Date: 2010-05-29
From: Raven Rock, MD

To: Deer Lick Shelters, PA
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: clear sky

From TrailPhone:"Hi. I'm at Pen Mar park on the very extreme edge of northern Maryland. I'm within a half mile of passing into Pennsylvania. I have a gorgeous view of the Old Fort Richie and the town of Cascade. I just found the first working Coke and Pepsi machine in all of Maryland. I can't believe I walked 40 miles for a cold one. I plan to cross into Pennsylvania. I don't know how far I'm going to get tonight. I did 13 miles yesterday from Annapolis Rocks up to Raven Rock. I was absolutely dying when I got in. Thankfully, there was a Boy Scout troop camp there. I had them kind of check on me, make sure I didn't have anything serious going on. But, I'm doing well, no new blisters today. I've got about 4 or 5 small ones, but I'm still pressing on. So, Happy Memorial Day to everybody! I'm flying the Flag on the backpack. I'll see you guys hopefully in a week. That's it."UPDATE: Shortly after dawn I heard the scoutmaster calling me. I lifted the tarp and said I felt better. "Thanks for checking on me" I said. After the scouts had cleared out, I crawled out of my hammock and started my day. First order was breakfast. Boiled some of my water and made some mashed potatoes. I had planned oatmeal with apples, but still had no desire to any any oatmeal. While having breakfast, three guys wandered in looking for some lace to have breakfast. All three were veterans, two marines and one army. They had started early at PennMar. Opening his pack, one marine started handing out boxes of MRE en-trees. I inquired and learned that this was their first long distance hike, but they had no experience save their military experience of lugging large, heavy packs across the desert. I mentioned they could save weight by further unpacking their MREs and leaving the cardboard boxes at home. None had ever seen a hammock camping system and were somewhat envious that I wasn't sleeping on the hard ground. I invited my comrades at arms to examine the hammock nearby.While the guys were having breakfast, I packed up the tarp and hammock and hit the trail. Shortly after leaving the camp site I realized something was missing. There was no hat bouncing off my chest. I had lost my nylon fishing hat either at the camp site or along the way up to Raven Rock. I suspect there was a hat laying on the ground near a log somewhere on the south approach trail as that was the last time I recall seeing the hat. We resolved ourself to the cold fact that sometime later we were going to pay for our oversight with a painful sunburn to our neck and/or ears.Leaving Raven Rock the trail was mercifully undulating and relatively rock free. We soon found a sign and blue blaze trail to High Point. As we will likely never pass this way again, we followed the blue blazes and found ourselves starting at a large outcropping painted gray and overlaid with bright graffiti. While resting on the outcropping and enjoying the scene of Maryland dairy farms, a couple arrived by car. The lady was a school teacher and her husband offered to take my picture. I agreed as when hiking solo there are few opportunities to include oneself in a photo.After the couple departed, we followed the blue blazes back to the AT, ensured that we were facing north and resumed our trek. The trail soon started down and become a boulder field. We again found ourselves using technical rock climbing techniques to negotiate ourself safely down. Shortly after reaching the bottom a small army of scouts in blue t-shirts came marching past us southbound. A few minutes later Josey overtook me. Then, I lost the trail. Josey was wandering ahead of me and asked if I saw the white blazes. I looked around and spotted a series of blazes far to my right. Josey may his way to the trees and we both resumed our hikes.Sometime before noon we started to hear vehicles. As we were scheduled to reach PennMar at about that time, we became enthusiastic. The trail soon widened with a gentle slope upwards - "tourist trail" - a good sign. Then a playground with children appeared between the trees to our right. PennMar! Rounding a corner we beheld a large park full of people and activities. Nearby at a picnic table was Josey and another hiker. I asked to join them. We soon discovered that water was available from a large goose-neck faucet in the men's room and there were working Pepsi machines just up the hill at another structure. Off I went to get water and not one, but two 20 oz bottles of Pepsi. Josey and the other hiker departed and we were left to enjoy lunch. We started some water boiling for a hot lunch to enjoy with our Pepsi. While waiting, we made a quick call to TrailPhone and left the above entry. An outdoor wedding was taking place at a nearby pavilion and just as we were about to eat, the minister started saying grace. Perfect timing. After lunch, we repacked and headed off to top off our water as we had a good source of pure water. We spotted a group of five about to start south towards Harpers Ferry and took their photo by the sign pointing to the two terminii in GA and ME.The trail from PennMar was a treat. Wide with gentle downhill. The Mason-Dixon sign was missing so we didn't know exactly when and where we crossed into PA. I suspect the train track was around the border. Crossing the track the trail continued down to a beautiful creek and a wooden bridge, much like Cane Creek SP in Arkansas. Not needing water, we started up the hill on the other side. The trail eventually wound up crossing road. A sign proclaimed two nearby boxed springs. We unclipped our cup and enjoyed some nice cold water straight from the mountain. While resting, we watched a solo hiker come up the same trail and soon met Absent, so named because he had a habit of being absent fro many days at a time from his original group. Absent was headed for Bailey Spring.Absent departed and we resumed our slow trod up the hill. We eventually started downhill and after a small rise found ourselves at Bailey Spring. Following a short blue blaze trail down to the left we found ourselves looking at large box spring. We still had a bottle of pure water from PennMar, but decided to fill our second from the spring. We spotted Absent starting a fire across from the spring. He had decided to eat dinner there. I mentioned that I planned to continue on to Deer Lick Shelter for the evening as there was still enough light and the days hike had been easier than planned.I arrived at Deer Lick which is actually two small shelters with their mouths facing away from each other. I quickly located two trees and hung my hammock and tarp. One of the thru hikers was a bit leery of me as my tarp was camouflage. I explained that my choices were bright royal blue or green camo. As part of the leave no trace philosophy is to also blend in to the woods and not be a conspicuous eyesore, I chose the camo. He felt better after the explanation.Shortly after dinner we were treated to a display of bouncing lights coming through the trees. The event looked like a scene from Close Encounters. The light were thru hikers putting in extra miles. They were glad to discover that none of the shelters were occupied. All the early arrival had chosen not to use the mouse boxes.Thus ended the sixth day.