Date: 2006-06-19
From: 501 Shelter

To: Shartlesville , PA
Miles today: 9.3

There are some days where you can just hike and hike and feel great about it. Then there are days like today when you dread every single step, every rediculous rock clad mile...and this is why we only did 9 miles today. We were down right grumpy and miserable and for no particular reason at all. Other than the fact that our shelter mates love 5:00 AM and think everyone else loves it too...which, I appreciate hiking that early because it is so nice and cool but it can put me and especially Swansons in a hell of a bad mood. Add in Pennsylvania rocks and you got two just mad hikers. Sometimes you just have to have a few days like that. But on this day things went from bad to wonderful in about 20 minutes. The amount it takes us to walk a mile.As we trudged along my mind began spinning and I recalled that there was a road about 3 miles in front of us. the book didn't say anything about this particular road. Nothing about the town being there or near by. But I knew there was a town available about 6 miles up the trail, so this road had to lead somewhere near it. It just couldn't be too far. So I share my brainstorm with Swansons...a hotel room with a shower and TV might cheer us up. I know we are suppose to be roughing it but it's more about having fun and enjoying our adventure. So, if we are unhappy we have to figure out a way to spice it up.Swansons thought it was a wonderful idea. But we both agreed not to get our hopes up because we didn't know where this road led and even if it was a busy enough road to get a hitch on. About a mile before the road, things began to look up for us. We could hear cars in the distance. That gave us hope for a hitch.This is when our day 180'd around. We got to the road and had not stuck our thumb out for more than 2 seconds when the very first car pulled right on over. I jogged to her window almost too enthusiastically. She asked where we were headed and I asked if Shartlesville was anywhere near in her direction. She responded with "Hell, yeah, get on in." I've never wanted to hug a total stranger so badly in my life. This awesome woman, who was about our age, took us straight to the Budget Inn in Shartlesville. She would not accept any gas money and I felt bad that all I could do was thank her when really she had just turned our whole day around in a matter of 5 minutes. But, I thanked her and hoped it was enough.Our day kept getting better. We walked into the lobby of the Inn and the manager gave us a room for $20.00 cheaper than their usual rates plus no tax. And the room was actually pretty nice...by hiker standards.As soon as our stuff was dropped, Swansons and I began scrounging change together to get cold soda from the machine. We could only scrounge enough for one and I walked over to the machine, practically drooling over the thought of a cold carbonated beverage on such a hot freakin day. I put in the precious 70 cents and pressed the pepsi button. I heard the clunk of the can dropping down the slot, but then I heard an extra clunk,clunk... I looked down to see two beautiful ice cold red and blue pepsi cans sitting in the slot. It was a tiny miracle. We didn't have to share...oh, how easily amused we can be...I will never have the same appreciation for sweet carbonation as I do out here.So the two angry hikers turned into the two hikers lounging in paradise, sipping on cold pepsis watching stupid movies on TV. I even got to take a nap. And we had a wonderful dinner at the restaurant across the street.I think the two of us have been having trouble transitioning back to the trail life after a week at home. The hotel stay was a good boost and we realised that it isn't a bad thing to have every once in a while. So we aren't totally roughing it thru-hikers, we like a good shower and mindless TV once in awhile..OK, in a perfect world, once a week. If it's cheap. It's OK. I figure it's warranted as long as I get out there and get filthy dirty for at least 4 to 5 days at a time. It's totally cool.