Date: 2015-06-17
From: James Fry (Tagg Run) Shelter, PA

To: Darlington Shelter, PA
Miles today: 26.2

Awake at 6:30am to sun shining in my face. A good sign. As I was checking the weather for the day (showing a mass of rain covering Indiana, heading this direction, but never happening) I heard a WHAP to my right in the bunk where Waiting had slept. Upon sitting up, she thought she had more head clearance and went forehead-first into a beam supporting the top bunk. That's the second morning in a row that I've heard a girl bust their head in a shelter. Classic.With no real goal for the day other than kowing than a very flat day awaited after some morning climbs, I was off by 7:30am a bit ahead of Moosehead who started sluggishly. Ascending and descending for the first ~9 miles, it brought back feelings of The Roller Coaster at the end of Virginia. The trail maintainers of this section must have enjoyed blazing one particular half-mile stretch dubbed the Rock Maze. As the name suggests, I spent a slowed 20 minutes navigating a series of large stones and rock walls on the summit of a mountain. Up and down, U-turning, and zigzagging were necessary in getting through the maze that looked like the toy Legos of giants, strewn aside when called for dinner.I eventually neared the final mountain, Center Point Knob, that had a rock plaque signifying the original AT midpoint. A little before this point I had caught up and passed Running Boy, one of many Germans on the trail this season, and we'd spend the remainder of the day leapfrogging as I shared what little Deutsch I knew each time. I eventually exited into a large cornfield and knew the fun would begin. By fun I mean boring, but easy hiking. The next ~14 miles would be spent traversing small grassy and wooded corridors leading through many private farmlands. It reminded me a lot of being home in Indiana as I walked next to a field of chest-high corn on one side and a field of baled hay on the other except for more trees and small mountains in nearly every direction. Feeling the direct light of the sun on my skin is also always nice, even on hot days, because most of my time is spent under the canopies of trees.I eventually exited the woods and entered Boiling Springs, PA, once more well known for its iron works factory. I strolled along a beautiful central lake lined with nice, older homes. A few locals stood or sat in the shade of some trees, each a paintbrush and pallet in hand, painting various scenes around the lake. I glanced at a few as I walked by and was very impressed. At one of the lake was the ATC Mid-Atlantic Regional Office which I dropped in for a few minutes to have a gander. I asked a lady where I should. She gave me the only 3 options in town. I chose Cafe 101 over the others - one being too pricy, the other not having enough cars in the parking lot to make me feel confident.Cafe 101 offers a variety of sandwiches, all which I heard were really good. I had a Reuben, a cup of French onion soup, and a Coke (5 total after refills.) After I had finished, I decided it didn't quite hit the spot so I order another Reuben and French onion soup. There we go. Moosehead also arrived and joined me for lunch and, in true hiker fashion, order 2 orders of food for himself as well. We killed some time charging our gadgets, listening to music, and overall just stalling the return to the trail. I called my mom and lined up a plan to have her send me my next pair of boots in Port Clinton, PA. Through 1,100+ miles they have performed nobly, the right one is solid condition still, but the left is just about ready to blow out. My goal would've been to reach New Jersey, thus makinge it through the torment my boots will face in the rocks of Pennsylvania, but the boot is just going downhill too fast. I plan to send them home and keep them as a memento. Well done, boys.Moosehead and I then gathered a few snacks at a gas station before returning to the trail. With the radar showing rain closing in on our location, I wrapped my feet in plastic bags to help battle rain-soaked boots. However, rain would never fall for the remainder of the day. I've been lucky so far as this area of the country has been a hit-or-miss shooting gauntlet for the past few days. Continuing through more grassy and wooded corridors, I eventually exited into a large open field. As I walked along a busy road, I noticed a guy across the street messing with a cooler and, despite a food baby on board, found myself wishing I could have what might be there. Luck would have it that he was actually a trail angel and what he was doing was pouring ice into a cooler full of Coke and beer. Running Boy, with his limited English, and I introduced ourselves to the nice gentleman, a volunteer who maintains a section of the trail south of Boiling Springs. He provided me with a large mason jar of ice water which, after polishing off, I I used for my Coke. I sat there for ~20-30 minutes as Running Boy would head, only to be replaced by Moosehead who would soon be off as well. I enjoyed 2 Cokes and sat lazily watching cars zip by before I, too, returned to the trail.The remainder of the evening would be spent continuing along corridors, silently entering and exiting private property as if like wind. I crossed over both I-76 and I-81, stopping both times to watch vehicles zoom along under, covering more distance in 20 minutes than I would all day. Finally reaching the low point of the day at 439ft, the gradual climb out of the valley would take me up to the high point of 1,223ft - child's play for what I've become accustomed to. A mile from the shelter I met a 20 year old local as I was getting water from a piped spring. He explained to me that he was part of a program that uses organic methods to grow food, gathering spring water being one of those ways. It sounded legit, but I noticed he was gathering the water into 3 clear, glass jugs. Hmm. Anyways, he seemed interested in the AT so we chit chatted for a bit before I continued to the shelter just beyond the summit and he headed down to his house at the bottom of the mountain.I stopped to sit on a stone bench a half mile from the shelter that overlooked the valley I had crossed through a narrow opening in the trees. From the ridges I had began on ~26 trail miles away, to Boiling Springs, to both interstates, and all the farmland I crosses in between, it was neat to see it all intertwined from above. I eventually continued to the top where I ran onto a couple familiar hikers, one who told me Moosehead was camped nearby. I found Moosehead relaxing in his hammock enjoying a Mountain House meal his uncle had left him. I set up my tent a few feet away, the first time in close to a week. As nice as it is to have my own private space, I'm super lazy when it comes to motivating myself to set up and tear down, even though it takes under 5 minutes.Tomorrow brings more flatness in the form of both valley and ridges. Hopefully easy miles abbreviated only by gradual inclines and declines between ridge and valley. Moosehead and I may stop in Duncannon, PA to see what's up, but otherwise plan to get in another 20+ miles. Shooting for Port Clinton, PA at some point this weekend where I may have to wait around until Monday or so for boots to arrive. It is what it is though. I heard that Burnsides is in Duncannon tonight and Rock Boat is in Port Clinton. It's funny how close yet separated we are. If the trail wants us to reunite at some point then it'll happen. Otherwise, gentlemen, keep on.Here's to pancake terrain, 2 fine Reubens, and my boots giving me ~80 more miles.