Date: 2005-06-24
From: Ensign Cowall Shelter

To: Deer Lick Shelters
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

Started @ Ensign Cowall ShelterDestination: Deer Lick SheltersMiles today: 14.4Total Miles: 1053.8Day 105There are 2 shelters here instead of 1--each is supposed to hold only 4 persons. Usually a shelter can hold 2-3 more than the book says it can hold. The spring is 0.2 mile away from the shelter so no one would want to make 2 trips, although it is not down a mountain side like they are sometimes.LoJack came into the shelter this morning about 5:20 and he went to sleep very quickly. I was up and on the trail just after 7. Later Skillet and Bottle passed me as they were going to the road to hitch a ride into Waynesboro, Pa. to re-supply. Then Skylark and LoJack caught up with me while I was at Pen-Mar Park and I found out that they had made LoJack get up to hike so he could keep to their schedule. They are supposed to be at a certain place in NY by a certain date and they have to keep on track. As soon as he got to the shelter he lay down on the shelter platform and without taking out his sleeping pad or bag he fell asleep with his hiking shoes still on. He got his trail name because when he started the trail his mother sent a locating device with him. He has sent it home, though. He mentioned that he had done some practice hikes and had gotten lost at least once so his mother may have thought he would need the device. The trail was very rocky for most of the day while we were in Maryland. In one section it was boulders that we had to step over and it was not easy to figure out where it was best to plant your foot because you then had to find a place to put your other one nearby.   Sometimes the only way you could tell where the trail over the boulders went was by looking for the white blazes on the trees or sometimes on the rocks. We left Maryland today and entered Pennsylvania. We also crossed the Mason-Dixon Line. Pen-Mar County Park is just before the state line and is a beautiful park. From some of the pictures it looks like it has been in existence a long time. They have music and a concession stand there on the weekends. They have lots of benches, picnic tables, and even a swing to sit in. Many of the benches were given in memory of someone. There is a pavilion and the view from it is of Pennsylvania country side and communities. Absolutely beautiful. I went in to Waynesboro with LoJack and Skylark this afternoon. We were thumbing on one road for about 15 minutes before Skylark realized we had to go another 0.3 mile through the woods before we would be on the correct road. After we got to it we got a hitch right away because there was more traffic. He took us to The Golden Corral where we wanted to eat and Skylark was able to go to the grocery store that was in the little shopping center there. I was able to get some cash back when I paid for my meal which was the main reason I wanted to go into a town.   A hitch out was fairly quick, also. We had not realized how hot it was until we came out of the restaurant. It was 98* supposedly. Skillet and Bottle met a woman at the grocery store that offered to take them home with her so they could take a shower so they went with her and then she dropped them off at the trailhead after they showered. Tenting here tonight is Nick, from Baltimore and Freeze Dried. In one shelter is LoJack and Skillet and Bottle. In this shelter is Skylark and me. Turbo Joe stopped in for a break but is going further to another shelter. He had gone to the Golden Corral to eat, also.Well, it is dark and my headlamp is attracting the bugs. It is 9:30 and time for sleep anyway.