Date: 2005-06-21
From: Annapolis Rocks

To: Antietam Shelter
Miles today: 23.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Up and gone by 6:45. First though I went and checked out the vista there at the Annapolis Rock. It was nice but, it was no Hogback in the Shenandoah's.   I was able to get a hold of my wife today at Pen Mar park and we began making plans for my break from the trail. I told her then that I wanted to make it to the Delaware Water Gap and come home from there. The terrain ahead was to be lot more difficult then I could have imagined. More on that as I go along. In order to meet such a schedule I figured I would have to do an average of 24 miles per day. The past few days were not that difficult and I figured I would at least give it a go. The plan was to get to the Gap on the 30th of June and figure out how to get home from there (arriving on the 1st). It was close enough to get picked up by family, take a bus or even hitch. That would be determined as I got closer to where I wanted to leave the trail. I only intended to take five days off and return on the 5th.      I cruised on in to Pennsylvania this day completing my own version of "The Four State Challenge". The thing is it took me four days to do it and basically it meant being in VA one day, WV the next, MD the third and on the fourth day? You guessed it..PA. A lot of folks did do the challenge all in one day, those folks I knew who did it were not around much any more (as time went on that is).   At the Maryland-Pennsylvania border I crossed the Mason-Dixon line. A survey line completed around the pre-revolutionary wartime period. A symbol of what was the infamous North or South boundary of the Civil war (depending on what side you were on) but for me it was another state done and another rattle snake observed. A skinny little thing that never coiled and warned me of its presence. It just slid away when I stopped to get a closer look.    I moved on to the Antietam Shelter and came upon a group of young ladies celebrating a birthday party. I was asked if I would like something to eat and at first refused. I even left, followed the trail a little further north and around the back of the shelter and returned from the shelter's other entrance. I walked up to the person who asked me if I wanted food, apologized for not excepting right off and asked her, "what do you got". I told her I must have been a little "Punch Drunk" from all the miles I just did. They laughed and filled a plate of food for me. I was extremely thankful (great trail magic, a little wine, some cheese and catching some rays).    It was summer solstice day that day and for hikers it meant that it was "Naked Hiker Day". Yes I did hike naked for about two hours. I said I will go on till I either see someone, cross a major highway or walk in to a shelter. After two hours I was beginning to get a little raw (back pack rubbing on bare skin). The novelty was wearing off, I did not see a soul and I even crossed a road (MD17) and entered an empty shelter (Ensign Cowall Shelter). That was enough for me and I put my clothes back on.   I found out through two other hikers that Fig and Just Visiting were at the next shelter (Tumbling Run Shelter) and I hoped to see them the next day. The end of a great day even though I was alone. With plenty of leftovers from the birthday party, I soon took a dip in the Antietam Creek to take a sponge bath and went in to my tent. The mosquito's were out in force so all I used was my free standing netting because it was so nice and cool out. A great night indeed.