Date: 2009-06-21
From: Swarta Gap, PA

To: 501 Shelter, PA
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Cell ExcellentOG notesStopping early and staying in a motel was really the right thing to do. We both relaxed, slept okay, and enjoyed being lazy. We were so relaxed there we had a hard time leaving and got a late start.The day started with us getting a ride from the motel to the trail. The weather today was really nice and we were comfortable. Today's downfall was all the Poison Ivy we hiked through. I was lazy this morning and didn't put the gaiters on and soon regretted my decision. One of the reasons I don't always wear the gaiters is they are hot and my legs sweat. I don't like the sweating as I feel it adds to my sweaty feet.I already read C6s entry and I want to add my thank you to Dean, Brenda, Wanda, Jeff, and Tim for coming down to see us. You are such wonderful friends, thank you, thank you.We're at the 501 shelter which is known as a shelter where you can get pizza delivered to. The caretaker has put up a notice that it is illegal to do business in the park and having pizza delivered is doing business. While we were in town having dinner the caretaker came over and told the other hikers that they had to carry out their pizza boxes and soda bottles. He said they couldn't burn the cardboard boxes either. Most of the hikers are not pleased with this and are stating their discontent. The final straw is the shelter register was blank when we got here because someone had torn out the previous pages.   C6 notesWhat a day!! First, we had a leisurely start to the day because we were only hiking about 11 miles, so we didn't have to leave the hotel early. So we started up the road toward the trail around 11am and were able to get a hitch hike ride quickly. The couple who picked us up said they were just wondering if they'd see any thru-hikers (and hoped to), so they were thrilled to pick us up and we were thrilled with getting the ride so easily. Nice start to the day!When we went under Route 81, we came across "Feather Foot," a thru-hiker we met in the motel yesterday. Nice guy. We hiked with him today for a couple hours and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him more (after wonderful conversations with him throughout the day yesterday at the motel). We stopped at the first shelter to eat lunch, and Feather Foot moved on to where he wanted to camp tonight.As we were coming up the final hill to the 501 Shelter (where we are tonight), we saw some people standing at the road looking down the hill at us. I wondered what they were looking at, and didn't recognize them. OG immediately recognized them as good friends of ours from home!!! What a fabulous surprise!!! They had gotten our last journal entry last night and on a whim this morning decided to drive the 3 hours from home to come see us today. About 30 minutes before we got there Feather Foot saw them and confirmed for them that we weren't far behind. We had a wonderful dinner with them, and now they're on their way home again. What a fabulous surprise!!!!!! THANK YOU Dean, Brenda, Wanda, Jeff, and Tim for being such fabulous friends. We love you so much!!! Brenda is our Trail Journals transcriber. She gets our inputs as e-mails and enters them in the Trail Journals web site. In 2006, Dean, Brenda, Wanda, Jeff, and Tim surprised OG on the trail. They came down loaded with food...and grilled a fabulous dinner hamburgers, etc. Then they stayed nearby and cooked up a phenomenal pancake breakfast the next morning. Friends like these are few and far between. We love you so very much, guys!!!! Now we're with hiking friends in a fabulous shelter (and enclosed building with bunk beds! Wow!). What a wonderful day this has been!.Old Goat & Check Six