Date: 2016-04-24
From: PA 233

To: Shippensburg Road
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

After a couple of days of hiking together, thanks to a shuttle ride provided by David (Burgundy Lane B&B), today we went back to a key swap strategy. And we decided to break the whole section into 3 pieces and do a key swap in each. This way we see each other a little more often, and we get a little break for water and a snack while we¢re driving between sections. We got up really early again and had breakfast, and then drove ourselves to the northern end of the section - also the longest distance from the B&B. We wore cold weather gear to start, it was in the 30¢s. We did the northernmost subsection first, then the middle and finished with the southern subsection. The breaks between subsections gave us a chance to adjust our gear to warmer temps and it was well above 60 and near 70 when we finished. We used several gravel roads today and one positive feature of this section (much of which is in the Michaux Forest) is that these roads are in very good shape. They provide a lot of access points to the AT which is helpful for the key swapping strategy that we¢re using.   Caledonia State Park was near the midpoint of our hike today. We both think that there has been some adjustment in the path the trail takes through the park, although we¢re not certain where the changes were made. The park was busy today with picnics and the trail was active with day and weekend hikers, it was a gorgeous day - not too hot and not too cold. This section is well-maintained, perhaps partly because of the high volume of local hikers with Caledonia Park right on the trail. We passed a very picturesque cabin (Milesburn Cabin) north of the park that is owned by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. The PATC is the local club responsible for maintaining this section (part of a much larger section they manage extending back into Virginia and the Bears Den Hostel, I believe). Princess said that there were people in the cabin and bicycles on the front porch when she passed it, but it was unoccupied a little later when I took a couple of photos. And we also passed one of our favorite shelters, the Quarry Gap Shelter. We haven¢t stayed there, but it¢s really attractive, almost like someone¢s backyard. I learned that initially it was two independent shelters with a capacity of 4 hikers each. Later a green metal roof was added to cover both of the shelters as well as the space between and some additional space in front. A stream that runs in front of the shelter has been lined with stone masonry, there is a sundial, hanging planters and even a metal sheet placed over a covered picnic table to avoid burn marks from hiker stoves. It¢s a beautiful shelter in a beautiful setting. Probably the only disconcerting factor is that I saw several signs on the trail in this area that discourage hikers from killing timber rattlesnakes. I haven¢t ever seen any here, but the thought that they might be here is a little eerie. The most challenging piece of the trail was south of Caledonia, between US 30 and PA 223. It was a rock-crested ridge line that ran parallel to the AT for some distance. Several times the AT turned and climbed up to the rocks at the top of the ridge and provided some rock hopping and scrambling experience before dropping back down below the crest. Princess did the subsection NoBo and commented that she thought it was well blazed and easy to follow. My SoBo experience was a little different, I had a harder time staying on the trail, and I noticed that there were some ¢rogue¢ blazes at one point on the rocky crest. I have no idea how they came to be there, they are white but they didn¢t conform to the standard 2¢ x 6¢ AT standard and in some cases the paint has run. Regardless, the rocks are good practice for what we¢ll get later in eastern PA. I¢ve included a couple of photos, but after a while all the rock pics start to look the same.Tonight will be our last night at the Burgundy Lane, tomorrow we¢ll check out when we leave for the trail. We have enjoyed Waynesboro again this year and we highly recommend the Burgundy Lane B&B to any hikers who desire to get off the trail for a night or two. They provide free shuttle service to nearby trailheads.