Date: 2009-10-05
From: Pine Grove, Pennsylvania

To: Waynesboro, Maryland
Miles today: 129.2

Hello, dear friends:We are half way home! We crossed the official half way point (1,089 miles) two days ago. It's mind boggling that we have come so far. I feel exactly like I was told I would feel by some northbounders in Maine: you get to the half way point and think "I've come half wayyyyyy! Woooooo! What?!?! I've walked this far and I'm ONLY half way?"We are alive and well with family friend's cousins (now our friends) in Waynesboro, MD. They picked us up at the Pen Mar State Park on the border of PA and MD-- get it, Pen-Mar. We took a short day today of 15 miles and are now showered, fed, and warm. We are super duper excited to have crossed the Mason Dixon line this afternoon since that means we are officially in the SOUTH. We were singing "I wish I were in Dixie" all afternoon and believe it or not, were greeted with a loud band and tons of people on the border. Well, it wasn't exactly for us... apparently every Sunday of the summer Pen Mar has folk concerts and lots of old people dancing and picnicking... but we pretended it was for us anyway and danced our way over the state line. We hung out at the park and watched the said old people dance while we waited for Niccole to pick us up.Tomorrow we will head back out and will be in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia in two days. This is the symbolic half way city that is home to the ATC headquarters. You go to the office and they take your picture and enter you into the data book for that year. Then, when you finish (God willing) you send off for your 2,000 miler certificate. We are excited to get this famous locale and I am especially excited that we only have to carry 2 days worth of food-- this is a real treat since we're used to hauling 5-7 days worth of grub at a time.Until next time, faithful adventure followers.Anya aka Smokin' LoonBelow is Josh's journal update of the past week.9/26: we wound up zero-ing at the Comfort Inn. It was a great hiker rate at 60.00 for the night and since we were sharing the room with Hungry Creepster and Someday we spent as much as we would at the Doyle for a nicer room and a private bathroom, not to mention an all you can eat continental breakfast with a waffle maker.. yum.. Bear walker came out that afternoon and took us to an AYCE (All you can eat buffet) it was pennsylvania style equiped with chicken and gravy over waffles and pickled eggs, and lots of pie... it was good, and our most restful zero yet as we spent most of the day in bed at the hotel room resting our feet.9/27: Hiked 14 miles and camped near PA 340 with Hungry Creepster and Someday.9/28: 22 mile day to Peter Mtn. Shelter. nice shelter. will be in Duncannon tommorow. Anyas feet were sore this morning but she felt better as the day went on and hiked thru it. The trail was pretty flat and less rocky feeling than northern P.A. Zues was in the shelter with a section hiker named Christian.9/29: Hiked into Duncannon, had lunch at the Doyle: good burgers, beer and a greek salad, then we hiked to the first shelter outside of Duncannon. 15 mile day. A Guy named Todd was at the shelter and it looked like he had been living at the shelter for a while. We slept there and I kept my eye on Todd. We left early at 6 am, Todd had showed us porcupine quills that he had collected, the shelter had a porcupine that was known to eat the wood of the floor boards on a regular occasion.9/30: 22 mile day to get to Boiling Springs. Staying at a resort/playhouse called AllenBerry with a great hiker rate 25 for the room. we get our own shower and a nice room. Anya and I both got stung today while hiking through the cornfields and woods on the ankle. Both stung on our right ankle by a yellow jacket. Its my 6th sting of the trip, all by yellow jackets: they seem to have it out for me. The 22 miles thru cornfields and forest was hard on our feet although it was very flat and we made good time averaging about 2.5 mph. Anyas feet hurt. We had alot of food at the buffets at the resort and stuffed ourselves for dinner as we got to the buffet only a half hour before it closed. We watched movies in bed and rested.10/1: Did laundry ate a big breakfast buffet and ressuplied in town today. rested half the day as Anyas feet hurt and were bothering her after our big miles yesterday. We only hiked 4 miles today to the shelter outside boiling springs, had the shelter to ourselves and recouped with a nero day.10/2: Hiked 20 miles by 5:30pm. Called it a day at Toms run shelter. We made good time for us, 20 miles in 9 1/2 hours including lunch and snacks. Anyas feet were o.k. with the mileage today. Yay! if we can average 20's we will be doing great. Ron and Kim are a day ahead of us as is the rest of the southbound group we were in before we took our zero day. Hungry Creepster and Someday are a day behind us. Much flatter in this area, ANya and I are in a small shelter and we have it all to ourselves. Its raining tonight and we are glad to be under a roof. We got in just in time and managed to stay dry.10/3: Although rain was predicted today it rained out the night before and we had a beautiful day, blue clear skies. Nice and flat hiking mostly today, Saw a great shelter, Quarry Gap Shelter and spent an hour hanging out there, then we hiked to Caledonia state park and on 3.5 miles more to rest at Rocky Mtn shelter which was 19 miles for us today. A hunter tromped by us in full camo gear with a compound bow (today is the first day of deer hunting season) He looked like he was going to war. We called Handy man and will stay with him when we get to Harpers Ferry. Feeling good:-).10/4: We hiked 15 miles and crossed the Mason-Dixon Line today. We are in Maryland!!! another state down and spending the night in Waynesboro... Onward towards Harpers ferry tommorow.-Mtn. Yogi