Date: 2004-06-23
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 25.9
Weather: broken clouds

Insane amount of miles today. I have to say that the hiking in this area has been incredible. Part of it is the beautiful weather we are having and part of it is the spread of the area. In Virginia, the woods would encrouch upon you. Wet brush would soak your boots. In this section, the trail can hold two people side by side as they hike. This leaves room to drop your pack and take a break anywhere. There are many more options for camping as well.The day started off raining but I was mildly aware of it. The leaves would keep you from getting wet. Later it stopped and the sun came out. For once I can enjoy the long day.The flat trail is also a bit rocky. This is not the notorious Pennsylvania rocks that everyone mentions. Still, they slow down your pace. There were also many road crossings and places to fill my water from spickets and such.As I was negotiating the rocks, I came across a bunch of young girls about 11 to 13 in age. They said to me, "Let me guess, you hiked from Georgia...you're going to Maine...and you're going to the park (ahead) to have lunch." They were very excited when I said yes, they were right. I guess I'm not the first hiker they have seen today. They followed up with numerous good hiking questions.My first real break was at the Pen Mar County Park where, sure enough, many thru-hikers were taking a break. I met Tapeworm who had started in Harpers Ferry. He had done the first part of the trail a few years ago. I also met Dutch. She had been on the trail from the beginning and traveling mostly at the same pace as me, but we would not see each other all the time.Together we crossed the Mason-Dixon line and the state line--photo opp. Then Dutch got off trail to make a surprise visit home. Tapeworm and I continued to PA40 where we bumped into the Quad State Challenge boys I met Tuesday morning. They had just returned from town after celebrating their success the day before.Typical of the hiker community is to celebrate some achievement in the most unique way. These guys decided to shave their legs. Actually they ended up using Nair in a Food Line restroom. Customers heard them giggling so the manager kicked them out while the job was half done. They decided to finish the process about seven miles up the trail at a spicket near a park. But the rewards, as Hermes remarked, was that his legs were now "silky smooth".Beyond the state line, there are three shelters within two miles of each other on a flat terrain. My feet were aching by the first one. Instead of staying, though, I took the time to make dinner and rest my feet before tackling three more miles. Along the way I surprised some wild turkeys that clicked anxiously after scattering their family into the air.When I got to Tumbling Run, Tapeworm was already set up for bed. I like the shelter arrangement here. There are two small shelters--one for "snoring" and one for "non-snoring".Rocket, a speedy hiker I met in Virginia was also there after some time off in DC. He said he had been following my journals and knew I'd catch up. I met Dreamcatcher, a mid-50's lady from Pennsylvania who quit the trail in Pearisburg, VA and decided to section hike. I also met D-K, a southbounder who started in MA. He had some insight on what's ahead including some trail magic at one of the cabins. They all insisted that I had completed a marathon. Okay, I suppose.