Date: 2007-07-12
From: Cove Mtn. Shelter

To: Duncannon,PA
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I just needed to get to town - mail drop, a day of rest after 8 consecutive aggressive hikes, email, trail journal updates, laundry and 2 showers (You've heard of a 3 dog night, recently we've been having 2 shower days - maybe that'll be the name of the bluegrass group I start up and play banjo for after I get back!).I finally got in touch with both Rex and Bruce about getting back together. Looks like the plan is for Rex to take it easy until Bruce and I catch up to him. I am about 4 days behind him, and Bruce is 2 days behind me. So I may take it fairly easy for a while unless I take a notion to see Rex quickly. After the chores it is party time in Duncannon, at the hiker-famous Doyle Hotel. Lots of character, both in the building and the staff, excellent food, and hiker quality cleanliness. As usual when you stay in a town, you see the people a little ahead and behind you, so it is always a pleasure to bide a while. EZDuzit, Thumper, Bag Lady, Grizzle, Keymaster, Veg, Tuna Bag, Yonder, Janet, Boognish (later his brother and 2 friends arrived), Jake, Bob, Candybar, Tater, Cobweb, Mayo (actually these 2 were leaving as I arrived but I congratulate myself for convincing them to stay when I told them Tuna Bag was on the way, and that a few days earlier a group I was with made sure that he read the bogus entry in the shelter register they had written, referring to his 2168 mile section hike - he would return next year to summit the Home Place at Catawba - and his wicked cool friends Cobweb and Mayo), and late arrivals Dirty, Tater and Candybar. Boognish had some guest hikers come in - his brother and 2 friends. Blackfoot showed up for a short time, but seemed to be in a big hurry to get on trail after hurting his foot in a canoeing accident.I am beginning to realize that motivating myself to complete this hike will be different for the second half than the first. In the first half, it was a novelty, I was learning and adapting, watching my body change in response to the challenges presented to it, and the shocking beauty of the trail. Now all of these things, though still real, are familiar not exciting. In the second half, it seems that I am working to a goal, highlighted by the weak glimmer of light I see at the end of this green tunnel, looking forward to some promised new scenes in the 100 mile wilderness and the White Mountains, and the camaraderie of fellow hikers. All hikers are good friends, but everyone seems to be forming core groups of the people who together get through the hard times. No more hiking your own hike, you find a group of people whose pace, both on the trail and off, are a good match for your own and you stick together. That is why I look forward to uniting with Rex and Loose Bruce, and perhaps eventually Radar. Great guys to begin with, I have hiked with them for the better part of 500 miles. The folks I am with now are 20-somethings who I only keep up with because they hike faster than I do, but take more frequent and longer breaks. They also party impossibly hard for me to keep up with, or even want to keep up with. Still, a great group of young people who welcome me into their world to the extent that it works. But I digress. Talking about success factors for the hike, 2 remain constant for both halves of the hike - first, LUCK. So many people have gotten sick or injured that it is disturbing. And many of them are more accomplished hikers than I. Most difficult for me is Corker, who I met the very first day. He worked his way 3 weeks ahead of me, but is currently off trail. In theory I am STILL catching up to him. We are staying in touch via email for now, I hope to hear the good news that he will be back on trail. Also Tatonka, who went off trail once for tendinitis, came back from that, only to catch Giardia which took him off trail for the season. Tough guys, brought down by bad luck. The last success factor is the friends and family who are reaching out to me, providing physical support in the form of rides, visits, mail drops and house maintenance, as well as morale support in the form of continued contact via email and my trail journal guest register.