Date: 2010-06-28
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

~~~Trail Magic is SUCH a Wonderful Thing~~~Broke camp and on the trail by 0630. I usually awaken between 0500 and 0530 because the birds are really loud that time of the morning and for me, it's the signal to get up and get moving. I can break camp pretty quickly; it just takes a bit of time stuffing my top loading backpack (a real pain). I had planned on going to the William Penn Shelter but as always, nothing is written in stone on the trail, in spite of nothing on the trail but stones ( and rocks and boulders) Go Granite State ~~~Passed a cooler of Trail Magic and drank a Dr. Pepper, a Capri Sun and an ice pop, thanks to Engineman and Eddy Turn. They also had a trail journal for hikers to sign. It's things like this, the unexpected cold drink or snack from complete strangers, that makes the hiking day more enjoyable.Not 5 minutes later as I was crossing PA 443, there was major Trail Magic from a hiker named JZ, a man slightly older than me, who is a Triple Crown hiker; he has done the AT, The PCT and the Continental Divide. Had a grill out and was cooking burgers and the tailgate of his vehicle was loaded with donuts, cookies, chips, drinks, and best of all, photo books of his PCT hike. Oh, the beauty of the West. Were my feet to ever fully heal and let me finish this hike, boy would I love to go West. JZ was simply amazing. He lives about 15 minutes from the trail head and said he comes up as often as he can during hiking season to give out Trail Magic. It was just wonderful. I cannot remember eating a veggie burger with such complete abandon at 9am as I did this one. Sugar Ray, Dewlap and Ranier were also enjoying the hiker bliss. They are all three fast and furious hikers. Another strong hiker who came up was a girl called Kumquat. Early 20's, tall, blond and Nordic, she can really smoke the miles. Has a headset on listening to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I am completely envious of her ebook and intend to get my own at the earliest possible time.After so many long days, days that I should not have even attempted, I'm trying to take it easy. Got another blister. Were it not for my feet, I would be having a marvelous time. Three blisters now; one on my left foot, two on my right. I don't hike anymore; I hobble. However, felt that a 13 mile day was feasable. By the time I got to the William Penn Shelter at 236 pm, I was completely whooped. It's raining, my shoes are completely soaked, though the water makes my feet feel pretty good and the tarp is hanging off the back of my pack, hopefully keeping everything dry and I just KNEW if I went down the blue side trail to the shelter, even just to check it out, sign the shelter book, whatever, I just knew I would not make it back up to the Trail to continue on. So, I passed it and kept going. The 501 shelter was 4.1 miles away. Doable with the time I had left for the day. So I continued on.Got to 501 at 430. Now this shelter is really great. It is a completely enclosed house that has bunks for about 12 with a table in the middle and a skylight. It is housed next to a private home which is the caretakers house, has a solar shower and a privy that was remarkably clean. As this was Monday evening and the pizza place that delivers out to the shelter is closed on Monday, the shuttle driver, Amy, brings in food. For a donation of $3, we were all served meatloaf, potatoes, salad, garlic bread, cake and pie and, best of all, sweet ice tea. As my daughters would say, sweeeet ! Everone came in and it's funny how you can catch up with others on the Trail at a shelter. So Freeman, Little Aspin and her husband Toothpick, Captain Slick, Sugar Ray, Kumquat, all these people came together and it was just glorious.Now, I know when you read these journals, you read all these trail names and think, yeah whatever. But each name goes with a truly unique and wonderful person, most of whom I don't even know their true names. I know that Sugar Ray is from Conn. and that Little Aspin and Toothpick are from Maine and that they were married last September; but the "real" names are never that important. I am Snoopy. Everyone out here calls me Snoopy. And just when you think you won't see someone again, everyone intersects and you get more Trail time with them. Funny how it always works out.Traded a small airline size bottle of rum for medical supplies for my feet with Sparrow. Good trade.