Date: 2005-05-21
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Stealth camp just north of Crampton Gap
Miles today: 16.6

start: Bears Denfinish: Stealth camp just north of Crampton Gap miles: 16.6day: 75Stayed one more night at Bears Den, this time in the upstairs men's dorm. Very nice, very cozy. Had another shower, the second one in three days. I'm sure I didn't need it, and I'm going to get spoiled. Talked with Senator a bit, and Whitee. They've been behind us to this point. (We'd better hurry up, huh?)Kodak, who wasn't feeling at all well yesterday, was comfortably settled in a private room with double bed and lots of blankets and things to drink. Queen Diva was shuttling Goldilocks, Tea Break and me back to Keys Gap ta 8:30, and on my way out I went in to say goodbye (for now?) to Kodak. She still looked sickly, and I hope she takes the time she needs to get well. I can't think of a more comfortable place on the trail to be sick. We'll be ahead of her now, but it's a long way to go yet, and we may well see her again up the trail. But I hope she doesn't ruin her hike trying to catch up.As we rode to Keys Gap, I talked with Queen Diva. She told me about David, the 80 year old man who permanently volunteers at Bears Den. He is amazing, always working on something, very energetic, very intelligent, very kind. He's had an interesting life, holds a Ph.D., was a college professor, and later did research for Kimberly-Clark. He holds several patents for his inventions. Last evening, as he and I drove back from Keys Gap, he told me about when he and his then young family took a sailboat and sailed from the Great Lakes down the Mississippi, into and out of Lake Okeechobee in Florida, up the east coast, up the Hudson, over the Erie Canal, and back into the Great Lakes. Sounds cool, eh?We said our thank yous and goodbyes to Queen Diva, and started hiking quickly on very easy terrain. Shooting for the PO before they close. As usual. No problem this time, and no hitch required, as we walk right into Harpers Ferry. We met a NOBO named Buzz along the way. He said he knows me because he's read my journal. Still getting used to all this fame. Goldilocks got his new Montrail Hardrocks in the mail and it was amazing to see the difference between the old and new pairs. I was looking for my cholesterol test results from the free clinic at Trail Days, but it's not here yet, so I filled out a forwarding form to Palmerton, PA. The way I've been eating, I sure hope cholesterol gets burned up while hiking...We went by the ATC office and signed in and had a picture taken of all three of us. We are supposedly the 81st-83rd northbounders through there this year, but it's actually lots lower than that, as many of the names and photos we saw were of hikers who have been skipping around. I have heard that the count of starters northbound this year is quite low, but I haven't heard an update on that in a while. Does anyone know?We saw Leprecorn (Mike) at ATC, and took the opportunity to slip some heavy canned food into his pack - some of which I had unwittingly carried all morning - thanks Tea Break. I did absolutely nothing to deserve this. Nothing.We dined at Hilltop House, and kind of rundown old place that they say is haunted. The buffet wasn't that great, and the service awful. After that we went by the outfitter and then back to the AT, which winds its way around the edge of town. We were walking behind crowds of tourists - very strange. Then later, on the canal towpath, the AT has bike riders on it. Not used to all this traffic. Finally we get out of the din and back into our beloved leafy woods. We crank out some more miles to tonight's camping spot near a road and state park. I think we better get used to more civilization for these middle states...As soon as stopped hiking I downed an iced tea and shortly after I crashed. Felt very nauseous and exhausted. Writing this journal the next morning, because I fell right to sleep. (And I feel all better now, must've been faking.)