Date: 2005-06-15
From: Pine knob Shelter (tent)

To: Deer Lick Shelters (tent)
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Day #91 Two early days in a row! Hiking up a hill by 6:30am. A short side trail takes me out on Annapolis Rock. It's a popular camping destination for the locals including privy's, caretaker, & views. Still i wonder why i hiked down here again. I arrive at ensign cowall shelter at 10am after doing 8 miles. Rabbit, blue light, & bootz were already there. Today the hike seems to be dragging, i spend the afternoon crawling over rocks to pen-mar park. Rabbit & i spend the next 2 hours loungin' around and even have a pizza delivered. There's a playground, picnic pavilions, restrooms, soda machines, music on sundays, and promises of unbelievable sunsets? Pen mar was established in 1877 by the Maryland railroad and operated until 1943. In it's hey day the resort included a scenic rollercoaster, movie theater, minature train, carrousel, photo studio, dance halls, & an observatory on high rock. It was not uncommon to draw 5000 on summer day. My favorite story is they built a feris wheel in 1904, but had to tear it down in 1906 as people thought it was too high and not safe. Today there were just a few kids running around, a caretaker, and a trail angel/entrepreneur. He says he helps hiker, but for a price? He seemed to wonder if that was a bad thing. He went off to look for his fares. Tinkerbell wanders over to our table and i lend him $2 for soda. He tells me i should head to the best western and spend the night so that he can pay me back and relieve his conscience. During this you could see in slow motion rabbit waving his arms and yelling nooooo... I must admit we have stayed in town with far less to work with. Hell we are being invited. It would be rude not to go. So why then am i writing you from my tent? I like to be unpredictable. While i'm on this subject lets dispell any myths. Blue eye once suggested that whenever the weather went bad i look for a hotel. Actually, that one is true, but i feel it constricts me. You see i look for hotels when ever they are near. In fact we are thinking of starting the worries hotel drive. Donate money so worries can stay dry & pampered. After some heated debate, i conceded that all funds would be spent soley on hotels and not beer. It's simple, just mail a money order or better yet cash in care worries/rabbit hotel drive. In return you'll get a cheesy ATC post card, a lock of my thinning hair, and a picture of rabbit & myself at the establishment you funded. Not to mention the satisfaction of helping you'll feel. Think for the price of say 10 trips to starbucks you could house noworries & rabbit. If you live near by the trail we would be open to going there. Now the shameless plug is out of the way, how'd the day end? Shortly after you leave the park you cross the Mason-Dixon Line. Seperating Maryland from Pennsylvania it is commonly associated with the division between free states and slave states during the civil war. It was however originally established to end a land dispute between british colonies of Pennsylvania & Maryland in the 1700's. Today it still distinguishes the south from the north. In short no more people yelling Yankee! A few miles later we stop at Deer Lick Shelters and set up camp. Bluelight & bootz are already there. After setting up our tents we trudge down an overgrown trail for what seems like a long time in search for water. Why we didn't go to the spring in clear sight of the shelter is still under debate. Rabbits water bladder broke on the way back. With a lighter he performed minor surgery and temporarily fixed it. I made dinner and called it a day. 46 miles in 2 days makes me tired.