Date: 2014-06-24
From: Deer Run Campground

To: Sherwood Drive (mile 1128.9)
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I started my day with coffee in my tent. Jimmy made Starbucks Via for me and delivered it right to my tent vestibule. That is the closest to breakfast in bed you can get in the woods. He made scrambled eggs, grits, and toast on his camp stove, and I Believe and I were well fueled when we set out at 7:40 with our slack packs.The trail started with a mini roller coaster and two short, but fun rock scrambles. After that the trail was flat, flat, flat all day. We went in and out of the woods, along the edge of the woods, along and through countless corn fields, hay fields, and pastureland, over footbridges, and crossed multiple paved roads. We stopped and ate mulberries and black raspberries, the mulberry trees literally overhanging the trail.Late morning we walked into Boiling Springs where Jimmy met us and we sat on a bench by the lake in town eating ham sandwiches. We stopped at the AT Conservancy where about a dozen hikers were sitting on and around the porch. Bison, Geo, Little Spoon, Daniel, Squanto, Pizzazz, Wing It, and Hot Sauce were there among others. I filled my water bottle up at the Conservancy's spigot and I Believe and I continued on. Jimmy intercepted us twice with trail magic along the way. It was sunny and hot by afternoon and the cold soda and water tasted good and the lawn chair felt wonderful. I have hiked in my Pearl Izumi trail runners for a week now. The last day I wore my boots coming out of Harpers Ferry, I got my first blister on one of my toes. I didn't even feel it, and only found it when I took off my sock. I popped it that night, left it open, zeroed the next day, and wore a blister bandaid for two days and it healed right up. It was time to throw away the boots anyway, and I wanted to try my trail runners again. Houdini had brought the berry, mid thickness Super Feet when he came last week, but after wearing them one day, I had a couple of hot spots and had to replace them with the shoe's original insoles. The Super Feet made the toe box too tight. My feet are doing okay so far in the trail runners. I love how light they are compared to boots. My feet sweat and the balls of my feet burn after many miles regardless of what I wear. I may regret not having my boots for the very rocky sections coming up, but while Jimmy is here and I can slack pack, there is less pounding on the feet and knees in general. I am tenting tonight at the same campground we stayed at last night. No Name and Salty Hat are a day behind I Believe and me, and are here tonight. Jimmy is slacking them tomorrow and it made the most sense to come back here. Jimmy will drive us back in the morning to where we got off the trail today. Staying at this campground meant a shower two nights in a row. Life is good. No Name, by the way, is being treated for Lyme Disease, the first hiker I know who has had it. He's on antibiotics and is feeling much better. I, on the other hand am dealing with a rash around a portion of my waist and a small area on my leg. I first thought it was poison ivy (there is a lot of it), but am now thinking the rash on my waist may be a heat rash. Oh, the joys of living in the woods.