Date: 2005-06-15
From: Fayetteville, PA

To: Campsite above Pinegrove Furnace
Miles today: 22.8

Today was one of my best days on the trail. It didn't start out so well cuz I talked with Brad and I miss him and the dogs so much....But after the call I stepped out of the room and into Spring! The cool breeze was the first divine suprise. We got on the trail with the half way point on our minds. The terrain was very, very nice. S.PA is proving to be a pretty part of the country once ya get away from the crazy highways. We wandered down country roads and thru fields,crossed clear streams and tip toed over some rocks. About 8 miles in to the day...we came across stupendous trail magic. Yahoo!! These folks had set up a barbeque and had fresh fruit, soda and cookies. They even had a bin with free socks, water filters etc. Wow, I can not get over the generosity that abounds on this hike. If you are ever feeling cynical about this country take a long hike. It will reinforce what a fantastic place the US can be. If we could harness all this gracious giving.... I was feeling kinda stuffed and the climb soon made me want to lie under a leafy, shady tree and take a nap but I kept moving. The shelters in PA are the best so far. Most of them actually have 2.. 1 for snorers and one for the "normal" people.. One even had flower baskets hanging...really pretty. Anyhow, we got to Tom run shelter took a break and did the 3.7 miles to Pine Grove. For you guys who don't know, there is a hiker tradition here and that is to eat a half gallon of ice cream to celebrate hiking to the half way point. When we got in Spicy and Pieps had just finished theirs with others still going at it. I was still pretty stuffed from the magic so just had a sandwich and settled in to watch DA try it. He started out gamely but about half way thru began getting a little green around the gills. I grimaced in understanding. Ugh! He then got up and sorta wandered around holding his stomach. By this time everyone else had that zoned out look of an ice cream coma. I watched on in amused dismay. DA kept plugging away at it. I must say the whole thing was getting kinda funny! One guy finished and went to sit on a bench and happened to glance up at the ice cream sign and actually turned white. He had to move out of it's line of vision. DA finished and we hiked out about 2 hrs later. We walked thru the rest of the park. I was enjoying it but DA just struggled on, holding his stomach. Poor guy!I went up a rise and there it was.. an old scarred wooden sign stating that in 1 direction 1087.5 back to Springer Ga and 1087.5 to Katahdin Maine. I grazed my fingers along its' worn and ragged edges. It is hard to put into the words all the emotions that surface while doing a long hike. They can be overwhelming . Sometimes 30 minutes can seem like a lifetime. I couldn't help but look behind me and think about all I have been thru as I rambled the first 1000 miles and all that is still to come. What an experience it has been so far. It still grabs at my heart and has settles into my bones...and yet, I simply can't wait for the plane to land in Fairbanks and I can race thru the airport..jump in that old beat up truck and say a long awaited hello to lulu, vegas and that green eyed man... hurry, hurry.....------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com