Date: 2008-04-25
From: Devil's Racecourse Shelter, MD

To: PenMar Park, MD Ann & Bills House, MD
Miles today: 4.7

Oh my gosh..what an INCREDIBLE DAY!!!!!! So there are a few things from lastnite I forgot to mention. First off, at 2:30 yesterday, as I started hiking, Iheard like 3 owls calling to each other (you all know how much I love them). Second, I wanted to share some info about ridge runners I didn't know. First,it is actually a paying job, and they apply through the ATC website and ifhired, receive training, etc. Basically, Erik has a choice, work 5 days(meaning he's hiking in his section of the trail and living out here 5 days/4nites a week with 2 days off, or he can do 10 days on 4 days off). He hikesabout 8-10 miles a day, checking/reporting on trail conditions, meeting people,educating about Leave No Trace Behind Ethics, etc. What a cool thing, and whatdedication it takes to say I'm going to live in what ever conditions there arefrom April-October huh? So I was talking about the crazy tent at AnnapolisRocks w/the sign "Caretaker" in front, and he goes, "I live there." Howhilarious!!! I had no idea he lived there!! If you read this Erik, good luckwith your calling to be a Friar. You are a unique and wonderful guy, and I'mso glad to have met you and talked.So, on to today..what a day indeed. I got cold last nite around 1:15 a.m., sogot up and watered the leaves and then added my rain gear and some hand/toewarmers. I was ok after that. My alarm went off and first thing, I hear theowls again. I feel safe when they are around, as if they are watchers in thenite, guarding me or something. So I got up, and as I was eating breakfast, Iheard it again and had the privilege of watching it swoop between trees about500 yards away. Made me smile and gave me such a rush. It is so amazing tocommune w/nature out here, I feel at home.It was only 52 when I woke up, I think I was partially cold because I didn't eatmy normal dinner too. I was ready to hike by 7:45 a.m., but I talked to Erik abit longer, just long enough to watch him "educate" these three clueless menabout washing IN the stream (right where we all get water...eewwww) withanti-bacterial soap!!! ARGH!!!! Erik explained that they should bathedownstream and how the soap throws off the natural balance of the eco-system inthe stream. Ridgerunners aren't cops, they are educators, so it's ultimatelyeach person's individual responsbility to practice Leave No Trace BehindEthics.So I got hiking right at 8:00, knowing I only had about 5 miles to go. I wasmeeting me friend Ann @ 11:00 a.m. at PenMar Park, so I was in good shape. Beautiful cool day, and with the exception of a 1/2 mile downhill steep andvery rocky area, the hike was a breeze. That did not, however, prevent me frombiting the bullet...and no, not on a diffcult part, just on flat dirt trail! Duh!!! Actually, it was a deep hole that was filled with leaves, so I had noway of seeing it, my right foot went in and down I went. I just sat there andlaughed (and took a picture of course).There were a few more rocks than normal, so I'm assuming the trail is gearing upfor those PA rocks soon. I got to PenMar at 10:30...I was flying. Nice park,and since I had the time (and cell signal...no signal last nite @ the shelter)I called Karen to see how she and the boys were. A few minutes before 11, herecomes Ann zooming by in her black Ford Focus. We actually "met" via my journal2 years ago because our cats look very similar, but then we met in person lastFall at the Hammock Weekend in Gathland State Park, MD. She works nites, soshe sacrificed her normal daytime sleep to pick me up and hang out with me allday.So we get into the car, and she's got chocolate muffins and doughnut holes forme!!! How sweet is that!!? We got back to her house, where her and her 84year YOUNG father live (he was out landscaping the garden..beautiful garden bythe way). Their house is awesome, the main section built in 1740 on land thatwas owned by the family of Frances Scott Key (the guy who wrote the StarSpangled Banner!). Other sections of the house were added in subsequentdecades, but this house was featured in Country Living Magazine in 1994!! AREALLY great place in the rolling hills of MD. And then (drumroll please) itwas time for me to meet Opie the cat. Oh my gosh..what a lover!! He's awonderful cat, and reminds me so much of my boys. (Opie is in the window rightnow "stalking" some mystery thing outside the window right now).I took a shower and then we all spent the afternoon talking, Bill went back towork on his garden and Ann and talked gear, AT, hiking, life, etc. She showedme all her gear (I may have to get some Expedition weight thermals like hers)and she wanted to see how I packed my pack, she gets ideas with hands-on stuff. She just got an Osprey Ariel 65, which is a fantastic pack.Opie and I bonded by playing and he took a nap next to me (I really needed thecat therapy time). Finally, at 5:30, Bill and Ann took me to this incrediblerestaurant called The Cozy, which is on MD-77 and has been visited by many ofour country's presidents because Camp David is really near by. Man did Ishovel the food down, fried shrimp, roast beef, salad, honey-buttered rolls,green beans, fried chicken, pasta salad, and of course 2 plates of desert toinclude bread pudding, apple pie, and ice cream! (I'm SUCH A PIG!! LOL). Iwas pretty hungry as you could guess.After dinner, they drove me to the ACTUAL entrance to Camp David which is up amountain in this beautiful state park. I took pics of the sign, and all thesign says is "Camp #3, authorized personnel and deliveries only" and of coursethere's signs warning you not to enter. I had no idea Camp David was in MD(I'm horrible with geography). If the president is there, the road leading tothis entrance is closed off, so apparently, nobody was there this weekend.Then, it was back down the mountain and they took me to Keysville, where I tookpics of the actual house that Frances Scott Key was born! I was so notexpecting all of these amazing side trips and things to see, so I'm on cloudnine as you can imagine.Finally, we got home, Opie was demanding his dinner, Ann (who had now been upfor over 24 hrs) finally went to sleep, and I'm typing this on their computerwhile my hiking clothes wash. I think Opie is sleeping on Bill's lap out inthe den.I am taken by the hospitality and generosity of these 2 people, who only know mevia my journal, but who have opened their home to me as if they've known me mywhole life.In the morning, Ann is taking me to lunch at a good Chinese place and there'sapparently rain in the forecast, so they've offered to let me stay another niteif I want, so we'll see. If it's lightening and pouring, I might. If it's justrain, well...I can't dodge it forever you know?I just can't thank Bill and Ann enough for this amazing visit. You two arewonderful wonderful people and you are both welcome in our home anytime! Thankyou thank you thank you!!!!!!!It's now 9:24 p.m., I'm pretty pooped (obviously not from hiking huh? hee hee),and I think I'm going to transfer my clothes and call it a nite. Seriouslyfolks, I think I'm going to become a huge advocate of splitting this hike into2 or more years at least. Having the time to make side trips, visit friends,explore other places is making this an entirely different experience for me andI'm absolutely having the time of my life.If I hike tomorrow, I'm in PA first thing!! Woo hoo...ROCKS...here I come!! Oh, one other funny thing, I saw more wildlife riding in the car then on thetrail this year so far We saw a fox cross the road and a deer too! Made melaugh, and the other random thing that made me laugh was at the restaurant, thebuffet had all this great "southern" food, (fried fatty stuff) and like 15different desserts, but when you get to the ice cream machine it had a sign onit, "Non-Dairy Non-Fat Vanilla Icecream." Really? Do they think by the timesomeone gets to the icecream that it matters any longer? LOL I just crackedup...as I poured chocolate syrup over my icecream. Well, nity nite. Gonnatell Bill goodnight and catch some zzzz's. Tomorrow is another free andliberating day of being an AT hiker (and Persistent...I truly am sending trailenergy your way, I think about you in the cube everyday and hope you'remanaging).~Certain