Date: 2018-06-30
From: Campsite at mile 1184.6

To: Campsite at mile 1202.4
Miles today: 17.8

Hike your own hike. I¢ve heard it a thousand times. It means do things your way and don¢t be critical if the way other people do things is different. It is sometimes interesting to see how other people choose to do things and sometimes difficult to remember to make your choices for yourself and not based on what other people are doing. For example, sometimes we find people that we really like to hike with or hang out with at the end of the day. But, when their plans don¢t match up with ours, we separate. It is ok to choose to alter your plans in order to keep in step with people, as long as that is the right thing for you. For me that mostly means having to go further or faster than I am comfortable with. So I don¢t.  I got going slowly this morning, but Cole was apparently slower. I made it all the way to William Pen Shelter and had to wait for him to catch up. Meanwhile a couple of other hikers caught up as well and a handful of hikers who were getting a late start to the day emerged from the shelter. They had somehow heard that there would be trail magic down at the next road crossing. Everyone headed out and I brought up the lead, as always. My nose told me long before my eyes did that there was trail magic. Something was on the bbq.When I arrived at PA645 a large circle of hikers was sitting on lawn chairs feasting on hot dogs, watermelon, baked goods, chips, bacon and egg cups, popsicles and so much more. My son was among them and soon I was too. It was easy to sit there for a long time in the heat. Very easy. Cole was quite content and really didn¢t want to move. I didn¢t blame him. One hiker named Cyclops had two French braids in his hair. We started talking about hair and another hiker named Taco said that she would love to have her hair braided. ¢Cole knows how¢, I piped up. She was happy to let him try. He had a difficult time getting the braid tight. One of the ladies who was hosting the trail magic offered to do it. She braided Taco¢s hair and then she braided mine. She braided mine.I¢m dirty. I smell bad. Very bad.  My hair hadn¢t been washed in five days.....and she happily braided mine. It was better trail magic than the best spread of food we have ever been offered.Two miles away was the 501 Shelter that had a free shower. That was our next stop. I eventually coaxed Cole to get moving on with me. He reached the shelter first and was in line for a cold shower. When my turn came I could barely stand under the flow long enough to get wet. I didn¢t wash my newly braided hair. I couldn¢t have brought myself to stick my head under that cold flow even if I had wanted to. I just tried to get the grime and stench off my skin. Putting back on my dirty clothing seemed to negate the process entirely. The afternoon was marching on but we hadn¢t actually hiked very many miles. On we went.A trio of hikers came up behind me and I let them pass, then I tried to keep in  step. I had chatted with them before and they openly included me in their conversation. This perked me up and helped me to move faster. They stopped at a swimming hole with the intent to stay the night. Cole and I ate dinner there and then moved on.A few miles later, in a hot humid wet mosquito infested stretch of the trail, we decided we¢d had enough. We found a campsite with one other occupant, Blue Jay, and quickly set up the tent and dashed inside to get away from the mosquitoes. We left the fly off the tent hoping for a cool night breeze to help us sleep.