Date: 2018-05-20
From: PA 72 mile 1180.9

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: light rain

I didn't sleep well last night. More restless legs and not being packed up and ready for departing left me anxious. I got up at 6, showered and packed. Thumper wrote a note to remind me to pack my food from the fridge. I'm taking the opportunity to pack out some cheddar cheese, Lebanon bologna and a salad kit. I'm planning to start having a lunch break of 45-60 minutes for rest each day now that my miles are increasing. I need to keep myself fueled, rest my feet and enjoy what's around me. The Comfort Inn serves a breakfast from 7-9am so I make my oatmeal in my room and carry my freezer bag down to the breakfast room. I'm sure it looks strange, but I don't have the same concerns that I used to about what other people might think. I'm sure I look funny in my attire also, skirt with men's hiking boots full of mud and wool socks. But I'm comfortable with me. Finally. I enjoyed my oatmeal, grabbed a banana for potassium and some eggs and sausage. The TV is on and I see the volcano in Hawaii for the first time. It says 4 more homes destroyed and I say a silent prayer asking God to keep people safe. Material things matter less and I myself notice that more out here. People matter. When I finish I let T-Bird know I'm calling Uber and say goodbye to River and Thumper who've arrived for breakfast. They'll be behind us but we all plan to be at the 501 shelter tonight. Javier the Uber driver arrives within 10 minutes and takes T-Bird and I to the previous day's extraction point. It's not raining today but the trail is a mess in areas. We walk down thru beautiful rhododendron forest and stop at a bench overlooking the road and the Swatara state park and the Berlin Iron Bridge over Swatara Creek, a tributary to the Susquehanna River. The creek has overflowed her banks and the low lying areas immediately next to her are holding it in. The creek is muddy but beautiful still. We have a short road walk and pass under and up along the side of I-81. I wonder how many people passing by know this trail is here as T-Bird goes ahead and I stop to pee. This morning has already been tough and slow. It's hot and humid in the mid 80's and I think I left my trail legs back at the hotel as I ascend a very steep climb where the trail has become a brook. I'm hoping not to get wet feet again. My boots are waterproof, but eventually the water will get in. It's a tough climb and it goes on forever with part of the trail looking like a brook with water runoff from the rain still.A little flatter ground at the top of the climb but not much....and then I see them. ROCKS. The dreaded PA rocks in all their glory. It's not raining, which is nice, but the rocks are wet. I bend down to touch them because I can't believe they're not slathered in olive oil. That's how they feel under my feet. Slippery as all get out! I stop for a selfie on the rocks and text it out to Brian who immediately sends back a message of encouragement telling me that I rock, pun intended I'm sure. T-bird is ahead and I don't care how far he goes. I hear him talking with Hoot who passed me. I've got all day to get safely through this tangle. I can't take my focus off my feet and my poles. Carefully and with precision I calculate and choreograph each step. These rocks are different friends, they move.... even the huge ones sometimes. And other jagged ones are on end, sticking up. Sometimes when you think you'll step on a soft pile of leaves in between rocks, it's a hole covered by leaves. Trust nothing. And I'm watching for snakes occasionally too because Timber Rattlers and Copperheads love the rocks I now consider the AT ( called a footpath) to be an "obstacle path". Each step seriously messes with balance and impacts every bone in your foot and ankle. Slow and steady we make it thru multiple scrambles and rocky sections . There's an incredible amount of fresh blow down after that and we detour around or venture over or under. It's a lot of extra work navigating thorns and poison ivy too. 8.7 miles in we arrive at William Penn shelter. Our targeted lunch stop.We hike down the blue blaze trail cursing all the time that we will have to hike back up it and we drop our packs at the picnic table. There's a nearly new privy we passed on the way down so without my pack on and feeling light I hike back to it and take advantage of it. Back at the picnic table we're the only ones there but the place is abuzz....with bees. Big fat bumble bees and small wasp type flying in and out of the shelter and the now vacant knot holes in the logs and of course around us. I'm pooped and so is T-Bird. We were hoping to make the 501 shelter but today kicked our butts. We decide to have a 1 hour lunch break and assess. But I already know I can't stay here! I shared my bologna and some cheese with T-Bird who was delighted to have such a treat and we rest with bare feet for a while. I tried to lay down in the shelter but it's soot stained, dark and the bees are irritating so instead I opt to change my mood by sending a Marco Polo message to Brian. Thinking of him makes my day. Every day. I miss that man!After an hour we decide we'll hike back up to the trail and across it to a spring .10 on the other side and filter water. We agree we're both weary and our feet hurt still, so we'll stop at the next campsite shown on Guthooks, another 2.2 miles rest and assess again. We fill our water and meet Itchy and Scratchy on the way out. They look beaten. They're low on food but the day has been too hard and long and so they've skipped their planned resupply stop. They're trying to make the 501 shelter because it's the only shelter where you can get pizza delivered. This will help them stretch their supply. The trail opens up and the terrain gives us a bit of a break. Softer footing is a welcome relief. We hike 2.3 miles before we realized we hadn't seen a campsite yet and check the map. There's no way we missed it. We agree to go on to the next viewpoint. Then the gentle trail disappears quickly as it appeared and the rocks are back. Sharp and jagged ankle twisting foot manipulating rocks. Exhausted, we arrive at Fisher Overlook and I'm lifted by the view. A beautiful overlook of scenic farmland in the valley below. We met Hobbit on the climb after I-81 this morning, on his 3rd thruhike, and he said the views wouldn't be great. But I disagree. It's precious, this valley view. The hard working farmers with their perfect fields and beautiful silos. There's a heartbeat down there and I sit and feel it for a while. It's a beautiful country this America. We're so very blessed and sometimes we forget to stop and notice that. I can look around here, smell the honeysuckle. My focus is food, water and shelter. I have all day to work on that and nothing clouds it. Nothing distracts me except the beauty of the landscape and the people along the way, which I finally have time to stop and enjoy. My goal is to notice and enjoy more along this journey. To practice relaxing and enjoying life more instead of rushing to complete tasks all the time. Life is more than a task. Life should not be a race to the finish line and I no longer want to feel as if I live like it is. Being a bit refreshed from the Vista we move on. There are 2 more beautiful vistas about a half mile away, over rocks. I enjoy each one equally. At the last one there's a couple sitting on the rocks sharing a picnic. I feel like I'm interrupting a moment and I wish Brian were here with me. I'm longing to enjoy more memories with him where we're both in the moment and undistracted, like it is out here. After pausing for the last enjoyed view of the day there's a short climb. I can hear the road and I know we're close to the shelter. I see a blue tote. It's trail magic! Brian will confirm I don't like or drink Gatorade. But today is different. Ice cold bottles of lemon lime Gatorade await in the cooler. I drink it smiling almost crying. Thank you! It was delicious! So I have evidence that I fully enjoyed this, I have T-Bird take a picture of me drinking it and I text it to Brian. He's proud of me. I'm telling you, that was the best drink ever!!!!! Feeling almost new, except the pounded feet, we finish up the trek to the shelter and score 2 bunks. 501 shelter is fully enclosed, has a chemical port-a-potty and a water faucet, clotheslines, picnic tables, trash and recycling. Yay! We get set up and T-Bird and Professor order from the pizza place but they need a $15 order for delivery and they're short. I packed out a salad for tonight but it's not enough calories or protein. I order a small fry and a root beer and I mix up some bean dip from my dehydrated food stash and break out the lime tortilla chips. Thumper arrives along with Rx and I share my food with them. The 501 has a caretaker also. Borderline is his name. He lives in a little house next to the shelter. Because it's so close to the road, people who are not backpacking sometimes try to abuse it. It's for Backpackers only. No alcohol and other rules are explained to us and we agree to report the invasion of anyone not a backpacker should that occur. Then Borderline puts a power strip out on his front porch for anyone to charge their phones. Very kind. River makes it to the shelter just before dark grabbing the last bunk, and we all agree that was one tough day! It's lights out and once again I have restless legs keeping me up. I leave the shelter and walk to the privy and back. I crawl back into my bunk and practice breathing, deep belly breaths trying to relax. Eventually I'll fall asleep. Fully enclosed the shelter feels more comfortable.