Date: 2003-06-13
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 19.4

Today I passed the 1100 mile mark. Up at 6:30 am, had breakfast (1/3 box of granola, 2 c milk, 3 heaping Tbsp of brown sugar), and started hiking at 7:40 in overcast skies (it rained last night) and a very humid temperature of 72 degrees. I passed the old AT halfway sign for 1069 miles to GA or to ME. Note that the Trail is now 34.6 miles longer and the midpoint is 1.2 miles earlier than when the sign was put up by "Woodchuck 85". The length and midpoint of the AT changes each year due to relocations. I hiked on, reaching the Tag Run Shelter at approximately 11:00 where I had an early lunch of 3 fajita shells with 2T of peanut butter on each. I call it my "peanut butter burrito" after it is rolled up. While eating, I noted in the Hiker's Guide that in 2 miles when the AT crosses PA34, there is a store 0.2 miles away that has a deli. When I hiked on, I stopped there. I got additional lunch food including a large turkey and cheese sub, a 20 oz Pepsi, and a pint of butter pecan ice cream. "Deja Vu" and "Songbird" watched my backpack while I ordered the food and purchased the short-term supplies I was going to get in Boiling Springs. This means I will not have to stop and shop in Boiling Springs. I also bought a ham and cheese sub to go for part of my dinner. I hiked on to the Alex Kennedy Shelter, arriving there at 4:30, got water, ate my ham and cheese sub (it was good), and decided to hike another 3.9 miles into Boiling Springs and try to find a place to stay overnight. So I left Damp Dan, Deja Vu, Songbird, Trail Frog, and Bear Hugger at the shelter and started hiking, at which time it started to rain. It rained, sometimes hard, most of the way in but had pretty much quit when I arrived. I went to the ATC center there to get info on accomodations - they only listed 2 B&Bs. I walked to them. No one was home at one. At the other one the owner said he was just about to go out. He said his rates were $60 during the week and $75 for weekend (Fri is a weekend day). I told him I was a thru-hiker and he said I could pitch my tent in his backyard for a $1 donation. That is where I am right now on a beautiful lawn near his back fence (his condition). Before I set up, I went to the local gas station convenience store and bought a liter of Pepsi and next door to the ice cream store and purchased a pint of black raspberry ice cream. We talked about thru-hiking and all the rain we have had. I commented that all the rain must be tough on the ice cream business also. As it turns out, they (a young couple) had just bought the ice cream shop Monday of this week, just 5 days ago. They were very nice. They gave me the leftover piece of broccoli quiche and salad they had left from dinner and also the daily paper to read. I wish them luck in their new venture. I walked back and set up the tent. A nice thing about a tent in the cold weather is that it is warmer inside than it is outside. In the warm weather that feature is not so nice. Right now it is 72 degrees outside and hopefully the outside and the inside will cool off some more tonight. I can feel a little breeze right now. That should help.