Date: 2016-06-18
From: Telephone Pole Shelter

To: Wiley Shelter, NY
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: scattered clouds

1454.0897'As I was hiking what should have been easy trail early this morning I was thinking about how supposedly ladies don't sweat they perspire and real ladies only shine. I am not one, especially on a hot humid uphill hike, to only "shine.". I wouldn't even say I bead up with perspiration. No, I have regular raindrop size sweat pouring from every pore. The drops slide down my neck and I can feel them dripping into my shirt. They pour from my forehead into my eyes, over my nose, and down the side of my face and into my ears. I grab my bandana and wipe my face, ears, and neck and within seconds I start feeling the drips again. Meanwhile my legs feel wet from the "shine" of my calfs. Enough complaining! It was a near perfect day. A beautiful walk that included almost every type of moderate trail including boardwalks, pastures crossings with stiles, bridges, moderate rock climbing, and beautiful forest trails. It was also a trail magic day, twice. First Trail Magic was when we arrived at the Nature Garden Center. Here they allow hikers to fill their water bottles, charge their phones, take an outside free shower or an inside warm shower for $5. They also have some limited hiker supplies for sale. I was looking at a display and the sales lady, Pam, asked me if I was okay. I don't know why but all of a sudden I fell apart. You would think I was a teen during her time of month. All of my confused feelings, my weariness, my heartaches, my physical pain, my worries about Bob in all this, my worries about my daughter, my missing my family as they all were getting ready to gather, my desires and fears regarding the trail swirled around my throat and chest and leaked from my eyes. I remember telling my prayer partner before I left that I wanted to be known on the trail as the woman who prays. The Lord has humbled me to rather be the one who stands in need of prayer, then provides an angel (Pam) to pray with me. We took advantage of the inside showers which really made me feel like a new woman. I was so dirty. A bit rough putting dirty clothes back on but despite that, it was delicious. If you have never been hiking day every day for a number of days without a shower, you can't imagine the relief. The prayers and caring heart of a sister in Christ was amazingly refreshing.Second trail magic was when we were almost to the shelter but running out of water and the "streams" were nearly dry. A man, Iceman , sees Bob trying to dip out some water to filter, and tells him he had water in his car on the road a little further up on the trail. Bob thanks him and tells him he is one of The Wanna Bs. Iceman's face lights up. Turns out he is following us on our journal and is the gentleman who offered to slack pack us back in Pennsylvania if only I had the sense to check my email or guest book regularly back then. He gave Bob cookies and a Dr Pepper and water and let him sit on a chair to rest then went back up the trail to help me out with my pack. I thanked him but foolishly refused as I knew I was almost there.   When I saw Bob sitting in a chair having a good old time I was quite surprised. There was root beer for me and a chocolate chip cookie. So refreshing! We sat for awhile then Iceman carried my pack up the quarter of a mile to the shelter for me. I could have and maybe should have done it but he was so kind to offer.