Date: 2013-11-10
To: Shakedown Hike 3 Of 3
Miles today: 0.0

Each year The Wilmington Trail Club sponsors "The Hike Across Delaware". If you can walk fourteen miles you can hike the width of Delaware. I was contemplating that thought on Friday November 1st at 05:30 AM in the morning, as my hike leader and myself were heading toward our destination in North Central Pa. to a Trailhead called The Quehanna Trail. The vastness of the state of Pennsylvania is such that it took us four and one half hours by car. To walk across Pa. would probally take months. We met up with two other hikers at 10:AM and left their car at the thirty mile mark. We left a four day food supply in their vehicle to be picked up three days later as we hiked passed this spot. We then drove to to the starting point of The Quehanna Trailhead at Parker Dam State Park. The trail we were about to hike is officially documented as a 73 mile circle hike.We started hiking about 11:30 AM and our first day netted us about ten miles of hiking before we set up for the night. If I didn't already have a trail name you could call me "Gets Lost". Upon rising Saturday morning I went to retrieve the bear bag that I put in a tree and couldn't find my way back to camp until I called out my hike leaders name for vocal directions. About an hour later it happened again when I left to answer natures call. Our campsite was well camouflanged and all the terrain looked the same. I took my compass out of my pack and kept it with me for the rest of the trip so that I wouldn't get lost again.From the second day on, we averaged about twelve to fourteen miles per day. On our second day out we experienced the most amazing Trail Magic. The trail went right by this cabin, and as we were approaching the cabin a family of vacationers came out to see if they could offer us any water. We said yes and then they offered us candy of all sorts and hot piping coffee and then meatballs. They had a roaring fire close by and they invited us to warm ourselves. It was a little chilly that day and the fire and the hot coffee were just what was needed. Their hospitality continued, and they said we could use their heated outhouse and burn our trash, and they also said we could stay for dinner, which we had to decline. The Trail Magic was overwhelming. They were so proud of their little girl who was number one in her class and a straight A student. They were a very loving, happy family and we talked about them and thought of them for hours afterward. Trail Magic Family, if you are reading this you know who you are. We thank you so much for the loving kindness you showed us that day. I remembered as I was walking along to set my watch back this day so I would go off of Daylight Savings Time.When we approached the thirty mile point and the location of the second car, we picked up our next four days food supply and said goodbye to the other two hikers who only signed up for three days. (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) I missed them and was sad to see them drive away. On one of the later nights, late at night, I was startled awake by an animal running into my tent. Paul called over to me to see if I was OK. I told him something ran into my tent and woke me up. In the morning I inspected the tent and did not find any damage. It didn't make sense. It was suggested to me that I may have had a nightmare and startled myself awake. It's possible I thought, but if it was a nightmare I was probally dreaming I was back on shift work.Our goal was to complete the hike about November 7th Thursday around noon, but on Wednesday the day before about 3PM an unexpected accident occured while crossing an eight foot creek bed that required us to end the hike and take the short cut to our vehicle at Parker Dam State Park. We were within six miles of completing our hike. But in the interest of safety, under the circumstances, staying out the final night was not a good idea.We experienced weather down to 19 degrees, rain, wind, snow flurries, and ice. We had a few days in the sixties. It was definitely a lonely, isolated trail. We did not see one hiker on the whole six day trip. The hunters were out and we had on our orange. It was turkey season, and bow for deer.My hike leader Paul was amazing, a real outdoorsy kind of guy that loves nature and I do believe he could have left his food at home and done this hike living off the land. I called him The Survivor Man. The stats for this hike according to my GPS are as follows: miles hiked 73.5, while hiking we moved at an average speed of 2.4 MPH, total elevation gain was 8700 feet, and our maximun elevation was 2412 feet. My pack weighed between 28 to 33 pounds for the trip depending on how much water or food I was carrying. I can't account for the discrepancies between the official map mileage of about 68 miles and what my GPS says. I do know parts of the trail were rerouted and a couple of times we had to backtrack to find the blazes. We were out five nights and six days. The biggest animals we saw were deer; no snakes, no bears. This hike broke my personal record for long distance hiking.I tested my gear and my resolve. I felt better the more I hiked. I started to feel the change in my legs like I could hike all the miles I wanted to. The days were short, so hiking miles in daylight was limited.I ate well again on this hike but still lost seven pounds. I started to see the outlines of my old six pack abs and showed my wife, but told her not to get to excited because they would be gone by the end of the week.This was the last of my long distance hikes before I start the AT on March 1st 2014. Next up and probally the last backpacking trip for me is with my son-in-law in North Carolina. I will test out all my cold weather gear on this trip and make adjustments as necessary.I am very excited that the day is getting close for me to start the greatest hike of my life. I am looking forward to meeting all of the Class of 2014 Appalachian Trail Hikers in just a few months. I wish all of us good luck.Happy trails,