Date: 2003-07-23
From: Peters Mountain Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: light rain

When I asked Cruiser last night what time they usually get going, she casually replied..."oh, as long as we're out of camp by 7:00..." I immediately informed her that I may just be meeting up with them at the end of the day...after all, I need my beauty sleep! I must have gotten that time stuck in my head, however, because my bladder woke me bright and early at 5:30. I couldn't get back to sleep and I was really thirsty (and out of water), so I headed down to the spring. Many people had written of the journey to the spring...it was located in Argentina, the walk down and back up resembled a stairmaster workout, it took at least an hour round trip. With trepidation (and still muzzy-headed with sleep) I approached the trail leading to it. I must say...the rockwork to create the stairway down was really quite nice, but it was at least halfway down the mountain to the spring. I got my water and huffed and puffed my way back up. I felt quite warmed up for my day's hike! !We were going to meet up with VSA and Dude somewhere along the way to the next shelter. We met Grandmother Turtle and Grandmother Bear, who were staying in the shelter last night, as well as a couple of section hikers. Burger had also stayed the night...he has changed his hiking plans to average 15 miles per day (similar to the Booyah Brigade's plan). He said he'd been doing all these back to back 20+ mile days, and he just wasn't enjoying hiking anymore. He had hitched into a town, spoken with his family and come up with his new plan before heading back out onto the Trail. He was feeling rather rejuvenated and excited about hiking again. The other people who were at the shelter last night were a group of (we believe) Mennonite men (the women slept in a separate shelter) who were out hiking for a week. We had heard them singing when we got in last night, and they were using glow sticks for lights. This morning, they chopped wood for a fire, and did all their cooking! over it. We set out at about 8:30...our first few miles went slooooowwwly. We took a nice break at a spring, then set out again, with 11 miles to go. Just 4/10 of a mile later, we found VSA and Dude. They had gotten a ride to the road and were waiting for us. They told us that Snot Rocket was okay...when the paramedics met them on the Trail, he was close to going into shock. They put an oxygen mask on him and brought him to the hospital, where they gave him much medication for his reaction to the sting. They gave him all sorts of drugs to take with him, including an epi-pen, in case it happens again. I'm just so happy to hear that he's better and was starting back on the Trail today. While we were standing there talking, Rif Raf got dropped off. They were doing a 17 mile slack back into Duncannon...have I mentioned that Duncannon is not only a great Trail town, but it's really hard to leave? We all wished each other good hiking and set out in our respective directions. We had a 1000 foot elevation gain ahead of us, but it wasn't a difficult climb. The rocks were a bit nasty, but again, not too bad. We took a lunch break by a stream and sat around talking till we realized we really needed to get hiking (okay we already knew that, but sometimes it's much nicer to break than hike!). We had been threatened with thunder and drizzle for most of the afternoon, but nothing serious had occurred yet. I ended up getting ahead of the Brigade when they stopped for another break. I felt that if I stopped, I wouldn't be able to start again...my feet were killing me today. Wet socks and boots, plus I was experimenting with the addition of gel inse!rts...I could feel blisters developing everywhere...or at least it felt like everywhere. I arrived at the shelter, got my food bag out and went to set up my tent. I knew the shelter was going to be crowded, and I wanted to be able to sleep tonight. As soon as I laid out my ground cloth it started to rain. I put up my tent as quickly as I could, but it was POURING. I got drenched, and the floor of my tent was wet.... I left it and went back to the shelter to cook dinner. I made mashed potatoes with salmon...a good chilly, rainy weather dish...and a big cup of hot chocolate. I read the register while drowned-rat-hikers continued to arrive. We discovered that the back of the shelter leaked quite badly when it was pouring out. I think I'm glad that I'm sleeping in my tent! I finished eating and went to my tent...set up inside, then hit the privy. When I went back by the shelter, there were 8 or 9 people sardined in...not the best capacity for sleeping! I went !to tent, too tired to finish writing this day's journal...(completed 7/24 a.m.)