Date: 2007-10-02
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: overcast clouds

A Typical Day!!!10/2/2007 7:20pm Coming up on the halfway point of the trip and because I have a little time to kill, I shall now write about all the things we do every day in a little extra detail. Chapter 1: The Regiment-Our usual day goes as follows: Wake, breakfast, hike, rest break, hike, rest break, hike, snack break, hike, rest break, hike, lunch break, hike, rest break, hike, arrive at shelter, dinner, bed. (On longer days we'll take an extra hike-rest break between snack and lunch and it will also take more to reach the shelter after lunch).Chapter 2: DefinitionsWake: Whenever whoever gets up first, they immediately start heating up water for oatmeal.Breakfast: This usually consists of 2 packets of oatmeal, some sort of fruit (we sometimes put it in the oatmeal), and for me a large spoonful of protein powder. On town days we will consume an entire pie that we bought from the store.Hike: This is 50 minutes of continuous hiking. In Maine and NH we were lucky to get 2 mph, now we can get around 3 mph.Rest Break: A 10 minute time to sit, take off the pack, drink water, and (as the name suggests) rest.Snack Break: We each carry our own snacks and use this time to eat them. I usually eat one Ramen Noodle package raw, a hot chocolate packet plain (without water) and some candy.Lunch Break: Usually will share a bag of gorp, dried fruit, and some granola bars. Occasionally we will have bagels that we spread with peanut butter and top off with some kind of candy. Arrive: Throw our packs off, shoes off, set up our beds, and decide what's for dinner. Dinner: This provides the most food variety. It could be bean soup, ramen noodles, mac and cheese, or rice or noodles. Basically we fill the pot with water, pour what we have in it, and heat and eat. We found that instant mashed potatoes are a good side if there's extra water. Dinner is(since the hundred mile wilderness) followed by a dessert. Bed: After dinner, we clean our dishes, hang food, write, brush teeth, sleep (usually before 9:00pm).Chapter 3: Ramen Noodle RawRamen Noodles are very versatile. You can either read the instructions and do it that way, or you can eat it without cooking it. There are several ways to eat a ramen raw. You can take the whole ramen out of the packet, sprinkle the seasoning on top and eat it like a slice of bread. Or you can crush it and eat it out of the packet, adding seasoning as you go. Or the last technique is to crush, add all the seasoning, and shake. I prefer a little of the "add-as-you-go" and a little of the "shake" method combined. Creamy chicken is the best ever.Chapter 4: Hot chocolate plainIt is the most extreme chocolate rush. It cannot be good for you, but it is worth it for the calories. If you are like Kaitlyn (our sister) and think candy will make us sick, just know we live off the stuff; it is basically all we eat.Chapter 5: ShoppingWe always spend too much money. I always spend twice as much as Keisha. Rite-Aid Pharmacies are the best. We always check to see what candy bars are on sale and literally grab hand fulls (if it's a good enough deal). Chapter 6: CaloriesSo we don't really concern ourselves with what we eat, just as long as it is loaded with the most calories per ounce at the best price (we will be carrying it)Chapter 7: DessertLately dinner has been always followed by a dessert. This could be anything we find that is suitable including: candy bars, jelly bellys, marshmallows, hot cocoa packets, etc. Rare occasions bring out our gourmet specialties; mine being the grab-a-graham-and-go and Keisha's peanut-butter-skotch. Chapter 8: Cleaning DishesYou add water to the dirty bowl (or pan), use a finger to rub the sides, swirl the water gently around the bowl, and fling water into woods. Usually a second application of water is necessary to get remaining residueChapter 9: Town DaysThese are anything but typical.Chapter 10: UnbelievableThis describes: the PA rocks, the amount of pain my feet are in, the fact that I've lost 5 lbs on this trip, the fact that we're nearing the halfway point, and the fact that we've been unable to acquire Internet for almost a month.Chapter 10 1/2: UnbearableThe smell of: my socks, my feet, clothes without laundry for a week, us without showers for 10 days, and our sleeping bags.Chapter 11: TodaySo finally I'll talk about today. Today was not a typical day. We only hiked 11 miles form the Doyle to Darlington (because there is a 15 mile stretch coming up that doesn't allow camping so we couldn't go further). We arrived in time for lunch break. Built a fire, wrote in journals, ate, roasted strawberry marshmallows, and now I am well past ready to go to bed. OK, bye