Date: 2003-07-03
From: Toms Run Shelter

To: Tagg Run Campground, Pa.
Miles today: 11.4

It rained throughout the night last night, but by the time we awakened at 7am it had finished and the only drops were coming from the canopy of leaves when the wind blew.Andrea went by while we were packing up and 1/3 came through right before we headed out. I left first and hiked alone until our 1st stop for the day, Pine Grove Furnace State Park's General Store where they are famous for the "Half Gallon Challenge". That's where you buy a half gallon of Hershey's ice cream and attempt to eat it all in one sitting. The record is under 9 minutes!Knowing that I couldn't finish a half gallon of ice cream on my best eating day, I purchased a box of Chocolate Peanut Butter anyway and started in.Granite and 1/3 went with Oreo Cookie and Scubaman chose Cherry.I was able to eat half of my half gallon and passed the rest to Andrea and Jim who finished it off.Granite and Scuba went neck and neck for about 15 minutes, then Granite pulled ahead and finished every bite. C.C., a thru-hiker from '98 was there making a documentary on 2003 thru-hikers, so as we all gathered around Scubaman to cheer him on, C.C. turned on the camera.Andrea offered a straw for the 1/2 inch puddle of ice cream that remained in the box, and with a sick look on his face and several long pauses, Scuba joined the "Half Gallon Club" as C.C. got it all on film.The guys were awarded with wooden spoons that said, "Half Gallon Club", and we headed on down the trail.The next stop was at the lake where we could swim for free, so everyone's packs and footwear came off and in we went. C.C. arrived and filmed us frolicking in the really cold water.An hour later we were on our way to the marker for the official halfway point of the trail. The real halfway point for this year is at the stop sign before the General Store, but we saved our celebration for the marker. C.C. was waiting for us as we walked up the trail and one at a time reached up to touch the marker. I had a lump in my throat as my turn came. I planted a kiss on the fingers of my right hand and reached up and put it on the "N" for North.I sometimes feel as if I'm in a dream and will awaken to find that I really haven't walked from Georgia to Pennsylvania at all but am in my comfortable bed at the cottage.C.C's camera filmed while he took pictures with our cameras for us and we whooped and hollered for his film. Before we left he interviewed 1/3 about her thru-hiking experience.We all spread out again for the afternoon, and at 4pm Granite, Scuba and I met up at the Tagg Run Creek.The plan was to go the last 1/2 mile to the road and then road walk the .3 miles to Tagg Run Campground for dinner, showers, and a campsite for the night.The campground is owned and operated by Jim and Rusty who have been married for 59 years. After we checked in with Jim, he offered to take us into town to the ATM machine so we could eat dinner in their restaurant (they don't take credit cards). As we walked out, Rusty said, "Don't forget to come back" and we told her we would see to it that he did.Later, after setting up camp, the mosquito's were horrible and as I collected kindling and set up the fire, Granite went to the camp store hoping to buy just enough wood for a small fire to last until bedtime. He returned 15 minutes later, followed by Jim on a front end loader with its bucket full of firewood. He stopped at our site, we unloaded what we wanted, and he drove away. Very accommodating!The fire worked to keep the bugs away while we sat at the picnic table and talked before heading into our tents at 9pm.