Date: 2009-06-17
From: Connecticut

To: Connecticut
Miles today: 0.0

Well, folks...it's Wednesday. And I'm back It's all very surreal and I'm not entirely sure I will have a true dawning moment so much as just slip back into society as if nothing has happened. My cousin, Katie, brought me back to the trail Sunday morning. Originally I had been planning on staying at The Doyle, one of the original Anheuser-Busch hotels that is still running, in Duncannon, PA. However, by this point I was set on finishing up STAT so I opted to just stop in to check it out, grab some dinner there, then head back out into the woods. My day Saturday was long, so due to some minor day-end delirium (fairly standard) it turns out I actually hadn't hiked as far as I thought. As a result on Sunday I had an extra mile and change to put in in addition to the long day I was already planning. I got to The Doyle around 3ish and bellied up to the bar for a square-fish sandwich and Sprite. Was super tempted to indulge in some $2.75--22oz. beers but had a hunch that if I ventured down that road I would inevitably end up in a room for the night afterall. I headed out by 4 with 11 miles to go. Aaargh. Not carrying a tent left me with few options but to crank it out to make it to the shelter. Along the way I saw two different mama-turkeys with a slew of babies (what do you even call a baby turkey...turklet?) It was neat... they first attempt to freeze so as not to be seen, but once mama knows she's been sighted she takes off in the opposite direction, squawking and flapping and making a fuss as a diversion so her "turklets" might have a better chance to survive. By the end of the day at 8pm I had 30+ miles and my body was kinda pissed off about it. You'd think that long days would make me sleep well but they actually have the opposite effect. A fistful of ibuprofen and a couple sleeping pills work wonders. Monday I woke up to the concept of two more days, only 17 miles each. Glorious... That day went fairly quickly. Caught some sweet trail magic-- soda, gatorade, fruit rollups and animal crackers revived me. Does anyone get too old for animal crackers? Am I the only one who still looks at what animal it is before I eat it? Hippopotamus, by far the best... I ended up at Rausch Gap shelter which is actually set into the hillside a bit. Semi-subterranean, very cool... Due to discomfort or excitement or both, I didn't sleep much and was up and out at a decent time. Last day. I knew it'd either drag on or go by quick, and I hoped for the latter. Hit two more coolers of trail magic that morning. You know you are a trail-brat when trail magic starts to become a chore. "Ugh, ANOTHER soda? Ok, fiiiine..." Happily, the day was going by with speed. I only listened to music three times while I hiked over the course of both stints on trail, but oddly, I found myself wanting my Ipod in my last few miles. I can only imagine how many people heard be belting it out in the home stretch. Stevie Wonder and a little "Boogie on Reggae Woman" escorted me into home-base at the 501 Shelter. So there I was. Back at the 501. Certainly not Katahdin. Maybe that's why I didn't gush with emotion. Maybe my heart is slightly faulty. No dance of joy, no tears or cheers. I went to the shelter, ordered some low-quality eggplant parm and spaghetti (one of the perks of a shelter being roadside--delivery!), and waited for my fella to come get me. To be honest, I don't feel any differently. I am VERY happy to be with Eric, more than I can say... but in terms of some great sense of accomplishment or culmination...nothing. I think I'm broken. I'm not gonna get all sentimental, just not feeling it.   So, just a thank you to yall The End.