got here the sun was out again. The only problem I had is that I didn't read the book ahead of time, and thus did not know that the water supply for the shelter was at the bottom of Pochuk Mountain, 1/2 mile BEFORE I got to the shelter. When I got here and couldn't figure out where the water is, I reaqd the book then realized I had to walk a half mile back down the mountain, then of course climb the half mile back to the shelter. Duh!

I hung my hammock and strung my bear bag line as a clothesline, then out out all my wet stuff, and even my sleeping bag and the little down jacket I use as a pillow. They sure could use some fresh air and sunshine.

It clouded up again a little while ago and I put everything away. I think we might get another storm this evening, but it is definitely cooler than last night, and the forecast for the weekend is dry.

I have to go into Vernon, NJ tomorrow to resupply. I still haven't decided if I am going to stay in town or come back out onto the trail. If I stay in town tomorrow night then I will reach New York on Sunday. If I gho in and out of town tomorrow then I will sleep in New York tomorrow night.

—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 7/1 & Thursday, 7/2

Wednesday
AT Miles = 23.6 / 1308.4
Other Miles = 1.2 / 45.4
Total Miles = 24.8 / 1353.8

Thursday
AT Miles = 15.3 / 1323.7
Other Miles = 0.8 / 46.2
Total Miles = 16.1 / 1369.9

Sorry, but I am combining two days' blogs again. I didn't journal last night because the mosquitoes were ferocious and they chased me into my hammock as soon as I finished my chores and ate my dinner.

Yesterday was a really nice day. I felt strong and ate up the miles. Sunfish Pond was beautiful in the morning mist. I saw a half dozen deer at various points during the morning, as well as rabbits and frogs and a raccoon. I caught up to the crowd that includes Squeegie and The Twins and Half Moon and Sunbeam at lunch time. I also met two section hikers named Howdy and Minnow. Oh, and D.O.C. was there. D.O.C. is a very cool young guy of 19, who is a bit of an accidental thru-hiker. He started out planning to hike from Fontana Dam to his home in Daleville, VA, but was enjoying it so much he just kept going.

A while after lunch I ran into D.O.C. and Howdy and Minnow again, and they were going to take a half mile side trail to a swimming pond, and I decided to go with them. It was a nice sunny afternoon and the water felt wonderful. By the time I got to the shelter my feet were pretty sore, and the mosquitoes were absolutely awful, but the day as a whole was wonderful.

Today, on the other hand, was a pretty miserable day. It rained early this morning and it stayed hot and very muggy all day. The mosquitoes have been awful.

So far on my hike I have fallen twice, both on the morning I walked into Pearisburg. Today, I took falls numbers 3, 4, and 5. Wet boots on wet rocks can be like ice. On one fall I landed on my wrist, and it is pretty sore. I don't think I did anything really bad. It isn't swollen or discolored, and I have full range of motion. But it feels very tender when I lean heavily into my hiking poles, which I do when going downhill.

So, I need to stop this and make my dinner, as it is 6:30. More tomorrow. Goodnight from NJ.

—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 6/30

AT Miles = 0 / 1284.8
Other Miles = 0 / 44.2
Total Miles = 0 / 1329.0

I had a comfortable, lazy day today at Paul's house. Paul had to leave
early for work, but he was kind enough to leave me the keys to his car
so this morning I made a trip to the book store and spent an enjoyable
hour+ browsing the book racks and selecting a couple of books for my
future reading. One will go in my pack and one will go in my bounce
box for later. After the book store I headed to the local outfitter
store and finally managed to get some Aquamira, so I am now fixed up
in that department.

Not much more to write about today. I spent the afternoon reading and
futzing about with my gear. I have to repack my bounce box now and get
it ready for mailing. Paul graciously offered to mail it for me, which
removes a big hassle from my day tomorrow. Because he works early Paul
will be dropping me off back on the New Jersey end of the DWG bridge
early tomorrow morning, so I plan to take advantage of the early start
and try to get in a 24 mile day. From what I hear, that will get me
past the remaining bad stretch of rocks. There is a 70% chance of rain
tomorrow, but hopefully it won't be one of those steady, all day
rains.

I am getting excited now about closing in on New England. That will
feel like coming home, I think. I just have to make sure I don't get
so wrapped up in where I will be that I forget to appreciate where I
am at the moment.

—
~~~~~
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Having made the goal of reaching Delaware Water Gap and crossing the
river into New Jersey (7 states down and 7 to go!), I spent a bit of
time this morning trying to figure out the next couple of weeks. I
will be back on the trail tomorrow, and it looks like I should reach
New York this coming Sunday, the 5th. That should have me reaching
Connecticut next Friday or Saturday, the 10th or 11th. So, all you
Nutmeggers, it looks like I should be hiking through Connecticut over
the weekend. Now, I can’t guarantee that; anything could happen
between now and then. But assuming everything goes well and it comes
to pass, I would surely welcome some company for a bit of hiking, or
even just at camp overnight. As I get closer to Connecticut I will try
to update you with where I think I will be and when.

—
~~~~~
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Monday, 6/29

AT Miles = 16.8 / 1284.8
Other Miles = 0 / 44.2
Total Miles = 16.8 / 1329.0

Insulated from the usual cues that wake me in the morning — a
lightening sky and chirping birds — I was afraid I would oversleep in
my motel room and as a result I woke repeatedly during the night, each
time checking my watch. I last woke about 4:30 so got up and got my
gear together. I walked down the street to the Gap Diner, open 24
hours, and had breakfast. By 5:30 I was walking back through town on
my way to the AT crossing at the top of Wind Gap. I wanted an early
start today in order to be sure I arrived in Delaware Water Gap with
plnty of time to do my errands and still make it across the bridge to
meet my friend Paul at 4:30.

I only had about 15 1/2 miles to walk to get to DWG, which normally I
would confidently predict to take just a bit over 6 hours, but with
the rocks in PA I have found it impossible to estimate hiking times as
it depends completely on how rocky the trail is. As it turned out the
trail was about “normal” for northern PA and I made it to DWG before
2:00PM, 8+ hours after starting in Wind Gap.

Along the way I ran into both Red Leg and Sir Richard, and the three
of us walked the last couple of miles together. I was wondering why
Sir Richard wasn’t already in DWG, and he told me that originally he
had been planning to zero in DWG, but when he was in Palmerton he
realized that everything he needed was conveniently close to the
hostel there so he decided to zero in Palmerton instead. Since I will
be taking a zero tomorrow, and Sir Richard and Red Leg will both be
continuing on, I will once again be a day behind them.

Well, I finally did it today; I made a classic AT hiker mistake that I
have ben waiting to happen since I started. I stopped at an overlook a
couple miles outside of DWG, took off my pack, ate a snack, and
admired the view. Then I shrugged back into my pack and started off
down the trail, THE WRONG WAY. I soon had a feeling something was
wrong, and it was confirmed a minute later when I came out at the site
of an old tower that I had passed previously. To compound my
embarrassment, Red Leg was there and I had to explain why I was
apparently “coming back to meet him.” Well, I only hiked the wrong way
for a short distance; I guess I can take some comfort in that.

After arriving in DWG I went first to the outfitter. They, too, were
sold out of Aquamira, though I did manage to get all the other things
I needed. I bought a small bottle of Potable Aqua tablets in case I
run out of Aquamira, but I really don’t like those. After the
outfitter I went to the Water Gap Diner for another lunch. Jodi and I
ate lunch at this same diner last July when we came through DWG on our
bike tour from Boston to DC. ((See
http://allenf.blogspot.com/2008/07/glorious-riding-in-new-york-new-jersey.html).
I think I even sat in the same booth we sat in, almost one year ago.
That made me miss Jodi a lot!

After lunch I walked up to the post office to collect my packages,
which in addition to my bounce box and the food drop Jodi sent, to my
surprise included a new monkeywrench flag sent by Lou in Utah. Thanks
Lou!

I used my bear bagging cord to tie my packages together, then I left
town and walked across the bridge over the Delaware River to the Jew
Jersey side (good bye PA!), until I reached the DWG Visitors Center
where I was to meet Paul. Paul showed up right on time and after we
got to his house I had a shower and did my laundry, then Paul cooked
up a great dinner of salad, grilled salmon, corn on the cob, and a big
fat burger to satisfy my appetite for greasy protein. Oh, and let’s
not forget the ice cream and homemade chocolate chip cookies. What
with the pizza and gelati last night, the diner breakfast this morning
and an extra bagel and cream cheese to accompany my usual lunch, the
second lunch at the diner in DWG, and the feed at Paul’s house, I’ve
stuffed a lot of calories into my body over the last 24 hours, and let
me tell you, it feels good!

Oh, I almost forgot! Photos for the section from Boiling Springs to Delaware Water Gap are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/affreeman1959/ATBoilingSpringsPAToDelawareWaterGapPA#

—
~~~~~
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Sunday, 6/28

AT Miles 21.4 / 1268.0
Other Miles = 0.4 / 44.2
Total Miles = 21.8 / 1312.2

I was up early and out this morning, as I knew the climb up Blue Mountain after Lehigh Gap — the Palmerton Superfund Site — would be tough, and exposed to the weather. If it was sunny, it would be hot and sweaty work, and if it were wet or there was a lightning storm, I would be exposed. The forecast called for a 50% chance of thunderstorms today, but as it turned out the morning was sunny and I was glad to be climbing the ridge in the cooler early morning.

A few hours into the day's hike I ran into Red Leg on the trail. We talked for a bit and I mentioned to him that I was trying to figure a way to get some miles past the Leroy Smith Shelter today and get closer to Delaware Water Gap, even though there is no water shown on the map or in the book. Looking at the book I saw that a bit less than 5 miles past the shelter we would come to Wind Gap, with the town of Wind Gap a mile to the east. Red Legs and I both decided to come into town and get a room here at the Travel Inn. We hiked together most of the day.

Red Leg told me that he saw Sir Richard in Palmerton last night. That's strange, as I know Sir Richard planned to be in DWG tonight and should have been quite a ways ahead of me, but instead he ended up behind me today. I wonder if maybe he is having problems with shin splints again.

I stopped at the last shelter before town for a break this afternoon, and was surprised to find MD3 (three young women from Maryland) there with a few other hikers, cooking up a big pot of pasta. I think the last time I saw MD3 was 5 or 6 weeks ago. It's strange how that kind of thing happens on the trail.

So, I hiked 21+ miles today instead of 16, and that leaves me with less than 16 miles to get to DWG tomorrow. That should make all the difference in the world. If I can manage to get a hitch back up to the trail in the morning (I ended up walking about 3 miles to the motel this afternoon), I should be able to get into DWG in midafternoon, leaving me time to get a few things I need at the outfitter, get to the post office to get my packages before it closes at 4:30, maybe stop by the diner for a bite to eat, and walk across the bridge into New Jersey to meet Paul. Paul, I will turn my phone on as I get near DWG, so feel free to call if you are wondering where I am.
—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Saturday, 6/27

AT Miles =16.8 / 1246.6
Other Miles = 0 / 43.8
Total Miles = 16.8 / 1290.4

I haven't seen much wildlife thus far in Pennsylvania; just the usual rabbits and turtles and chipmunks and squirrels. Then this morning, a few miles into the day's hike, I startled a bear. I just had the usual view of the bear's rump as he or she crashed away through the woods.

A few miles later I scared up a deer, and later yet I actually stepped on a rattlesnake. I didn't plant my foot firmly on him or anything like that. Rather, I planted my heel just before him, and as I started to rotate forward and my boot made contact, the snake reacted and coiled up and rattled, and I jumped back and nearly fell on my ass.

So, it was an interesting morning. After that I was wondering what the afternoon might offer up. What I got for the afternoon was a ridge walk liberally sprinkled with bushes laden with sweet, ripe blueberries. I spent a soild half hour squatting in the middle of a blueberry patch stuffing them into my mouth as fast as I could.

While I was at Bake Oven Knob Shelter eating lunch, most of the crew I last saw at lunch in Daleville (the lunch the two Marines paid for) showed up. It was great to see them after all this time. They were all headed on into Palmerton for the night. I expect I will see them again tomorrow.

—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

This is a little taste of what the trail is like in PA, though you really need to experience it to believe it.
—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Friday, 6/26

AT Miles = 16.5 / 1229.8
Other Miles = 0.4 / 43.8
Total Miles = 16.9 / 1273.6

I HATE PA ROCKS!

There, I got that out of the way. There was absolutely nothing even remotely enjoyable, interesting, or fulfilling about today. There was just mile after mile after mile of rocks.

By the time I got here this afternoon I was cursing the state of Pennsylvania, the AT in Pennsylvania, and evryone in any way connected to the trail.

My feet look okay, but they hurt like hell. I think if I stayed home and just hit my feet with a hammer for 8 or 10 hours a day, that would be nearly, but not quite, as bad as hiking, stumbling, and twisting over the PA rocks.

Of course, anyone crazy enough to spend their days injuring themselves with a hammer would be whisked away to a hospital for evaluation, but for some reason people call it a vacation when you do it outside in the heat and humidity with gnats and mosquitoes and brattlesnakes all around you. Where's the logic in that?

If you haven't figured it out yet, I am just a wee bit disillusioned with the trail today. I want to get the hell out of Pennsylvania. Three more days of flaggelating my feet on the rocks, and I will be in New Jersey, more than ready to take a zero day and hopefully regain my enthusiasm for the trail.

It is amazing how long it takes to get anywhere with these damn rocks. I didn't get in until 4:00 this afternoon, and it was only a 16.5 mile day. I plan to cover a similar distance tomorrow and Sunday, then on Monday I have to cover 20+ miles to get to Delaware W@ater Gap, then go to the post office to collect my bounce box and my food drop, then continue another 1.2 miles across the bridge to the DWG Visitors Center on the NJ side. Paul, I am going to do my best to get there by 4:30, but it is going to be a long, difficult day and I can't promise.
—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

There are several ways to get in touch with me duringmy hike. There is a guest book on my blog, and I encourage everyone who cares to to sign it. It's fun to see who is reading my blog. But if you are trying to get in touch with me and expecting me to see your communication soon, please don't use the guest book. It is very difficult for me to access the guestbook contents using the tiny browser onmy cell phone.

You can leave a comment on any post inmy blog, and your comment automatically gets emailed to me overnight so I will see it usually the next day. But remember that comments are public and anybody else can see your comment.

If you want to communicate directly with me, you can send email to me at allen <at> allenf <dot> com. You know what to replace the <at> and <dot> with, right?

And now we return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Thursday, 6/25

AT Miles = 14.7 / 1213.3
Other Miles = 0.3 / 43.4
Total Miles = 15.0 / 1255.7

PA Rocks!

No, not like, PA is so cool, it rocks! I mean the damn rocks in PA. The rocks in northern PA are pounding my feet into mush. Usually my feet start to hurt around mid-day, but for the last couple of days they've hurt when I get up in the morning, and just get worse all day.

I left Eagles Nest this morning and hustled the nine miles to Port Clinton. The hike wasn't bad, with some reasonably smooth sections mixed in with the rocks. The last mile into town was a ridiculously steep downhill, with nary a switchback.

When I got to town I headed straight to the post office to collect my packages. I had my bounce box there, and since I decided not to stay over in town I didn't collect it but rather had it forwarded to Delaware Water Gap, where I should be by Monday night.

I did collect the food package Jodi had sent me, and I expected a package from Anju but it wasn't there. I left a forwarding address for DWG in case that package shows up later.

After packing all my new food into my backpack, I headed around the corner to the outfitter. I had a mental list of four things I needed at the outfitter: Aquamira for treating water; they were sold out. Dr Bronner's soap; they were sold out. A new hoser for my platypus; they were sold out. I also needed new tips on my hiking poles, and she was able to sell me those. So, a disappointing visit to the outfitter. I will have to be sure to get aquamira when I am in DWG early next week.

After the outfitter I went around the corner to the Port Clinton Hotel and had lunch in the hotel bar. I made the mistake or having a second beer with lunch. While eating the TV was on and I was watching the news when they gave the air pollution and hear advisory and warmed against strenuous outdoor exercise. Ha! So I left the hotel around 1:00PM and strapped my now fully stocked pack on my back and started humping it up the hill out of town in the 90 degree heat. I quickly started regretting thaqt second beer.

I only had six more miles to go after leving town, and it went fairly quickly. My feet still hurt like the dickens when I got here, but at least it didn't seem to take forever like it does some afternoons.

I just figured out that I can make it to Delaware Water Gap in four more days, and I have just enough food that I should be able to make it without stopping to resupply along the way. I have set myself the goal of getting out of Pennsylvania before the end of the month, and it looks like I am going to succeed, barring unforeseen events.

—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Monday, 6/22 thru Wednesday, 6/24

Monday, 6/22
AT Miles = 17.4 / 1154.7
Other Miles = 0.1 / 41.7
Total Miles = 17.5 / 1195.4

Tuesday, 6/23
AT Miles = 24.7 / 1179.4
Other Miles = 0.8 / 42.5
Total Miles = 25.5 / 1220.9

Wednesday, 6/24
AT Miles = 19.2 / 1198.6
Other Miles = 0.6 / 43.1
Total Miles = 19.8 /1240.7

I'm not going to try to journal each of the last three days in detail, that would be too hard and I am basically a lazy guy. I'll just summarize the three days.

I had a great time in Duncannon. The Doyle is really quite a dump, but in a comfortable sort of way. It was fun hanging out, eating Ben & Jerry's and drinking Yuengling.

On Monday morning I headed out, and as promised the trail north of Duncannon starts to get rocky. The further north you get, the rockier it gets. It was slow going on Monday and it took me nearly 8 hours to cover 17.4 miles, where I camped by a spring.

On Tuesday the logistics worked out strangely. I could either hike 11.2 miles or 24.7 miles, but nothing in between as there was no water between. Thus, I ended up hiking the 24.7, which with a bit of blue blazing sidetrails ended up being 25.5 miles; my longest day yet. With all the rocks added in, it made for some really, really sore feet.

When I woke up this morning my feet still hurt. That's discouraging, as of course the feet just get worse and worse as the day goes on.

I hiked with Sir Richard today, and we did "only" 19.2 miles today. I've been camping with Sir Richard since the night before Duncannon, but today is the first day we hiked together since probably back in the Smokies or just after. It was good to have long, rambling conversations to pass the time and get my attention away from how bad my feet hurt.

We are only 9 miles out of Port Clinton, and tomorrow I will stop there and get my food drop at the post office. I also have a box of something my daughter Anju sent me for Father's Day there. I am excited to see what she has sent me.

Once I've finished sorting through my food drop, I'll push on out of town to the first shelter north, which will make for a ~15 mile day.

I have passed the point where the miles to go are less than 1000. I remember when I had hiked more than 178 miles and there were only 2000 miles left; now I've hiked another 1000 miles and there are less than 1000 to go. Wow, that seems like I am almost there! 😉

So the PA rocks are making me crazy. I really have no idea what the country around here looks like, because I can't take my eyes off the trail right in front of me to look around. Hiking all day picking each footstep is both exhausting and time consuming. I am looking forward to getting out of Pennsylvania. I should be in Delaware Water Gap in 5 or 6 days, That will put me in New Jersey by the 1st of July.

—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

I know I am behind with my blogging. A very long 25+ mile day today. Very tired. Will try to catch up tomorrow. Less than 1000 miles to go now!

—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Sunday, 6/21

AT Miles = 11.4 / 1137.3
Other Miles = 0.1 / 41.6
Total Miles = 11.5 / 1177.9

Around 4:30 this morning I was awoken by a heavy downpour. Of course, as soon as I woke up my bladder decided I needed to get up NOW. Then I crawled back into my hammock and went back to sleep for another hour and a half. When I woke the second time the rain had finished, but the trees were still dripping heavily. There was a pretty nice breeze blowing which blew the rain off the foliage in short order, and I got up about 6:30. By 7:30 I was on the trail headed for Duncannon 11.4 miles away. I know I would easily be there by lunch time, so I took it easy and hiked and chatted with SlagLine for most of the morning.

At one point while hiking we came to a spot where I could liik down to my left and I saw Couscous at a rock outcropping with a view, and there was a bootleg path down the steep hill to where she was, so I went down as well to check out the view. Only when I got down there did I realize that the AT did a switchback just past the point I left the trail, and came down to the rock. Well, I am a bit of a purist so I told Couscous and Slagline I had to go back up there and walk the switchback, but that I had decided to slackpack it. Couscous said, "Run!", so I ran back up the hill. That was fun, as I wasn't sure I could do that kind of stuff anymore. Then I walked back down the AT switchback. So, that was my slackpacking experience; about 30 or 40 yards of the AT hiked without my backpack.

Soon after leaving the viewpoint we got to Duncannon and walked across the bridge and around the corner to the Doyle Hotel. The Doyle is a century+ old Anheuser Busch Hotel that is in pretty decrepit condition, but the owners welcome and cater to hikers, and they are very, very slowly renovating the hotel. The rooms are incredibly spartan and tiny, but the food is good and cheap. Duncannon is a gritty little working class town that is struggling to survivie, but the people are friendly and it is a fun place to hang out for an evening.

—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Saturday, 6/20

AT Miles = 14.3 / 1125.9
Other Miles = 0.8 / 41.5
Total Miles = 15.1 / 1166.4

Wow! The easiest 14 miles on the AT, I think!

It was raining cats and dogs when I woke up this morning, so I kept putting off leaving until after 9:00, when the rain finally subsided. By the time I had my gear all packed up, and had stopped at the post office to mail my bounce box ahead, it was nearly 10:00.

The trail north of Boiling Sprinsg continues across the Cumberland Valley, and is almolst dead flat. I made great time andf was at the point where the AT crosses Route 11 on a footbridge, about 8i miles up the trail, about a quarter past noon. Here I walked about a quarter mile west on Route 11 to get to the Middlesex Diner. Route 11 here is a strip of trucking companies, motels, fast food places, and this diner. I had heard good things about the Middlesex from other hikers, and it delivered. The sign outside says "Good Food And Plenty Of It," and that's just what I got.

The B&B I stayed at in Boiling Springs was a huge disappointment, and the breakfast was pitiful, so I was in the mood for a good diner breakfast, and I got it.

I left the diner about 1:00, walked back up the road to the trail, and continued the last 6 miles to the shelter getting here about 3:30.

It rained on and off all day, and at one point I saw a black, evil looking cloud coming my way that mde me think if I were in the midwest I would be heading towards the nearest building with a basement. I thought for sure I was going to get hit with a downpour of biblical proportions, but somehow I missed it and got only a few dozen big fat raindrops. Lucky!

Several hikers I haven't seen in a while showed up at the shelter this afternoon; Couscous and Tiger and Slagline, who I haven't seen since Harpers Ferry or Shenandoah, and even Sir Richard, who I last saw in Waynesboro.

The clouds have broken up a bit and there is a nice fresh breeze blowing, so myh wet clothes have sort of, kind of, dried. That will make putting them back on in the morning a little less unpleasant. I expect, though, that we will get rained on some more before morning.

While I was at the diner a couple asked me a couple of questions, and the woman asked me if I preferred hot weather or rain. I couldn't help but wonder why those were the onlyu two choices, but I told her I would prefer it hot, because then I could at least wash my clothes — especially my socks — and have them dry. When it is wet I will wash my shirt anyway and just wear it wet btu clean; but I can't wash my socks because they will never dry. A pair of clean, dry socks goes a long ways towards a day of comfortable hiking.

Tomorrow it is on to Duncannon and the (in)famous Doyle Hotel!
—
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

It is raining cats and dogs in Boiling Springs this morning, with the occasional boom of thunder. Definitely not an inviting morning to head back out on the trail.

I am procrastinating this morning; waiting for the ridiculously late and rather skimpy breakfast at this B&B that isn’t served until 9:00AM. After breakfast, I will have to head out in spite of the rain, stopping at the post office on the way out of town to mail off my bounce box.

Needless to say, I am not a happy camper this morning!

Friday, 6/19
AT Miles = 0 / 1111.6
Other Miles = 0 / 40.7
Total Miles = 0 / 1151.3

So, I slept in a soft bed with clean white sheets, in an air conditioned room last night. Nice. And I did very little walking today. I walked about a mile down the road to the grocery store to get just a couple of things to get me to Duncannon this weekend, and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk to have for a mid-afternoon snack. Then I walked over to the ATC Mid-Atlantic Regional Office to get some denatured alcohol for my stove.

I stashed the groceries back at the B&B, then walked over to the tavern for lunch. Papa Kiwi and a few other hikers were there and I joined them for lunch. They were heading back out so when they left I came back to the B&B and watched a movie streamed from NetFlix on my laptop, while enjoying my Ben & Jerry’s.

I did spend a couple of hours this morning processing and uploading photos. You can find them here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/affreeman1959/ATFrontRoyalVAToBoilingSpringsPA#

This afternoon has been bright and sunny and hot, so I hung my sleeping bag and the down jacket I use as a pillow every night, out on the line to bake in the sun. Those UV rays go a long way towards killing odors in my gear.

I will be heading back out tomorrow. Breakfast isn’t until 9:00AM here, which is terribly late, buit I only have 14 miles to go tomorrow so it should be fine. I will go to the post office to mail my bounce box ahead to Port Clinton when the PO opens at 8:00, then after breakfast I’ll head on out of town. The forecast for tomorrow calls for hot and humid weather with a 60% chance of thunderstorms. That should make hot work of walking across the Cumberland Valley out in the sun. About 8 miles north of here the trail crosses PA 11 on a foot bridge, and there is supposed to be a good diner just there, so I’ll probably stop there for lunch. Might as well take advantage of civilization while I can.

Here is what the trail map of the Cumberland Valley looks like. You can see that it looks more like a road map than a trail map. I expect to spend the day walking along the edges of farm fields:

And this is the elevation profile. I walked out of the hills on the left yesterday, and will walk across the dead flat Cumberland Valley tomorrow until I reach the hills over on the right tomorrow afternoon:

Some musings on being half way:

It was really exciting as I got closer and closer to Harpers Ferry, as a goal I had been working towards for nearly three months was within reach. Then I got there, enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment, and spent four more days getting to the actual half way point. That was kind of anti-climactic. And now, having reached the half way point, the full weight of the realization that I am only half way has descended upon me. I find myself contemplating the second half as a huge chunk of work ahead of me, and it’s intimidating. This is only temporary, I know. I just have to go through the process of adjusting my thinking and start picking out intermediate goals. And that should be easy as the states go by pretty fast from here up to northern New England. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, where a friend has already offered me a meal and a warm bed for the night, New York, then Connecticut, where I have family and a lot of hiking friends. Then comes Massachusetts, my home state, and then I’ll be in Vermont and hiking through the chunk of trail I have helped maintain for many years. Then will come New Hampshire and the mighty Whites, and finally the amazing wilderness of Maine. So much to look forward to.

And now, I am going to get ready to head back over to the tavern for another good meal, maybe accompanied by a very cold martini this time. Then I’ll come back here and relax while watching another NetFlix movie tonight. Might as well enjoy life while I can, as I expect to be soaking wet and maybe dodging lightning sometime tomorrow.

Thursday, 6/18

AT Miles = 12.2 / 1111.6
Other Miles = 0.8 / 40.7
Total Miles = 13.0 / 1151.3

Not much to say about today. It rained all night, though it had
tapered off to the occasional drizzle by the time I got up a few
minutes before 6:00. I ate breakfast, packed up all my wet gear,
changed out of my dry clothes and put my wet hiking clothes back on,
and started off for Boiling Springs. The woods were wet, and the
section of trail between Tagg Run (where the shelter is located) and
the Cumberland Valley (where Boiling Springs is), contains a bit of up
and down; more so than I have become used to lately. The folks who
routed the trail through here also seem to like scrambling around on
rocks, and there was plenty of that this morning. Since wet rocks can
be quite slippery, this got old pretty fast.

I made a quick stop at the Alec Kennedy shelter, about 8 miles into
the day, to sit down in a dry spot and have a bit of lunch, then I
pushed on. A couple miles later I descended out of the hills and the
trail came out of the woods and into some farm fields in the
Cumberland Valley. There is a sign just before this warning hikers
that there is no camping for the next 17 miles, other than the
campsite on the outskirts of Boiling Springs, as the trail crosses the
Valley. This is because the trail threads its way across the valley
through farm fields. It is reputed to be an insufferably hot hike on a
hot, humid, sunny day. But I only had a couple more miles to cover
before I arrived in Boiling Springs.

What a pretty little town this is. The town is centered around Boiling
Springs Lake. The trail follows a gravel walking path along one side
of the lake, directly across from Front Street which is lined with
lovely old houses, many constructed of stone or brick. I am spending
two nights in one of these houses on Front Street, the Garmanhaus B&B.

I've showered, washed all my clothes, and spent an hour or two
watching old Adam 12 reruns streamed to my laptop from NetFlix. I
don't know why, but I just love that program! Such innocent times.

I am about to head over to the Boiling Springs Tavern for a beer or
two and some dinner. I hope it is as good as everyone tells me it is.
—
~~~~~
Monkeywrench
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 6/17

AT Miles = 17.1 / 1099.4
Other Miles = 0.2 / 39.9
Total Miles = 17.3 / 1138.3

Today reminded me of Georgia, hiking all day in a steady, cold rain. I've been pushing pretty hard since I left Front Royal Wednesday last, and I am fetting tired. When Iwoke up this morning my feet still hurt, and even my legs were still tired and a bit sore. This morning I called the B&B in Boiling Springs and reserved a room for tomorrow night and Friday night. It will be good to get clean and dry, and relax for a bit.

I passed the half-way point on the trail this morning. As near as I could figure it, I was at the half-way point at 10:20 this morning. That is based on figuring the distance from the last place I knew the exact mileage, and my normal hiking pace. I took a picture of the mud puddle that apparently sits at the half-way point.

A few miles later there is a big sign at what was the half-way point at the time it was erected. When I got there it was pouring down rain so I just stopped for a moment to read the sign, then continued on. It was much too wet to pull the camera out and take a photo.

"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 6/16

AT Miles = 19.6 / 1082.3
Other Miles = 0 / 39.7
Total Miles = 19.6 / 1121.0

When I got up this morning I couldn't tell whether the sky was clear or overcast, but it was soon apparent that it was the latter, and it felt like it was going to rain. I rigged my pack for rain when I set off, but as it turned out it only rained a bit in the morning and most of the day it stayed dry, more or less.

Ten miles into the day I was at Caledonia State Park. It was about 10:45 and at 11:00 the snack bar there opens, so I joined several other hikers already there waiting. I spent about an hour and a half there eating a cheeseburger and fries, as well as some of the food I was carrying.

While I was there a hiker showed up that I haven't seen since Neels Gap, way back in Georgia at about day 4 of the hike. That was a nice moment. When I saw Papa Kiwi (his trail name) I said "Damn, you're skinny!" and almost at the same time he remarked on how much weight I had lost.

The afternoon was hard. My feet hurt, the weather was damp and sticky, I was feeling tired of being dirty, and I just didn 't feel like walking another ten miles, but eventually I got here and washed up and ate a hot meal, and my outlook has improved a lot.

Today while walking I was thinking some more about the responses I got to my post of a couple days ago where I mentioned how some thru-hikers behave somewhat rudely toward weekend and section hikers. I've been thinking that for some people thur-hiking is kind of like high school. They become part of the thru-hiking community, which is really a very small community, though it is spread out along the trail. They seem to like being part of a distinct group, and one of the ways a group is defined is by who is excluded; in this case those hikers who are not thru-hikers. What happens within the world of thru-hikers takes on exaggerated importance, just like when you were in high school and the world of school seemed to be the most important thing in the world.

Well, I never really fit in when I was in high school, and I don't fit in on the trail the same way I would if I were 24 years old, so it is easy to sit on the outskirts and practice my amateur analysis. In any case, I think it's a shame when some people behave in such a way as to make other hikers feel uncomfortable or out of place, and I choose not to do so.

It is starting to rain now. Hopefully it will rain tonight and be all done by morning, but I have heard rumors that this is a storm that is supposed to hang around tomorrow.

My plan is to hike 17 miles tomorrow, then 12 on Thursday which should get me to Boiling Springs around noon. Assuming I can get a place to stay, I will zero there on Friday and head back out on the trail on Saturday.

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Monday, 6/15

AT Miles = 18.1 / 1062.7
Other Miles = 0 / 39.7
Total Miles = 18.1 / 1101.4

Another really nice day. I hiked the ten miles to Pen Mar Park this morning, then when I got there Chance and I called and had pizzas delivered for our lunch. The park was really nice with great views down into the valley below., and I hung out there for over two hours, leaving about 1:00PM.

Right after leaving Pen Mar Park I crossed the Mason-Dixon line and entered Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the border is not marked, so I didn't know exactly when entered the North. At last. I am no longer hiking the Ap-pa-latch-in trail, and am now hiking the Ap-pa-lay-shun trail.

This shelter is actually two shelters, one is marked "SNORING" and the other "NON-SNORING". It is beautiful weather this evening and there is a mellow group of hikers enjoying a small campfire.

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Sunday, 6/14

AT Miles = 20.7 / 1044.6
Other Miles = 1.0 / 39.7
Total Miles = 21.7 / 1083.3

As I was going to bed last night I heard some thunder rumbling in the distance, but there were only a few drops of rain on the tarp. During the night it cooled off quite a bit and this morning it was breezyand relatively cool and dry.

Today was a really nice day. Other than one reasonably short rocky section, the hiking was easy, and therfe were interesting things to see along the way. I stopped at Washington Monument State Park to see the first Washington Monument, then later I took the side trail to Annapolis Rocks which offered great views and a pleasant place to sit and contemplate the world.

There were a lot of day hikers and weekenders about. I really enjoy meeting and talking to weekenders. Some thru-hikers don't like weekenders. I don't understand that. Maybe they think they're too cool to associate with mere weekenders or something, but I don't think that's really it. Maybe they just get tired of answering the usual questions, but I don't mind. I like talking to people that are still engaged in the outside world. They ask me about thru-hiking, and I ask them about the stories behind the bits of the headlines I see now and again.

The weather is warm and dry and I was planning to do laundry tonight, but the water source is way the heck down the hill and I would have to go get more water to do laundry, so it will have to wait. Hopefully I will pass a water source early tomorrow, and I can do laundry then and still have time for my socks to dry during the day.

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

This is the original Washington Monument, in Washington Monument State Park, MD.

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Saturday, 6/13

AT Miles = 19.7 / 1023.9
Other Miles = 1.2 / 38.7
Total Miles = 20.9 / 1061.6

Today was an awesome day. After feeling totally wrung out yesterday, today I felt like I could fly down the trail. I think I was dehydrated yesterday. I drank 3 quarts of water after getting to the shelter yesterday afternoon, yet I still didn't have to get up even once during the night. I always have to get up at least once, and sometimes two or three times. So this morning I drank another couple of quarts with breakfast, and my feet had wings.

Yesterday I hit the 1000 mile mark, and today I walked into Harpers Ferry and stopped at ATC Headquarters, where they took my picture and added it to the album of thru-hikers. I am either number 231 or 321; I am really bad at remembering numbers like that. A number I do remember is 162. There is a scale at the ATC, and that is what I now weigh, including my hiking boots.

I also picked up my food drop at ATC, and I now have the biggest food bag ever. It took some doing to even stuff all my food into the bag so I could hang it tonight.

After finishing my business at ATC, I made one more stop in Harpers Ferry for a big lunch, then proceeded across the bridge over the Potomac River and into Maryland. So Virginia and West Virginia are both now listory. Five states down, nine to go. And Maryland will be gone in a couple of days!

I also stpped at the Edward Garvey Memorial Shelter this afternoon. I had no reason to stop there, other than that it is the Edward Garvey Memorial Shelter. If it weren't for Ed Garvey, I very well may not be here to day. When I was in my teens I got Ed's book "Appalachian Hiker: Adventure of a Lifetime," and I read and re-read it many times. That book was a big part of what planted the seed that led me to this hike all these years later.

So a full day, and with a lot of good emotions. And now I am going to retreat to the sanctuary of my hammock, away from the mosquitos, and read my book for a few minutes before falling asleep. Goodnight, all.

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com