Date: 2020-07-29
From: Pen Mar Rd (Waynesboro)

To: US 30 (Fayetteville)
Miles today: 17.8

Lazy morning in Waynesboro. I drained a half gallon of OJ again. This is becoming a habit. Hit Waynesburger for a milkshake before leaving town but wasn't hungry enough for a burger, let alone their eight patty Cardiac burger. Roger took me back to the trail after noon. He also shuttles locals around who have no vehicle. There's no taxi, bus, or Uber here. He even took a woman 30 minutes to Chambersburg each day for work until the woman lost the job for failing to show up. Some people are way behind on paying or never pay at all. Not hikers though. Roger never had a problem with a hiker, he says. Thank God. It only takes a few bad apples to spoil things for everyone else, and we need people like Roger.The hiking was easy today, but I still managed to get lost. Crossing Old Route 16 I walked straight across into the opening in the trees which followed an old roadbed. Half a mile later I noticed I hadn't seen a white blaze in a while. Sure enough the GPS had me well off the trail. Had to double back and walk a few yards down the road to the actual trail. I should know better to check the blazes at crossings.The AT crossed many woods roads in Michaux state forest, still part of the Blue Ridge mountains even this far north. I wondered when they'd been cleared, and who had used them. Most were overgrown. Likely old wagon roads. The state forest is named for Andre Michaux who, like John Bartram of southern Appalachian fame, was a botanist who explored the Appalachians finding new plants and selling them to collectors in Europe. At one time prosaic landscaping plants like the rhododendron were much coveted exotic flora.I passed the site of the demolished Antietam shelter. The privy still stands with "Closed" spray-painted across it. Just ahead, the trail skims the Old Forge Picnic Area. A guy sitting in a camp chair yelled over that the spigot was working if I needed water. Then he ambled over and asked about my hike. Then he offered me a cold beer. Trail magic! Augie, my trail angel, is a PATC trail maintainer. He was just relaxing, not expecting any hikers. But he's seen a bubble go through a few days ago and was interested if anyone was behind me. I lost the trail again soon after. Went straight ahead at Tumbling Run Shelter, where a family was setting up their tent. It was many minutes later before I noticed the blazes on this trail were blue. I'd long passed the shelter and water source, so no idea where that trail led. Once again I doubled back and found the white blazes turned off just before the shelter. Fool me once, shame on you, but fool me twice? In the same day? I gotta pay more attention.It was getting late and my goal now was to reach Route 30 where there is a burger joint and hostel within walking distance - before the burger joint closes. But as I hiked briskly along I noticed a girl lying spreadeagled on a large rock by the trail. She looked like she was resting, but not moving. So I slowed down and asked if everything was alright. She was called Peaches, and had hiked from Vermont. As she said, she'd been out so long she was past caring about where she laid down anymore. She's near the end, she has to stop at Harpers Ferry. Time to get back to college for fall semester.Despite mostly easy trail the last miles over Rocky Mountain lived up to its name. The trail builders ran the AT up through the bouldery ridgeline a few times to make things interesting. Just thirty yards off the ridge it's smooth dirt trail.I hit Route 30 around 7:30. Bonfire Burger was still open, and I had an amazing burger and milkshake. The highway is noisy and busy but has a wide shoulder. Wide enough for the mile walk to the hostel.Tina at the New Life Worship Center, a Pentecostal church which runs the hostel, showed me around the bunkhouse, which has a kitchen and living room. Then she led me over to the church to load me up with leftovers from their Wednesday night potluck. Pastor Bob insisted I take more food. Good people! I would count this as trail magic as well. After a thousand miles it's been a pretty magical day.