Date: 2010-04-11
From: Boiling Springs

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I had the best night's sleep yet on the trail - good bed and tired me. I did not get up particularly early as the continental breakfast didn't start until 7:30. I had an apple, an orange, a granola bar and then the sweet and gooey roll/bread/cake that was the free breakfast. I also made up about 3 cups of tea for my water bottle to sip along the trail. I was walking along the trail by about 8:20.Today was delightful. It was 95% flat for 10-12 miles but nicely routed through woodsy hedgerows with a few pastures thrown in. The flowers made the day extra enjoyable. In the mountains the flowers are not blooming much yet but here in the Cumberland Valley they are beautiful. I took my time and took more pictures today than on the whole trail to this point.There were many bluish purple violets, yellow violets and purple violets lining the trail. I saw Dogwood in bloom a couple places and pink flowering trees and white flowering trees and white flowering bushes. There were a couple kinds of bule-purple flowers I don't know, some white flowers sort of like chiming bells only white instead of blue, and grape hyacinths. I even saw some Jack In The Pulpits unfolding which I did not see in the south before, only in Maine last year after they turned to berries. I saw a yellow 5 petal flower, maybe a cinquefoil, Spring Beauties, Dutchman's Breeches, Trout Lilies, and along the banks of the Conodoguinet Creek banks and banks of blue Chiming Bells, a little larger flowered than in the west. There were also phlox, a white flower with 5-7 petals (not Bloodroot, I don't think) and another white flower that came in clusters of little white flowers. The May Apples were unfurling. I do love the way they poke up and pop open like little unbrellas. None of those were blooming yet though. I passed a couple Walnut trees with leftover nuts on the ground and also saw my first Shag Barked Hickory of the trip. The one somewhat unwelcome plant was a LOT of poison Ivy popping out. I had not really seen any until today and now it is everywhere. I think it is a real problem here in a month or so. Glad I am hiking now, although I still do have to look carefully before plopping my body or pack or poles down. I do not want to get the stuff on me.I did not move very fast, in spite of the level ground, I was too busy having a good time taking pictures of flowers.I saw many day hikers, trail runners, and a couple section hikers including one toward the end of the day by the name of Half Fast. He advised me to get my water at a running stream/spring about a mile before the shelter. When I got to the shelter I found the spring there running pretty well but, oh well. Since I had gotten water already dinner was quick to prepare. Hauling all that water up the last mile was quite strenuous though.When I arrived at the shelter I found another section hiker, Rev, a United Methodist pastor from Georgia. Two Revs on one mountain. Pretty funny but also pretty nice. I sang Holden Evening Prayer for him for church, after all, it is Sunday. I was also very glad for his company when a couple of dudes rolled in on dune buggy type motor vehicles. They may have been OK but I get nervous alone when non-hikers are around.All in all, in spite of the late start and the motor vehicle guys, it was a most enjoyable day on the trail. And life is good.