Date: 2013-09-06
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Free State Hiker Hostel on MD 17
Miles today: 19.0

Hey everyone! I have to apologize for the last month of no journal entries, I have no excuse but my laziness. I will do my best to sum up the past few states and highlight my favorite moments, though I have to say the last 400 miles are a bit of a blur.My last two days in Massachusetts were pretty tame but the climb out of Great Barrington was no joke when I was running from a thunderstorm the whole way. There are two shelters 0.1 miles apart from each other about 10 miles before the CT boarder. I stayed at the second one and inside was a note that read "Shortest day on the AT challenge: Hike from this shelter north to the next shelter." Now that sounds like my kind of challenge!The next day me and Globs dropped Dave off at a campsite just 0.2 north of the MA/CT border and continued on, over Bear Mountain, and to the second shelter into Connecticut. Dave started the Connecticut Challenge that night at midnight where you hike through all of Connecticut (51.5 miles) in less than 24 hours. So pretty much the opposite of the "Shortest Day on the AT Challenge." Needless to say he was successful, and finished it with about 3 hours to spare. Atta boy!I did Connecticut in 2 days, the first being through a torrential downpour that lasted all day, and the second trying to beat the Post Office hours in Kent to get my new shoes! I managed to do 17.5 miles before noon into town, pick up my shoes, get food and a resupply, and hike 8 more miles by dark, making it my longest day on the trail yet. I was quite proud of myself. I met 3 other SoBo's in Connecticut, Yeah-Ya, Freyer, and Smash. All cool guys from Boston College. These three and Globe are somewhere ahead of me now, probably in norther VA. I went back into Kent the next morning, making two miraculous hitches to get there, before 8:30 to take a shower at the Inn where Dave was recuperating from the Challenge. We found out that there was a free place to camp in town so we decided to do laundry and take the day off, a NERO for me. The next morning Dave wasn't feeling well and it was crazy hot out so we decided to stay another day and not push it. We had great timing, too! We were sitting on a bench pounding back Powerade (there was a special at the gas station, buy 2 get 3 free... OKAY!) when Stinky Jesus, Spits, and Smithy popped out of a minivan. We all had a relaxing day in town and hung out with a couple of fun NoBo's whose names escape me as of now except for Jungle Jym (who turns into Stumble Jym after a few beers).The next day we got a ride back to the trail and hiked a short day, only about 10 or so miles, to the Telephone Shelter in NY. The next day we were planning on hiking to the RPH shelter where you can order pizza and beer but we got to a shelter for a snack break and I got really dizzy, almost passed out, and threw up for about an hour. So we decided to stay. And wouldn't you know it, but Pivot Man showed up (but headed on to RPH), as well as Nectar, Solstice, Night Walker, Houston, Spits, Stinky Jesus, and Smithy to celebrate Spits' birthday. I wish I had been more up to a party and the super tasty Kaluah Mudslide they were drinking.The rest of New York is rather a blur as well as most of New Jersey. I had some days when I just didn't want to hike any more and some days when I was as happy as I could be. Dave and I stopped by at a friend's house in New Jersey: Ed whom we had met in the 100-mile Wilderness. We stayed at his house for two nights and he slacked us about 16 miles. It was so good to catch up with him again and see the Ed Roll Castle. Thanks for everything, Ed!My mom filled you all in on the slack packing out of my uncle Mark's house in northern PA and our zero day in Dorney Park. Turns out that when you ride too many roller coasters after having moved at about 3 miles per hour for the previous 3 months you get really dizzy and don't feel great. It was really nice to be able to shower every day and sleep in a bed for a few nights to recharge while we were there. Not to mention slack pack over some tough rock sections.Pennsylvania has been incredibly rocky, but I think the NoBo's were talking it up a bit. We were also told that they were going to thin out around Duncannon/Boiling Springs but I am in Maryland now and I can honestly say that they HAVE NOT thinned out. Not that I'm bitter or unhappy at all about it When we got to Pine Grove State Park we checked out the AT Museum and I found Tinkerbell's photo from Harper's Ferry! There was also a news crew there from Reading, PA who interviewed us. The interview didn't make it on the news but a shot of us walking away did. How fitting, I'm walking on TV. Later that day we crossed the halfway point and I had a celebratory pee on the invisible line. It is crazy to think that this adventure is already half way over but I still have to walk for 3 more months. It really is the definition of bittersweet.Dave's brother Jim came to pick him up at Caledonia State Park yesterday for a family vacation this weekend so I am flying solo for a while. It feels good to be out on my own but I miss my hiking buddy!I will be in Harper's Ferry on Sunday and will celebrate my 100th day on the trail there! I also plan on starting to keep a journal again so stay tuned!