Date: 2015-06-19
From: 1,160.0 campsite, PA

To: William Penn Shelter, PA
Miles today: 30.3

Up at 6:30am to a rain-soaked tent. One of the problems with setting hurrying to set up my tent last night. Fortunately most of my gear remained dry and I was able to escape the potentially crumby situation. As I finished packing up my gear, both Yoohoo and Safari met me and we'd begin the day hiking together. I wouldn't see Moosehead at all.We covered the first few miles pretty quickly, avoiding a potentially dangerous moment in the process when, while crossing some small boulders, both Safari and I walked over a Timber Rattler witout even seeing it. Yoohoo noticed it and pointed it out. It didn't take long to give its tail a rattle, warning us to move on, which we gladly did. Safari woukd soon drop off our pace and Yoohoo and I continued on. In the process of talking about the lack of on-trail trail magic recently, we exited the woods into a gravel parking lot and found a kind lady named Linda watching us approach. She called us over to where she had a table of bread, sandwich meat, cheese, bananas, baby carrots, 2 coolers of Gatorade and Coke/Pepsi mix, and a few lawn chairs to relax in. We plopped down in our seats and spent the next hour enjoying a few snacks and talking trail-talk with Linda. One hiker walked to the nearby Clark's Creek to fill up on water and returned to say that a small tree had 3 snakes hanging from its branches. I quickly grabbed my camera and wobbled over, but only found one and grabbed a picture.Just after 11:00am Yoohoo and I returned to the trail and immediately began climbing a ~800ft climb to where we'd coast along a ridge for the majority of the day, the only struggles coming in the form of ridiculously rocky terrain. Although the terrain today was fairly flat, save a few descents and ascents into and out of gaps, the constant stepping on, over, and around small and large jagged rocks took a toll both physically and mentally. The day was rather uneventful as Yoohoo and I talked about miscellaneous things and focused on converting ground. We kept hearing loud thunder-like explosions rumbling through the mountain ground, but couldn't determine what it was. A Civil War reenactment and an approaching T-Rex were both very believable suggestions we tossed out. We'd later find out it was the explosions of a rock drilling company.We eventually made our way into the Yellow Springs village site, an old coal mining settlement of the late 1800's. A few stone foundations littered them area, but the majority of remnants would have to be visualized through imagination. We stopped beside a rushing creek to down a quick lunch at 4:00pm. As we prepared to leave the sky opened up and began raining, and would continue as we climbed up and down over Second Mountain. Yoohoo and I eventually reached a campsite where we decided to wait on the others to see what they had planned. At 18 miles completed, I could have easily stopped for the day and felt accomplished, however, after Safari, Drugstore, and Whisper arrived and said they were continuing, I jumped on board as well. It was already 6:30pm and ~9 miles remained, including another ~800ft climb.I was soon off, determined to at least crest the ridge in order to spare myself from it tomorrow. In the process of climbing I found a groove that would last me over the next 3 hours as I broke away from my group and carried on alone. At 8:30pm I'd have to throw on my headlamp and rely on it over the final ~3-4 miles. Night hiking is a unique experience and a double-edged sword for sure. Along with restricting your visual bubble down to the ~20ft direction you have it aiming in, thus preventing you of seeing what lies ahead, it also does the same thing in a negative way by limiting potential dangers. Rocks and dropoffs are hard to see, as well as everything that goes bump in the night.With feet hurting, wet from the days rain and sore from the constant beating of rocks, I blazed on covering the distance in 3 hours. Considering going on to another shelter ~4 miles away, I stopped to ask 2 guys which way the water source was, their faces hidden behind the glare of their own headlamps. "Cambo?" a familiar voice asked. "Is that you, Burnsides?" Having not seen him since Harper's Ferry, it was another example of the trail just being the trail. I exchanged a few comments with Burnsides and his older brother who joined him today and will be hiking forma few days, before venturing off to refill my water, set up my tent, quickly knock out a sorry excuse for dinner (oatmeal and tuna fish - separate), and get this journal in so I could try to get some rest.It's currently just after 12:00am and my body isn't happy with me after today. I only need one more decent day tomorrow before I can coast in Port Clinton, PA on Sunday and enjoy a little relaxation. Hopefully sleep finds me soon.Perhaps of interest to AT hikers, runners, or history buffs, tomorrow a man named Scott Jurek will be passing my location as he continues his journey to become the new record holder of the fastest supported hike of the AT. The current record is held by a lady named Jennifer Pharr Davis in a time of 46 days (x hours, y minutes, z seconds.) Jurek is currently on pace to finish in 42 days with his close to ~50 mile a day average. Succeed or not, the ability he has to cover such a distance in so little time and over such rugged terrain is superhuman. I think he has a Facebook page or website where regular updates are posted. Look him up and show him your support. Crazy stuff, people.Here's to another 2 Coke's, another 30-miler, and another day closer.