Date: 2016-05-13
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I do love the train. On the way home, I decided to book the economy sleeper and slept great. This time, for some reason, the Deluxe room was cheaper, so I went with more space, but a worse night¢s sleep. The porter confirmed that the wider room and the perpendicular bed rocks and feels the jolts far more than the parallel bed arrangement in the cramped rooms.Or maybe it had something to do with the Z-Quil I took on the first trip. I kept dreaming that the train was rolling along a highway and only occasionally would switch over to a track. Also didn't help that my Pittsburgh transfer was scheduled for 5:20 a.m. I¢m heading back to the trail after being back in Wisconsin the past two weeks. It was a good visit. I met the little munchkin pictured left and spent my days cuddling two cutie patooties. I cooked dinner, assisted with bedtime rituals and sung more than a few rounds of ¢The Wheels on the Bus,¢ ¢Baa Baa Black Sheep¢ and ¢Hush Little Baby.¢ I fully expect to have pre-school songs endlessly loop through my head while pushing up a mountain. For some strange reason, I founded myself able to easily devour ice cream whereas I had forfeited that opportunity when I hit the half gallon challenge on the trail just before I left. The three of us went through half gallons of Cookies and Cream, Mint Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Zanzibar. On the way to the train station, my daughter and I even stopped at 31 Flavors for one last cone. Mother¢s Day was spent with more family. I devoted another morning getting the canoe in the water for the first time this year, finally able to try out a new paddle I had received at Christmas. Sam and I even squeezed in an overnight visit to our north woods cabin. Where it snowed. In mid May. I finalized my food drops for the rest of the hike, hit a few yoga classes, was very pleased to find I could still effortlessly walk five miles (yes, without a pack and no, there were few hills, but still¢¦) but noticed how my big toes intermittently go numb, apparently a common side-effect of long-distance hiking. Let's see if this turns into a fun new physical concern back on the trail. I lost five pounds. I finished reading the last remaining chapters of The Snow Leopard that I hadn't been able to get to beforehand. I also caught up on episodes of Survivor and Call the Midwife and saw a forgettable couple win the season finale of The Amazing Race. My cultural literacy is boundless. As far as trail life went off-trail, I kept up with trail rumors and news by following a few hiker blogs of those I had met along the way during the first 24 days, and even received a phone call from Nera with some updates. With the exception of full length gaiters I had intended to use on cold rainy days and never did, I¢m returning to the trail with the same gear I started. I did trade out a long-sleeve wool shirt for looser quick dry button-down one and ordered a size smaller Purple Rain hiking skirt, which still fits in spite of all that ice cream I ate before I left. Sort of wish I could have a do over at the Pine Grove General Store, but there are other places where I can eat and miles to walk before I sleep.