Date: 2007-07-08
From: Pen-Mar Park

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Dave dropped me off early in the morning. The terrain today was so easy that I had my fastest hiking day yet - 18.5 miles in 7 hours, which included a 1 hour lunch break. I did a few miles after dinner, which is why the miles don't appear to match.For the third day in a row, I got to meet up with local area friends. I feel blessed that so many people are willing and eager to go out of their way to catch up with me. Today I met up with Ric Row, a friend from work, and his wife Alma and daughter Laura. When Ric was a neighbor we got together occasionally, but it has been at least 15 years since I was in their neighborhood. I wasn't quite ready when they arrived, since I had to take a shower before I would get in their car, but they were good sports. We then went out for dinner, and I did so much talking they had to wait for me before ordering dessert. I also had a word-related brain teaser for them - what common English word includes a 6 letter string which is 3 consecutive pairs of identical letters (aabbcc would be an example of these pairings). Ric and Laura are both into this, and it took them both out of any conversations until they got it. Ric got it fairly quickly, and Laura got it shortly after. I gave 2 hints for those who want to try it - it is a compound word, and it is the name of a profession. Comically, shortly after the first clue I actually used the 2 words of the compound word in a sentence describing a hiker I had met - Trapper James.Even though I did a lot of talking, Ric said enough to demonstrate his wide ranging knowledge and ability to present it as something interesting. He was describing the upcoming terrain for us. In this case, his education in Petroleum Engineering includes enough geology to explain some things about the upcoming trail I will be hiking. It turns out the trail follows the Blue Ridge Mountain chain from Virginia into Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, just a day or 2 north, the Blue Ridge Mountains actually sink into the earth. So of course we have to get off (hiking through solid earth is not a common skill, and not very scenic), so the trail then goes across the Cumberland Gap and we jump on the next mountain range west, also part of the Appalachians. I think they are the Allegany Mountains, but am not sure. Ric also shared that the Appalachians are an ancient mountain chain, once taller than the Rockies. What we see are the eroded remains. In fact, some peaks are so eroded off that what appear to be 2 peaks were once a single peak - the highest 2 thirds of the sinocline are simply gone.After dinner I returned to the trail. I continue to be amazed at how many hikers I was with at Harpers Ferry are still right with me. Tonight, I was with Ronin, Young Eagle, Melk and Persistent again, but also G, Keymaster, Grizzle, Boognish, Tater, Dirty. They mentioned that Bigby was being hospitalized with Lyme disease. They are hopeful he will be able to return to the trail shortly. He is an excellent hiker, and is very entertaining and well liked. And he has hiked so much of the trail it would be a shame not to finish.