Date: 2005-09-01
From: PA 443, PA

To: 7 miles north of Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 26.1
Weather: few clouds

26.1 miles today7 miles north of Duncannon, Pa. I woke up at 4:30 and answered some emails I had and fell asleep again at 5:30am. I woke up at 6:30 and packed my backpack and cleaned my room. We ate breakfast about 7:30. I had cereal with fruit cut up on it and coffee. I thanked Dee for having me over for a few days and said goodbye to their dogs, Lady and Coco. Honey Boy and I left at 8:30 for the trailhead and arrived there at 9am. I thanked Honey Boy and said goodbye to him and started walking south. I always have a hard time understanding how people along the trail can be so generous. I tried paying for some stuff while I was there and Honey Boy almost got mad at me. He wouldn't even let me fill his gas tank for all the shuttling he did for me. Honey Boy and Dee...Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! I had a great time at your home and I really enjoyed being around you two. The sun is shining today!! The last 4 days that I've been wet all day walking, I was able to take a shower and get dry at Honey Boy and Dee's. That really worked out great. It's very comfortable out today and the forest is dry. I've been slackpacking for 4 days and now it feels strange having that big, heavy pack on my back again. I started out with about a 900 foot climb up Second Mountain. Then I walked by where the old village of Raush Gap once was. It had a population of about 1000 people at one time, but there aren't even any buildings left now. I got to the side trail to Raush Gap Shelter and Diddy was sitting down eating. I joined him and ate the brownies that Dee had sent with me. Diddy said he was going to be in Harpers Ferry on the 13th and I'm planning on being there about the 7th, so I may not see him again. I hiked on and continued enjoying this beautiful day. It feels so good out without all the humidity and without any rain. I was walking along and remembered this is September 1st. On August 1st I became famous when I was the first person in August to summit Mt Mousilauke in NH. Now someone else has taken the spotlight by being the first to climb it this month and I no longer have any claim to fame. :-((( It was a good month though and I did alot of living in one month. My next climb was up Stony Mountain. It wasn't much of a climb, but it's easy to see how it got it's name with all the rocks. I was walking along a little after noon and I heard a deer off to the side make a sound like it had larengitis. In about 100 feet, another deer made the same sound and ran off, then it happened a third time in about another 100 feet. I've never seen deer do that and right here in this short span, 3 of them did it and no, I haven't been to the Doyle yet. :-))) I kept walking along enjoying the day. I realized it was almost 2pm and I'm still dry...not even sweating. I crossed Rt 325 and in about half a mile after that, I stopped at a nice spring and took about a 20 minute break. It's good to find some springs flowing again and the water is nice and cold. I had about an 800 foot climb up to Shikellimy Rocks. It was a fairly easy climb, but I packed out 3 litres of water just to save me from a long down to water at the shelter where I'm planning on eating dinner, so my pack was heavy. There have been some areas with alot of rocks again. It's so nice to walk on dry rocks again. It's a whole lot easier than slipping on wet rocks all the time. I got into Peters Mountain Shelter and ate dinner. Peanut Butter, a sobo was there and Turbinator, a section hiker was also there. I talked with them while I ate and then I packed up again and hiked on. It was only 6pm and I still had a few more miles I wanted to walk. That will put me into Duncannon for a late breakfast in the morning. Well, I wonder if Moosie is back from New York City yet. (Today is his first day back to work since he finished his thru hike.)   :-((( I saw a doe and a fawn running up the trail in front of me just before I got to Rt 225. I crossed over the new pedestrian bridge and walked about another half hour before I found a nice soft flat spot to sleep tonight. Thanks again Honey Boy and Dee, you both are super people and it's neat that you've been married for 50 years to each other.