Date: 2019-07-17
From: Ensign Cowall Shelter (MD)

To: Falls Creek Campsite (PA!)
Miles today: 10.4

The people we shared a shelter with last night got up early but were slow to leave. 3 left before us and 1 was still sitting there when we left.While I was waiting for SC to wake up and start getting ready, I run some numbers. Yesterday we completed Day 60 on the trail, so I looked at averages for the first 2 months of hiking. While we did significantly increase our mileage in the second month, it¢s still slower than I would like. That combined with sore feet from yesterday¢s rocks left me pretty discouraged this morning. Immediately, it was hot this morning. We were walking through these fields wet with dew and the sun baking us. There was a small section where we went through some trees and the sudden drop in temperature was refreshing.It was just over a mile until we got to the road to Smithsburg. We crossed and stuck out our thumbs while starting to walk towards town. The first (!) vehicle to pass us stops to pick us up. It¢s a guy who works for the Maryland State Parks Department. He drives us to the post office where SC has a package with new shoes waiting for her.After picking up the shoes, (SC says it feels like she¢s walking on clouds) we walk to a Dollar General to resupply (reminder to self: there isn¢t much backpacking food to get at DG that doesn¢t have wheat, soy, or peanuts). We then go back to the road we came in on to get a hitch back out. This takes us a little longer but eventually a woman who lives nearby picks us up. Now back on the trail it is even hotter than before. The trail alternates between flat dirt and difficult rocks. We stop at a creek to get water and there is some sort of camp out for an overnight. I count at least 18 people in the group which seems large. A little later we pass another creek where I slip off a rock.  I don¢t fall but I do end up with 2 wet feet. At one point SC is ahead of me and I¢m meeting her at the next park. It¢s thundering, so I¢ve stopped to put on my packcover. A guy comes up to me and offers tea or ¢adult beverages.¢ I look and instead of the usual light beers he¢s carrying Budweiser and there¢s one can of Founders All Day IPA. I go for the Founders. We talk for a little and I excuse myself to do more hiking. As I start with a beer in my hand, the trail goes down a rocky hill. I find I need to just finish the beer and put the can away. Eventually the trail flattens out again and I pick up speed. I get to Pen Mar Park and it¢s raining. I look around for SC and just as I see which picnic pavilion she has set up in, the sky opens up. I was so close to making it, but I get out of the rain rather quickly.The beer trail magic guy is there. He¢s a local and we talk with him about the trail in the area. He gives us information about the campsite we¢re going to. When the rain lets up, we use the flush toilets. SC gets her phone back from a maintenance guy who was letting her charge it. Eventually the sun comes out, and we hike on, although we have less than a mile to go.Just past the park we have an exciting milestone: we leave Maryland and enter Pennsylvania! We have now completed the four state challenge, although not exactly successfully. The challenge is actually to hike from the VA/WV border to the MD/PA border in 24 hours. It took us about 4 days, that¢s practically the same thing, right?We find our campsite, set up our tent, and then go to hang our bear bag. We¢ve been staying places lately with bear poles or boxes so we are a little out of practice. SC gets the rope up, but the branch breaks as we are trying to put it up. We end up hanging it from the footbridge that crosses the creek here. That¢s not exactly protocol, but it was getting dark and we couldn¢t find another tree. As we were almost ready for bed we see a headlamp illuminating our tent. It¢s a guy we¢ve stayed several times over the last 3 weeks. We last saw him in Harpers Ferry. ¢The guy at the park said you would be here.¢ We invite him to stay nearby.