Date: 2017-05-19
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter, PA

To: Footbridge, stream @ 1139.8, PA
Miles today: 22.1

The 'hot' in the title refers to the weather and to me. The 'wet' refers solely to me. I was on the trail by 7:36. For breakfast I had finished off the granola Peter had brought me, made by his daughter. It was very good. On the trail I could hear Rooster coming up the hill behind me, chatting to someone. He had camped further back on the trail below the shelter.  At the top of the hill I waited for them. I was expecting to see Walden with him, but it was his buddy Blueberry who had finally bridged the 120-mile gap caused when Blueberry had to leave the trail for a while, and who had now caught  up with him. We ambled along meadows and woods to reach the town of Boiling Springs. What a picturesque little town it is. Fishermen in waders were enjoying life in the river as only fishermen can. There was a big pond with geese and ducks, and many charming houses around it. Rooster made stops at an outfitters and a gas station as he tried to fix his pesky broken pole tips. I bought some limited supplies in a little convenience store. We crossed the street to Caffe 101 for breakfast. It wasn't as good as Flamingo, but it was adequate. I partially recharged my phone while we were there. We saw Walden who was heading the 0.9 miles out to a proper grocery store. It was getting very hot. Rather than wait for Rooster, Blueberry and I opted to hike on. On an uphill stretch I had my first fall in days, tripping over a small tree root, and landing solidly on my right knee. Blueberry helped me up - no easy task, considering I was carrying a lot of gear, including about 14 pounds of Snickers bars. I limped along for a while, but suggested he'd be better off going on at his own pace, and leaving me to mine. He fed me two Ibuprofen before he left. I began to notice that my left foot, which was doing more work now, was getting sore. Oh boy. Plus it was hot. I was sweating as only I can. My phone in my shorts pocket was wrapped in plastic so it was dry, but it was the only part of me that was unsoaked. Even the straps of my backpack were dripping. Crossing big wide Pennsylvanian fields in the full glare of a midday sun isn't as much fun as you might think. Then limping out onto a paved road and crossing an interstate - not fun. At least on the overpass there was a cooling breeze. I arrived at the ATC regional office, where there was a portaloo, fresh water, and a bench to sit at in the shade. Blueberry was there, as were Detour and Ishmael. Butterfeet and Odie showed up. I took off my sun shirt and tried to wash off the dirt I'd picked up when I fell. I ate a package of Pop-tarts. When I was heading out to rejoin the trail, Smoky was coming in, shirtless in the heat, displaying a torso covered in tattoos. When I commented on them, all he said was "Yeah, I was in the military." His girlfriend has gone home with Achilles problems so he is free to fly. I started the climb to the next shelter, Darlington. I was simply amazed. My knee was completely pain-free. I had stunning reserves of energy. I'm buying more Pop-tarts, I can tell you right now. I tore up the hill. Maybe my climb up McAfee Knob was equally impressive (hands up all those who remember that? Anyone?) But I couldn't believe it when I saw the sign for the shelter appear so soon. I kept going down the back of the mountain, heading for a campsite with water mentioned on Guthook. But it was a big disappointment - iffy spots for pitching a tent, and a dry streambed. Blueberry came along and we opted to tack on another three miles to a stream. The time passed quickly. There were several viable campsites when we got to the stream. That was good, as Rooster, Smoky, Van Grizzle, and Surly showed up too. I enjoyed another shower. It was cooler in the evening so being in my tent was less problematic. The bugs are really starting to be plentiful. People are finding ticks on their bodies. Tipperary