Date: 2016-06-08
From: Shippensburg Rd

To: Ironmasters Mansion - Pine Grove Furnace 
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: clear sky

I am way too tired to be doing this update tonight!!This morning we did a repeat of yesterday's breakfast at the hostel, then Junker shuttled us back to Shippensburg Rd to head north. After dropping us off he headed up to Pine Furnace State Park to drop off our bags, so we got to slack pack again!!It was a beautiful hike. Very easy walking today, mostly flat or a super gentle downhill all day with very few climbs and even those were almost negligible. We did get clobbered by a rain storm pretty early, but I just threw in my rain gear and kept trucking! Man it was windy today! It only rained for maybe half an hour, but I kept my rain jacket on for the warmth. Passed the midway point today! (Though not for me, of course.)I got into Pine Grove Furnace about 30-45 minutes before Ed and Lyle. After collecting my pack from the general store, I hung out for a bit with another flip flopper, Serena, while we both enjoyed the "Best burgers on the AT". Joe joined us shortly after we sat down, he is a LASHer (long add section hiker) who is doing the northern half of the trail. We had a few hours before the hostel was to open, so we enjoyed getting to know each other a bit. Moon Boots (thru hiker) showed up and took on the Half Gallon Challenge. A challenge to eat a half gallon of ice cream. He competed it in about 43 minutes. While that was going on Lyle and Ed showed up. Serena decided to push on, and we continued to wait until we could check in to the hostel. We went to the AT museum to kill some time, and eventually we headed over to the Ironmasters Mansion which is not a hostel. This is a great building with a lot of history. There is a trap door in a closet under the stairwell that served as access to the Underground Railroad. Very cool, check out the pics. We got settled into the hostel, the men's dorm on the first floor, the women's on the second. I'm the only chick here so ice got the dorm with about 8 or 9 sets of bunk beds to myself! After we got settled in, Joe, Ed, Lyke, and I headed back to the general store (right next door) so that I could participate in the half gallon challenge myself. I've pretty much always said that I wouldn't do the challenge, because how can that be a good idea. But, I guess I just got caught up! Man it was cold!! Not just the ice cream, but the weather. At some points I was shaking so bad I could barely get the spoon in my mouth! But I rose to the challenge and finished in about 47 minutes. I still feel very full, and while my teeth didn't start hurting until about a half hour after I was finished, they continued to hurt for a couple of days. It was all worth it though as I got a special teeny, wooden ice cream spoon.Back in the hostel for the night and looking forward to sleep. Dressed in long johns but still cold, looking forward to a warm bed.   Very much looking forward to proper sheets since the last hostel was our sleeping bags on the mattresses. Interesting thing... The proprietor of the hostel said that there were hikers in in the last week who were talking about me. I didn't recognize any names in the log book, but not everyone signs those. Must be my spicy personality... That's enough to get tongues a'waggin'!!I know I had more that I wanted to say, but I'm too exhausted to remember or type up anything else.Goodnight!!