Date: 2008-05-08
From: Tumbling Run Shelters PA

To: Quarry Gap Shelters PA
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: light rain

Day 81 ¢ Thursday May 8 ¢ Quarry Gap Shelters PA ¢ Miles Today: 12.2 Total Miles: 1073.0We had sprinkles last night as well as this morning as we were breaking camp. We headed out in our rain gear but only for about 10 minutes or so because it was just way too hot for rain gear. I think we're in the season where, unless it's a huge downpour and we don't want to sacrifice our clothes, we'll just going to have to hike without rain gear and get wetToday was the day we got to finally meet Brakeman's ¢girlfriend¢, Robin! He has never met Robin. They linked up online for a high school reunion and have been emailing each other for the last 8 years. Today, he officially met his ¢girlfriend¢. Brakeman was all smiles and giggles hopping and skipping down the trail. We met her alongside the road, PA233. The pre-arranged meeting time was 10:00 but we got there at 9:30 after hiking 5 miles and she arrived at 9:40 so it wasn't too long of a wait at all. We toured her campus - Penn State at Mount Alto. It was a great little campus. She fed us tons. As soon as we got in the car, she gave us a box of donut holes and when we got to her office which is an old 1940s home right on campus, she had subs, apples, pears, bananas, grapes, OJ and double stuffed Oreos. We couldn't have asked for more! And she had internet connection! We sat around, talked and ate and just had a delightful time finally meeting her. She had one meeting to go to while we were there, so we used that time to catch up on internet stuff. Robin drove us back to the trail about 1:30. THANKS Trail Angel Robin!!!It sprinkled on and off all afternoon and at camp. Talk about camps, Quarry Gap Shelters is just unbelievable. There are 2 shelters and between them is an alcove with a covered picnic table area. In front of it, we overlook a little brook that winds through some little stonework. There are hanging pots with flowers around the shelter and by the creek! Backgammon boards and decks of playing cards are provided for our entertainment!   They even have tent platforms for us! It is basically like the Hilton here. We really just don't know what to do with ourselves. And Brakeman doesn't have to do the Bear Olympics today because there is a bear box for us to put our food in. Bare Fodder is with us again tonight. He is still struggling with sore, tender feet breaking in his 3rd set of boots. Also with us is Yeti, who we have not seen since Hot Springs, about 700 miles ago! He's now cranking out 20-25 miles a day with Bad Hummus, Toddy Bear and Stovie ¢ calling themselves ¢Team Deutschmark¢ - so I'm sure after goodbyes tomorrow that's the last we'll see of him and wish him the best. The wildlife we saw today was more deer. Seems like we see deer everyday in Pennsylvania. There was another animal off to the side which we're guessing was a fox, but we did not get a good look at it. And, of course, we¢re seeing lots of our friendly Pennsylvania chipmunks. Pennsylvania would just not be complete without the chipmunks. It's 7:00 and we're in our tent on our tent platform, which is covered with pollen. The birds are chirping, the sprinkling has stopped for now and I think we're going to go ahead and call it an early night although we only hiked 12 miles today. Tomorrow is another short day - just 14 miles - so that we can space out our days appropriately until meeting our next Trail Angels ¢ Mr. & Mrs. Grasshopper at Pine Grove Furnace. Boy, are we looking forward to seeing them! Good night from the Hiltons!!