Date: 2005-09-04
From: .3 miles north of Rt. 94, PA

To: 1 mile north of Rocky Mtn. Shelter, PA
Miles today: 32.8

32.8 miles todayStealth tenting1 mile north of Rocky Mtn Shelter, Pa. I slept good again last night. The band I could hear playing last night in the distance quit playing too early...I was enjoying listening to them. I woke up at 5am, but wasn't ready to get up yet, so I went back to sleep until almost 6. I made coffee and had the 2 pieces of left over pizza for breakfast. It was 6:55am before I was packed up and walking. The last 2 mornings have been in the 50s. That feels great compared to what it had been. I walked to Rt 34 and walked left on the road to a small grocery store. It didn't open until 9am and it wasn't even 8 yet. They had a coke machine outside though, so I was happy. I got a coke and sent in my journal and sat there and read my email. I climbed Trent Hill, then went down and walked by Tagg Run Shelter without stopping because it was .2 miles off the trail. I climbed about 800 feet and went over Piney Mountain. I kept walking and at 10:20am, I got to the midpoint marker for the A.T. It's hard to believe I'm half way done with the trail already. I took a couple self portraits in front of the sign and walked on. I stopped at the campstore at Pine Grove Furnace State Park and had 2 cheesburgers, fries, some chips, a coke and a quart of milk. I sat at the picnic table in front of the store and ate. I tried getting denatured alcohol there, but their can was empty. I've got enough denatured alcohol to make two cups of coffee, so when I resupplied, I bought dinner stuff that I don't have to cook. The coffee in the mornings is more important than a hot meal at night. :-))) When I left the campstore I climbed about 1000 feet, but it was spread out over 6 or 7 miles. It's called Big Flat Ridge. I stopped at Toms Run Shelter on the way up and took a short break and signed the register. I was walking down the trail and I saw a guy coming north on the trail with a day pack and a big handgun in a holster on his side. I got to thinking that I only have a micro-mini Swiss Army knife...maybe I should get a gun!! Nah, I couldn't cut salami with a gun...I'll keep my knife with a 1 1/2 inch blade. :-))) Next I stopped at Birch Run Shelter. That's a really nice shelter made out of manufactured logs. I signed that register and took about half an hour break before I walked on. I got to Quarry Gap Shelter in about 7.5 miles. There was about 6 weekenders there. I signed the register and kept on walking. I went down to Caledonia State Park and sat down near the consession stand and ate my dinner. I didn't buy anything there. I even passed on having a coke. My dinner wasn't too good though. :-((( I had a couple summer sausage and cheese sandwiches that I bought at the campstore this morning. I hung around there about 40 minutes before I decided I better get moving before I have to try and find a tent site in the dark.I crossed Rt 30 and walked about 2 miles to a nice spot where I couldn't hear any cars. I set up my tent and crawled in for the night. I'm getting behind in answering my emails again, but hang on, I will get caught up, I promise!! :-)))