Date: 2007-07-09
From: Quarry Gap Shelters

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: clear sky

July 9, Livin' on a PrayerOhhh, we're halfway there. Ohhh, we're livin' on a prayer. Take my hand, we'll make it, I swear. That's right, I have officially hiked half of the Appalachian Trail. Wahoo!The hike today started at 7:45 a.m. It was pretty easy and enjoyable. Our first break was at a cabin off of the trail around 10 a.m. Next break was a couple of miles later for water. Lots of breaks today - on such a hot day. It was definitely the hottest day on the trail so far. At the last break we took, I stopped in a creek to cool off. Thankfully, there were no big climbs today so the exertion was as minimal as you can get out here. The trail was nice - some rocks but nothing major. The trail crossed several roads but other than that, there really is not a ton to speak of. I am enjoying PA so far - lots of pine needles carpeting the trail peppered with a normal amount of rocks. The climbs have been short and there's been quite a bit of flat-ish - yippee! We found out about halfway through the day that the budget in Pennsylvania had not been passed so the state parks would indeed be closed. For us, that meant no Half Gallon Challenge. It was a downer for sure. This is one for the history books.We managed to carry on with our day despite the bad news and we got to the halfway point of the trail around 6 p.m. Melk shrieked in excitement as we neared it. We gave each other a high five and started belting out "Livin' on a Prayer". Team Average congregated around the midpoint for photos and then proceeded on to Pine Grove Furnace State Park.Once we arrived, Boognish and Tuna Bag called us over to tell us there was still a glimmer of hope to be had for the ice cream. Apparently, the guy who runs the store came back intermittently during the day to sell black market ice cream. So, now we wait for him. Not sure if he will arrive....He never came which, I am almost ashamed to admit, was okay with me. Boognish had gotten sick during his attempt and I just didn't feel like I had it in me today - too soon after getting sick in Harpers Ferry. There's a chance it could happen tomorrow though.So, now were are stealthily camped at the state park even though it's "shut down". I find this all so interesting. I've always known that big things like this affect day-to-day life but it's amazing to me how this had affected thru-hikers. Funny.I am so excited to get a good night of sleep in my tent. Glad to be on this half of the trail. I can't believe all of my little steps have amounted to over 1,087 miles. - Sound of Keymaster and others talking, crickets. Post Trail Thoughts:I vaguely remember a large group hiking near each other that day - Keymaster, Tuna Bag, and maybe Grizzle and Co. Keymaster ended up camping near us as she could not find Grizzle and Co. She slept on a picnic table that night.A large portion of this day is already a blur to me but I do remember hiking through some very neat game areas, seeing snakes, and being very hot. We stopped a bunch for water that day. At the last shelter we stopped at, I did all but climb into the water to cool down. At that stop, I believe, is where I met Bum Bum and Bee. Bum Bum sang songs from "Beauty and the Beast" and we all thought he was a riot.It felt so exciting to have made it halfway, walking every single step of the AT to get there. It was also overwhelming to think we had to do it all over again.This was a beautiful day in Pennsylvania.