Date: 2016-04-27
From: Rausch River Campsite

To: S of Fort Dietrich Monument
Miles today: 26.0

It got cold last night by the creek but we warmed up quickly as soon as we got hiking. Our immediate goal was Swatara Gap and PA 72 where a quick hitch got us into Lickdale and multiple fast food options. This went hand in hand with our latest philosophy of 'never pass up a small town that has an establishment with fast food'. So today's journey to the growing metropolis of Lickdale found us at the following in short order: Subway, Love's, McDonalds, Chester Chicken and last but not least Dunkin Donuts. My grand total: an egg sandwich for 2nd breakfast, 2 chili dogs, 2 bananas, a Coke, a mocha frappe and a jelly donut. I am convinced that the AT is the only long distance trail on which a thru hikers could actually gain weight.We picked up some goodies including pizza to help get us to Hamburg which is our next rest stop. We are finding that the rest days are getting to be more important the further up the trail we get and the more we tap into and burn through our reserves. We are going to try to have at least one rest day a week.I guess the big excitement of the morning was that we had our 15 minutes of fame as we had a small group of truckers gather around us at Love's truck stop while we were eating/gorging. They saw our packs and when they found out that we were thru hiking the AT and had walked all the way from Georgia, they became truly enthused. We appreciated their enthusiasm, support and sincere compliments mixed perhaps with a tinge of wistfulness as perhaps their time for such an adventure had passed.It was a reminder that we are so fortunate to be living the thru hiking life and in some way we carry not only our own dreams but perhaps those of whom will never have the opportunity that we have. Anyway it was fun interacting with the truckers. They put in a good day's work and I think that we take a disciplined and blue collar attitude towards our hiking. And while it may be work, it isn't a job. We have a lot of fun and there isn't anything that we would rather be doing.I think that I ingested more caffeine in one sitting than I typically would in a month. So fueled by a massive sugar/caffeine buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, the miles passed by rather quickly. Annie also thought that it helped my sense of humor. I see why these young kids are into the 5 hour energy drinks. The day turned out to be overcast and gray with the temp dropping. Perfect for hiking. It was another easy hiking day through the forests until we hit those rockpiles. If you ever saw one of those old movies with the guys on the chain gang splitting rocks and you wondered what they did with those rocks? Well they planted them on the AT in Pennsylvania where they have mutated into the most grotesque looking rocks you will ever see. At least that is what my feet say. By the way, my feet problems are better with new insoles to replace my worn down orthotics and the cooler temps in which my feet don't swell as much. However the rocks are taking a toll with not only my feet (thank you Upjohn for discovering Ibuprofen) but my patience. It goes something like this, you are hiking along at a nice comfortable pace on relatively flat smooth trail through the green forest when you come upon these deformed pointy rocks which are stacked in various combinations. You carefully consider each foot plant, slowing down to tortoise pace and in spite of your best intentions you end up often slipping off the rocks so that you stagger from one side of the trail and wobble like someone who has had one too many Golden Monkeys.We ended up crossing multiple roads. The distant drone of cars and trucks was competition for the sweet songs of the birds which accompany us. Every so often we catch the sweet fragrance of the blossoming Dogwood and all is well and peaceful on the AT. Will