Date: 2003-06-10
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: broken clouds

I slept okay last night. The bed at the hostel wasn't the most comfortable, but I managed to get some good hours of sleep in anyway. I thought I might sleep in this morning, but I got up around 7am. My bunkmate, Sarah, woke up around the same time as I did. I didn't feel like I needed to rush today, "only" planning 15 miles today. Of course, some of us were planning on going to a store and deli for lunch today, so I wanted to make sure I had time for that. I had orange juice as part of my breakfast, and it was SO good! I miss orange juice. Not that I used to drink much before this trip, but since being on the trail, OJ has been something I crave.It was over 8 miles to PA34, the road the store was on, and Hotdog, B-Roc, Paparazzi and I were all planning on having a sandwich for lunch there. Before getting out of the State Park, we passed a lake, with a beach, and Paparazzi decided to stay for a bit. The rest of us headed north on the AT, with me being the lead dog.Within 2 miles we came to the Midpoint Marker, which was built by 1985 thruhiker "Woodchuck". Since the trail mileages change every year, it is not at the exact midpoint, and the mileages to Katahdin and to Springer are incorrect, but it was cool to see it. I think I was happier about seeing the marker than crossing the actual midpoint yesterday. After today, it will take about 70 more miles before the "miles remaining" number is down to triple digit. I can't wait for that!We kept on truckin', with lunch on our minds. Around 11:30am, we stopped for a break, as we'd been hiking over 2 hours already. I didn't know exactly how far we'd come, but knew that once we got to the trail to Tagg Run Shelter, we were 1.4mi from the road. I was pleasantly surprised when, 15 minutes after the break, we passed that trail. Yippee! Lunch was coming up soon! The trail followed an old railroad bed for most of that distance, making the hiking pretty easy, and strangely, along a straight path. That doesn't happen too often.At PA34, we checked our books to see which way to go, and headed east 0.2mi to Green Mountain General Store. Before we got there, a minivan pulled off the road in front of us and a lady go out. "I saw you come out of the woods and wondered if you needed help or directions." What a nice lady to stop and ask! We told her our destination and she confirmed our direction. I thanked her for stopping, and realized, as she turned around and pulled away, that she had already passed us and CAME BACK to see if we needed help. Just awesome for her to do that!I ordered a turkey sub at the store, and bought a soda and some chips to go along with it. That sub was go-o-od! Paparazzi had caught up with us at the store and the four of us sat at a picnic table outside eating lunch. The weather had been sunny, but not too hot under the canopy of trees, but there were some clouds overhead during lunch, and I feared rain would fall once again, rendering my dry feet to their usual-of-late wet state.The rain never came, and actually, the sky cleared up as the afternoon wore on. It made some of our climbs today hot ones, as the temps were likely in the 70s. On the one of the climbs, near the top of the mountain, the trail went up through huge boulders. Then down through them. Between them. Around them. It was like a maze. It appeared numerous times that a more direct route, even if it had to go over those rocks, was possible without the zigging and zagging we did. Also, to clearly mark the route, there were blazes and arrows painted on the rocks, making them less aesthetically pleasing. I decided I cannot complain about the trail, as I have not done trail work. I will mentally note what I like and don't like, and when I do trail work, I'll recall those notes and do my best to make the trail better. I understand the weather has been quite extraordinary this year, and the trail havoc created by it has been great. However, the decision to lose hikers in the Gian! t Rock Maze is a bit baffling.Today, several groups of young kids, teenagers, passed me, going southbound. I don't know what kind of group they were, but I love to see them out here. When I ask if they're having a good time, I always get positive responses. I think some of the groups are from "boot camps" and some are disadvantaged youths from cities, getting a taste of wilderness. Either way, it serves to plant a seed in their minds, and hopefully, make them more aware, and careful, of their natural environment.Mule was at the shelter when the four of us arrived. No one else has come since. He and Paparazzi are considering hiking 29.6 miles to Duncannon tomorrow, but I think the 18+ to the next shelter will be plenty for me. Especially after a stop in Boiling Springs for breakfast.I have had "real" food at least once a day for 4 days in a row, and with tomorrow's breakfast in Boiling Springs, and a stay at the Doyle in Duncannon the night after, the streak will go to 6 days in a row. Yikes! I gotta stop doing that! I think, after Duncannon, there aren't as many places to get food close to the trail for a while. I hope not anyway. If there are, I'm gonna have to shore up my "just say 'no'" attitude, and avoid the real food. Maybe every 4 or 5 days would be okay though.In the shelter register, on May 16th, Subman wrote a long entry. He stated that he'd been thinking about Ted/Soleman that day and he wrote a little about what happened. I was thinking about Ted today too. I often wonder how he'd handle a certain situation on the trail, or how much he'd lighten up the mood in shelters with his neverending jokes and jabs. I know he's with me in spirit, but sometimes I wish he were physically here. Ted, you are loved.