Date: 2005-07-01
From: Birch Run Shelters

To: Sheet Iron road
Miles today: 20.8

I wake up and discover that only three hikers slept here tonight. One of them tented so there would have been plenty room for me in the shelter. It doesn't really matter though. The porch was comfortable enough. Except for that lump underneath my thermarest which turns out to be my guide book. Nice! I've been sleeping on my guide book.Everyone else is up early and since I'm next to the picnic table I figure I should get up too.The earliest start I've had in weeks!I feel good though and know that the ice cream challenge, half way point and lake are ahead. More swimming, that sounds good.It's an easy 10 miles to the Pine Grove Furnace State Park. This is where the ice cream challenge takes place. If you can finish a half a gallon of ice cream in one sitting you become the proud owner of a wooden spoon that says you've completed the 1/2 gallon challenge. Side effects are a bloated stomach and severe sugar high. I'd been telling people that I wouldn't try it because I knew I wouldn't be able to finish. When I get to the store however I'm really hungry and thirsty so I think I should give it a try. Just my luck, they're out of 1/2 gallons!They'll get a delivery around 2pm so I decide to stick around and to go swimming. Clearwater shows up (he had been at the hostel) and we go swimming together. There are lines with floaters in the lake to mark lanes. Clearwater and I compete in who can do the fastest lap. I'm wearing sandals and Clearwater can barely swim. We've got quite the competetion going. In the end it is Holland that beats the USA though.All that swimming is pretty tiring so we move back to the porch of the store. We're joined by Brownie and Souleman and rejoice when the icecream truck finally arrives. All four of us are going to try to eat a disgusting amount of icecream. It's going to be ugly...Souleman does an impressive job. He finishes in about 22 minutes. In the meantime more competitors arrive. There is Walrus, Peanut, Touk, Mother, Bear, Gypsie Lulu, and many more. Five out of the approx. fifteen hikers finish their half gallon. Some have a harder time than others. I'm impressed by the will power of Peanut, Mother and Touk. They don't seem to be feeling well at all. My attempt is really pathetic. I haven't even eaten a fourth of my half gallon when I start feeling sick. Oh well, I tried. Clearwater really deserves some respect (on the other hand you can also call him crazy ; ). He finishes after 2 1/2 hours!It's starting to get late, the temperature has cooled down and I'd like to get to the post office in time tomorrow so it's time to move on. Most everyone else is staying at the park so I pass the half way marker alone. I still try to get a picture with the self timer. I mean such an important moment in the hike can't go undocumented. I have dinner at the next shelter and then continue a couple more miles in the dark. I'm getting pretty tired but want to have less than 10 miles left for tomorrow. I don't want to feel stressed about missing the P.O. hours.There are lots of roads to be crossed and sometimes it's a little challenging to find the trail on the other side. Everything turns out okay though and I set up my tent just passed some gravel road. I'm really tired but have only 8 1/2 miles left for tomorrow. Should be a piece of cake!