Date: 2006-11-01
From: 1 mile N of Hertlein Campsite, Pa

To: 3.5 miles N of Rausch Gap Shelter, Pa
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: few clouds

It was nice to finally get a good, long night's sleep. I turned my headlamp off at about 7:30pm when I finished journaling and didn't wake up until 5:30am.It did rain lightly last night, but my tent was dry this morning.I ate a small pack of mini donuts and had two pieces of Jolt Caffeine Gum for breakfast.I heard Yolanda getting ready, so I hurried up and got packed. I was surprised when we started walking...I looked at my watch and it was only 6:35am.I had forgotten that it's getting light earlier right now, but it's getting dark shortly after 5pm.We had plans of meeting up with Amoeba at 10am at Rt 501 and that's all we had on our minds. It was 6.7 miles of rocks to Rt 501.I had gotten ahead of Yolanda, so when I got to Hertlein Campsite, I sat down and waited.There was a register there and I saw that Superstar had been there two days ago. I signed the register and Yolanda and I walked on.We kept walking over rocks and eventually passed by Shower's Steps.On the south side of the steps, about 100 feet or so was a marker that I had never noticed before that was dated 1934 and honored a judge.We kept walking and as we got closer to Rt 501, I saw Amoeba walking north. I got a picture of her just before she got to us, then I got a nice hug. It's been too long since I've had an Amoeba hug. :-)))My right heel was hurting again by the time we got to Rt 501...dang Pa rocks!! :-)))While we were talking to Amoeba, I was showing her the proper form of a champion leaf catcher. She didn't let on, but I think she was impressed with my form. :-)))Amoeba said she could slack us today which sounded great, but all we had on our minds was getting some coffee and something good to eat.Amoeba drove us to Red Lion Cafe. I was hoping for some broasted chicken, but it was still too early, so we all had breakfast. The waitress even set a carafe of coffee on the table. I like her. :-)))We talked more about slacking. I was worried I was going to take too long because of having to walk at a slower pace, but Amoeba said she had all day.We went back to the trailhead after we stopped at a grocery store so I could buy more donuts for the next two days. In yesterday's journal I bragged about never having any trouble with leaving a food stash on the ground, wrapped in a trash bag and covered with leaves....well, a dang chipmonk got into my donuts...the little bugger. There goes my record. :-)))We packed Amoeba's day pack and Yolanda got to carry it, since I'm an injured hiker. Ha!!!I packed my headlamp because I still wasn't sure how long it would take to slack the 11.5 miles to Swatara Gap.We started walking at 11:30am and it wasn't too rocky, so we were making good time.We walked by Rt 645, then William Penn Shelter without stopping.There were several areas where the rocks got bad, but I was still making much better time than I thought I would.I was walking along, watching the rocks when Yolanda told me there were two deer up ahead. I looked up just in time to see them running off.This was the same area where I saw the largest bear I've ever seen on the Trail. It was about a 500 pounder that I saw back in '02 when I was walking north on the Trail. That bear was walking south on the Trail.We also saw quite a few pileated woodpeckers and some grouse today.We walked down a thousand feet off the ridge and when we turned the corner and could see up the road, I saw two backpackers up ahead about 1/4 mile.I could tell the one was Superstar, but I didn't know the other.They stopped at the old iron bridge at Swatara Gap and was talking to Amoeba who was waiting on us.Turns out the other hiker was BP who I hadn't met before.We all got some photos and talked for a while. Amoeba gave them some sodas, then they walked on. They were trying to make it to Rausch Gap Shelter tonight, another 6 miles.Amoeba took Yolanda and I up to a pizza place and we ate our second restaurant meal of the day. :-)))I sent in my journal, then Amoeba took us back to the trailhead and dropped us off.Thanks Amoeba!!! You are a real Trail Angel and a very good friend...loved the hugs too :-)))Yolanda and I walked on and in about 1 1/2 miles, we came to our second stash of food.We really didn't need all that food because we hadn't planned on having Amoeba come out and take us to two restaurants, but I'd rather go to a restaurant any day than have to eat trail food. :-)))We carried our way too heavy packs about another mile. We found some nice flat spots for the tents in some woods just past a field.While we were setting up, a bow hunter stopped by. He saw our headlamps and thought we were deer hunters who were field dressing a deer.He said we'd probably hear him walking by about 4am because he was hunting this area again tomorrow, then he left.I finished setting up and crawled into my tent for the night.This was a great day...special thanks to Amoeba for helping out so much. It was really a nice break to not have to carry my heavy pack most of the day.It was also a good leaf catching day....9 leaves today, so now I'm up to 136 total.