Date: 2005-06-05
From: Antietam Shelter, PA

To: Quarry Gap Shelter, PA
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: few clouds

Whilst I was looking over the data book and companion last night, I found a fatal flaw in my dream to make Duncanon by Wed. night (6/8). Discovered that a spot I planned on tenting somewhere is in the middle of a no-camping zone. Granted, I could get a hotel room near the place I'd planned on stopping, but I'd rather not do consecutive nights paying for a room all by my lonesome. So, I'm gonna go nice and easy for the next few days until I go to catch my plane from an alternate locale. I'll fill the week hiking as opposed to bustin' it and then taking an extra zero. Should work just fine. Seventeen tomorrow, sixteen the next, then a whopping twelve. I'm pretty sure that's the final iteration. Apologies if you're not interested, but I did need to get it on paper. So, now for what you came for: I went hiking today. Got up with the sun, and spent the morning messing with my toes. Why would I mess with my toes, you ask. Well, it seems that between two of the smaller ones, I've found some blistery crud that has the look of more poison ivy. Now, you ask, how in the hell did you manage that, Porter? Well, I answer, I've got no clue. Haven't been runnin' barefoot, or rubbing my feet in shiney green three-leaved plants or climbing trees by those hairy vines that grow up the side. I am a poison ugly generating machine. There is one other possibility, I suppose. It's been wet the past several days and those two toes normally touch each other. Trenchfoot? I don't know what that looks like, but if it makes lots of little blisters that turn red, we may be on to something new and exciting. I can only shake my head at the medical enigma I have become. So it starts with the poison ivy rash from hell; then once that clears up, it's major chafage time. Once that finally turns the corner for the better, it's the ol' knee. Once the knee starts feeling better, we're back into some ivy love again. Just can't win, but I'm not writing this to complain. There's some sick humor in it all, deep down there. But be that as it may, I actually did hike today. The sun was out and the temps climbed to the upper 70's, maybe 80. Hottest it's been. I was feeling it, too. I'm just not used to the heat, I guess. But, one thing though, everyone I passed today was talkin' 'bout the humidity. Say what? Humid? Aww hell naw. If today was anything, it was not humid. But that's just me being a Georgia boy. I'm used to a more oppressive humidity, I suppose, so my scale is probably different from these PA folks. But, I'm sure the day will soon come that I too will complain about it. PA gets a bad rap for being rocky. Well, let's say I don't know that it's unfair or not, but that's what everybody says. Of course, they said Virginia was going to be flat too, and that was an outright lie. So grain of salt in hand, there were about as many rocks as Maryland today. Had a few scrambles, but nothing that wasn't short-lived. Scored a soda and some fruit loops at a Trail Magic spot. Yum. I'm still amazed at the fact that out here a soda and some sugary snack I didn't have to carry really brightens my mood and shines up the day. There's probably a life lesson in there somewhere. In the afternoon I walked 3/4 mile down Rte 30 to a grocery store. Small mom-n-pop place, but my food bag was about empty. Through no fault of my own, I ended up with zero food at about the easiest place to resupply from. Only needed 3 days, bought 4, and it would probably get me nearly 5. Oh well. On a side note, my appetite has taken a dive recently. I'm not hungry all the time like I used to be. Oddly, the appetite drop happened about the same time I stopped taking the vitamin supplement every day. The enigma continues. I'll get curious, experiment, and go back on the vitamins eventually, but my results might be less than scientific. Could be just all in my head, too. Got lunch there too, then hitched back to the trail. Walking with thumb out sometimes works. Then it was a short 3 up to the shelter. Today seemed longer than it really was, probably the heat. Saw my first rattlesnake today on the side of the trail. He felt my presence about the time I saw him and headed for a hole. Now I didn't see the rattles, but there was a definite rattling sound coming from the beast. Hope that's the closest we ever get. But, the shelter is pretty posh. Two little sheds with a common roof. Flowers hanging on the hooks at the corners, spring in front of the shelter, and a nice bench to sit on. I'll be sad for a moment when I leave PATC's (Potomic App. Trail Club) section. It's all been well maintained - trail, shelters, signage, etc. And I have been much impressed.Looks like I've got the palace all to myself, nothing to do but write the journal. Good change up from the struggle it's been to keep up as of late. Supper time, and the livin's easy...