New boot day...

Good news...no itching...yet. How long does poison ivy take to show
up? Today was a very tough 18 and something miles here to Port
Clinton. The rocks! Wow. They are everywhere...big, small, sharp,
pointy....yikes! No wonder Marge and Lefty feel like they have been
beaten with rocks...they quite literally have. But today, they got new
shoes and new liner socks. Hopefully they will be happy soon.

As I sit here drinking warm funky tasting water that came out of a
garden hose from a Gatorade bottle that came out of a garbage can
(don't worry, I at least know the person that threw it in there), I
realize why hikers are obsessed with cold sodas. That's all I have to
say about that. Timber, made us all proud by taking the "extra value
menu challenge" at Wendy's by ordering one of everything on the extra
value menu and proceding to (mostly) eat all of it. Even the local
onlookers and Wendy's staff were shocked and awed by her thru-hiker
appetite.

So I am camped with several other hikers at a pavillion tenting area
in the middle of the tiny town of Port Clinton, PA. Other than being a
mile from Hamburg, a town that has restaurants and the biggest
Cabela's you have ever seen in your life, there doesn't seem to be a
whole lot going on here. However, it is nice of them to let us camp
here. So thank you, tiny town of Port Clinton.

Only 989 miles to go...

Well I am happy to report that Marge and Lefty are feeling much better
these days. Remember back when I caught my sock liners on fire? It
dawned on me that shortly after that was when I started getting
blisters again. I have not found anyone who sells them yet but
somebody told me they had tried pantyhose and it worked. No, I am not
wearing pantyhose, but it got me thinking about those thin socks
people wear instead of pantyhose, and sure enough I found a pair of
black trouser socks at the Amish grocery store! Of course I am
stylin' in my shiny black stockings sticking up above my hiking
socks...I might just start a new trend here. Black socks pulled way
up...yeah that's cool...oh wait that's already been done. Oh well.

Last night we stayed in town so we could shower and do some laundry.
Everytime I watch tv now I am stunned at not only the stupid
commercials that incessantly scream at you to actually "ask your
doctor about blah blah blah" (really? I should tell my doctor what to
prescribe me?), and "if you've been in an accident call such and such
attorney to get the money you deserve..."(oh, that's right, I'm an
idiot but I should sue somebody...), but the reality tv shows that, I
guess, somebody is watching, are what truely make me wonder about the
future of humans. I mean really...."Dance Your Ass Off"??? I guess
because they put asterisks instead of the "s's" it makes it an
appropriate name for a television show? Somehow "Dance Your A**" Off"
is better??? Really? And then there is the show itself. Have you seen
this? It's like the Biggest Loser meets The Gong Show. You don't
remember The Gong Show? Good. That means either you're too young or
you had more sense than to watch stupid tv shows way back then too.
Anyway, the point of this rant is that we had an idea. We are going to
make our own reality tv show, since apparently any ridiculous idea is
not only considered but actually made....It's called "Hike your Ass
Off". And we would find unhealthy, unfit people that didn't know
anything about hiking and put heavy boots on them and give them a
really heavy pack and drop them off at Springer, and tell them to walk
to Maine! Oh wait, that already happens. Okay, so here's a
twist...other hikers can vote the mean ones off the trail. Cool! We
are still working on this one...so stay tuned.

We hiked about 19 miles today to this really nice campsite near where
two streams intersect. It is about 18 miles from Port Clinton, PA.
This morning the trail was a 6 inch swath of dirt and rock completely
surrounded by poison ivy. It was impossible to avoid touching it and
sometimes I brushed past it on trees at shoulder height and arm level.
I am thinking as positively as I can about this situation but I think
the next few days should prove to be pretty interesting.

Hurray AT and T

Tonight as I sit here in my tent, I have no cell service for the first
time in days. I heard a lot of grumbling before I left on my hike and
still hear complaints about AT&T, but I have to tell you, I have been
thrilled. I tell people they clearly don't know when to turn their
phones on! Except for a couple of small towns (Hot Springs, Damascus)
I have had excellent service and can climb just about any mountain
around and get at least a bar or two. Except tonight. Anyway, I am
sure I will find somewhere to send this post from tomorrow. I will be
in the vicinity of the metropolis that is....Lickdale, Pennsylvania.

One sad item I feel compelled to acknowledge is the Hemlock situation.
I noticed a few infected trees in North Carolina, some in Virginia,
and a lot here in PA. Almost every Hemlock I see is either infected
with the Wooly Adelgid or dead. I came through an entire forest
yesterday that was nothing but dead Hemlocks. It saddens me greatly.
They are one of my favorite trees. One day they will have gone the way
of the Chestnuts, and our forests will be forever changed.

Last night, Timber and I camped at the Duncannon campground on the
Susquehanna river. All I can say is when we hiked into the campground,
we didn't know if we were walking into "Sanford and Son's" backyard or
what. This was not your regular campground. Tires littered the
"beach", and most of the "campers" had their rigs up on cinder blocks.
I don't think these were summer vacationers. Anyway, it was a hoot,
but we did skip the swim in the river.

The famous Doyle Hotel

Mile 1,126.3

Aaahhhhh Pennsylvania. I am just figuring out what this state means in
terms of the Appalachian Trail. This is what I know so far.... I am
definitely not in the south anymore. For sure. They say "pop" here
which is so cool. "Do you want a pop?", "Why yes, I would love a
pop!" They also don't go for any of that chitchatty southern small
talk. When I pass someone on the trail and yell out "Well haaayyyy,
how y'all doin'?" They just give me a little nod AT MOST. Sometimes
they don't even look up!!! Another hiker (from Pennsylvania) said,
"They just don't want to get involved". What??? Ok, whatever, I won't
go there. I had NO idea I came from such an over-the-top friendly kind
of place...but I sure am glad!
Oh, and the other thing I have learned about Pennsylvania? It's
nothing but a huge pile of rocks. No offense, but I am totally
serious. There is a little dirt sprinkled here and there...I guess
enough to grow some corn...ok, LOTS of corn...but the rest is all
rocks. And they say I haven't even gotten to the rocky parts yet. Huh?

I did really enjoy Boiling Springs. I stayed a day and a half at the
most wonderful Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse. Yes, you read
correctly...Marge and Lefty got most of their demands met with an
extended amount of recuperation time and yes, I said playhouse. I
missed the dinner theatre, but I had such a wonderful, relaxing visit.
The food was outstanding. Hurray!

Truce!

Well I have read the list of demands and I have agreed to meet as many
as I possibly can. They will get a half a day off tomorrow (I am only
12 miles from Boiling Springs, PA) and POSSIBLY part of the day
after...IF they are good. I cannot guarantee a pedicure or a massage
but I can tell them that there is a new pair of boots and a dip in a
swimming pool in their immediate future.

I have no idea how I was actually able to make it 17 miles today or 21
yesterday for all the blueberries everywhere! They are along the
entire trail around here. It's absolutely wonderful. Free range
blueberries. I'm all full of antioxidants now. The blackberries are
ripening as well. Mmmm. Breakfast has never been sweater...or
sweeter. Whichever.

So I stopped today at a shelter for a quick break and met this sobo
named Siren. Were you not paying attention? I already told you that
meant southbounder. Anyway, he turned around and pulled a giant IGUANA
out of his pack. No, I am not kidding! A huge beast of a lizard. And
he was actually carrying fresh apples and grapes for "Moe" to eat! If
I was carrying fruit, let me tell you, I assure you I would be the one
eating it. Wow. That is even wierder than Star Wars action figures.

Today was also the last of the parks. Every day for the last 4 days, I
have hiked through a state or county park. The park du jour was Pine
Grove Furnace SP, which is the home of the "Half Gallon
Challenge".... Where hot and sweaty thru-hikers stop in this store,
pay way too much for a crummy not even half gallon...1.5 quarts...(ok,
like that isn't enough), carton of ice- crystally, low quality, (I
don't like Hersheys ice cream but I have been scolded for saying that
out loud since we ARE in PA, but oh well...) ice cream as fast as they
can without vomiting. I am glad to report that I was able to
gratefully decline the fine offer, happily ate two nutty bar ice cream
bars, and I am sitting here WITHOUT a stomach ache.

Help!

Marge and Lefty here. Rabid is sleeping. Please help us. She has gone
insane and has been torturing us for months. Every day she puts bad
smelly hoods over our heads and beats us with rocks. We cannot take it
anymore. We are refusing to cooperate until our demands are met. We
want a vacation. A real vacation...not one of these slave labor days
she calls a vacation. A whole day just to ourselves...without the
boots. And we want a foot massage AND a pedicure. We will wait for
her answer for 24 hours. If not, we are going to stir up some REAL
trouble.

Six down...eight to go...

States, that is.
Today there is good news and bad news. The good news is that I made it
to Pennsylvania! The bad news is I might need two new feet. Marge and
Lefty are not happy campers these days. You know, you take the whole
family on a little vacation and everyone starts complaining. I heard
them mumbling something about wishing they were attached to someone
else...a couch potato or Playstation 3 addict or something or other.
The nerve!

Yes, Pennsylvania started off very nicely. At the Maryland/PA border,
there is lovely PenMar park. It had a great playground with one if
those fun curly-que slides that I enjoyed immensely. Hopefully I
didn't disturb the wedding going on as I wahooed down the slide. I had
a great little siesta on the bench swing and enjoyed having a real
bathroom and a water fountain.

I am not kidding, but I will actually be walking through another state
park tomorrow! I heard a rumor there is a swimming pool at this one.
That shouldn't be busy on a sunny warm fathers day Sunday...should
it??? Happy Fathers day to all you dads! I love you, dad!

Ultralight backpacking? Hmmmmm.

Well, another picture perfect day on the Appalachian trail in
Maryland. Today we hiked up to the Washington monument (the original
one) and saw a great view of Maryland and Pennsylvania. There is so
much civil war history here; it is really interesting. And a little sad.

I finally got my new Big Agnes pad and boy have I been sleeping well.
I had forgotten what it was like to sleep through the night. I did
however finally decide, in an effort to see just how light I could get
my pack, to send home my Big Agnes Ultralight Cyclone Chair kit. Yes,
I know...shocking isn't it? I thought so, too. There just isn't really
anything fun in my backpack anymore. I met a guy not too long ago that
actually, I am not kidding, pulled a Yoda action figure out of his
pack one night. Seriously. He was carrying FOUR books as well. I
think he said his pack was over fifty pounds and he wanted to see how
strong he could get. Wow. I just cannot find anything in the
slightest bit encouraging to say about that endeavor except, "Huh?"
Mine is 22 before food and water.

Goodbye West Virginia, Hello Maryland

You just never know where the day will take you...
I left Harper's Ferry this morning around 9am and had a great 18 mile
hike. It's hard to believe how little time you spend in West
Virginia, especially compared to how much time you spend in Virginia.
As soon as you cross the Potomac you are already in Maryland. Maryland
is beautiful! I love it. It helps that it is practically flat as a
fritter. Amazingly, we will only spend one more day in this lovely
state.

Timber, Safari, and I are camped at the Dahlgren Backpacking
Campground. It's this great flat, grassy campground that even has a
bathroom complete with showers. It's absolutely awesome! And the best
part is that it's free! Oh, and it's only a quarter mile from the
road.... The road that has a restaurant close by. Not just any
restaurant either. This is a really nice, let's see, I guess you would
call this fine dining, kind of place. The kind you rarely see smelly
people with mud on their legs and hideously colored crocs on their
feet. Did that stop us? Well hell no. You can still eat a five course
meal with muddy zip-off pants and bandana on your head! And super
sweet Safari bought dinner. Thank you Safari! That was WAY better
than anything in my food bag!

Halfway baby! Halfway!

I am number 360 according to the register here at the Appalachian
Trail Conservancy Headquarters. It's raining here and a great day to
hang around this historic town. I could not decide which picture
captured the moment best....
I am soooo happy to be here!

"Town got me"

So there is this hiker we all know called "Yul the mule". He is a
young sweet country guy from Gatlinburg, TN. I didn't know anyone
actually was from Gatlinburg, but anyway, I digress. So Yul had
generally been hiking and/or camping with us but usually was ahead of
us. One day the three of us saw him coming up behind us, and we asked
him how he got behind us. He said in his young country Gatlinburg, TN
accent, "town got me". You may have had to been there to get the true
amusement of this statement, but this is by far the best line I have
heard on the trail yet. Just thinking of the exchange makes me laugh
outloud hysterically. Ok, and the fact that there is a guy on the
trail, name withheld, that looks exactly like Garth from Wayne's
World. That makes me laugh hysterically as well. You might just have
to be here for that one, too.

Other than having to persuade a band of grumbling boy scouts from
camping right on top of us this evening, we hardly saw anyone else
today at all. ("No really, there are other campsites just up the
trail..." as we looked at them with their, "we want to stay up late
and build a huge bonfire look in their eyes"...) They say we are
"ahead of the bubble". UhHuh. It will be interesting to see what
number we all are. They tell you at the ATC how many other thru-hikers
have checked in ahead of you. I am pretty sure, somewhat
metaphorically speaking, that I am IN the bubble.

Being camped right outside of town, as I often do, you get to hear the
sounds of "town". What this means is trains. Most small trail towns
have trains and lots of them. You also hear train sounds for sometimes
days after leaving towns. Safari and I joke all the time about how we
thought we would never really truly get away from Erwin, TN because we
heard the train every day for days. It was like Groundhog Day. As I
sit in my tent just a couple of miles outside of Harper's Ferry, I
wonder how many miles north will I hear these trains?

The Roller Coaster strikes again

All I have to say is the "roller coaster" kicked my arse today. I have
three "bumps" of it left on the profile map for tomorrow morning. I am
pretty sure the humidity today was at least 900%. The bugs were out in
full fighting force. Today was definitely one of those physically
challenging days as well as mentally. I ran out of water at one point
and when I started asking myself, "Where am I going to find water?"
the skies turned black. Literally. It got so dark I almost pulled out
my headlamp. It started to rain softly and I still had one last huge
climb. (Ask and you shall receive, right?) After all that, about an
hour later, me and two other hikers were in a Cadillac...complete with
leather seats...driven by A.T. book author "Skywalker" cruising to
Mcdonalds in where else? Purcellville, Virginia. We saw him at the
Bears Den hostel and he offered to drive us to the nearest town to
eat. Then we got lost on the way back. You just never know where the
day will take you some days.

I walked past a logging operation today. After hearing the chainsaws
for what seemed like miles, I then heard the huge crash. It was a very
sad noise. Later, I heard what had to have been a racetrack. Either
that or some town near here has a serious cruising problem. So yeah,
that's about it for today. We hiked about 19 miles here and have 21
tomorrow to get into Harper's Ferry.

Back in the real woods....

So long Shenandoah! So long overpriced but highly convenient
concession food every 15-20 miles! So long crossing Skyline drive 10
times a day! Back in the wilderness, 20 miles from where I woke up
this morning, I am tenting near "Dick's Dome" shelter. It's hexagonal.
That's all I have to say about that.
Tomorrow just in time for the hottest and most humid part of the day,
Safari, Timber, and I will be entering what is formally called "The
Roller Coaster". Apparently this is 14 miles of 500' elevation gain
accents followed by 500' elevation drops. I will let you know how that
all works out. Fun.
And for those following my Big Agnes saga, they screwed up the address
and the pad never showed up. When I spoke to fedex, they said I
couldn't change the address because I was not their customer, BA was.
Uh huh. Of course it was Saturday so BA was closed. Yep. And today
was Sunday. This just gets better. Oh, and they're on the west coast.
So it won't even be early tomorrow that I can do anything about it. I
did get to switch out a hot sleeping bag for just a blanket, thanks to
mom. I will not wake up tonight trying to fight my way out of a sweaty
coffin! Thank you mom!

No bears today

Well the good news today is I did not see a single bear. I did get
stung, amazingly, three separate times by three different types of
bees. One had the audacity to go up my shorts. Another nailed poor
Marge right in the middle toe while I ate lunch, and another got me in
the thigh. #%*@$! I have to say that Afterbite stuff works wonders.
I had a lovely 18 mile walk to the Gravel springs hut where I am
camped. The weather was nice and the terrain was fairly easy. I even
had a chance to stop at the last of the SNP waysides for one last
grilled cheese sandwich. It is completely ridiculous how much I
personally contibuted to Aramark's (the concession company running all
the restaurants in the park) bottom line as I hiked through SNP. The
prices of food in those places is absurd, although you really cannot
beat the convenience.

Tomorrow I will arrive at a hostel where I can shower and get
resupplied for a couple of days. It is also where my new sleeping pad
is awaiting my arrival. Yay, sleep!
I will be in Harpers Ferry by Tuesday. It's hard to believe I am
almost halfway there. Virginia has been gorgeous. West Virginia here
I come.

Did I mention this place is infested with bears?

Today has been an unusual and surreal day on the Appalachian Trail. In
addition to being my biggest mileage day at just over 23, I ate at two
restaurants today. A portabello mushroom sandwich for lunch at Big
Meadows lodge, and a veggie quesadilla and chocolate cake for dinner
at Skyland lodge. Now that's a day on the trail! I also found myself
somehow at one point today in the middle of a giant hiking club from
Ohio out for a hike. Seriously, there were like 50 people that got off
this huge chartered bus and then all of a sudden, I was in the middle.
I hiked with them for about a half a mile. It was really cool though.
They were asking all kinds of questions and I enjoyed being part of
their group for a few minutes. It was like being the new kid at school.

I was looking for a campsite just before dark, and I look up at this
rocky outcropping area that has some nice grassy patches. I thought
what a great spot...it was nice and windy and had a great view... And
then I saw it. The tiniest little bear cub....right in the middle of
the nice flat grassy spot that was the only nice flat grassy spot for
miles. Huh. So, I continue down the mountain and decide I would just
head to the next shelter and camp there. Then I hear a twig snap and I
look over and see a HUGE bear. The biggest one I have ever seen. And
because I hear something rummaging around behind me, literally as I
write, I am pretty sure it followed me here.

All hail the Nutty Buddy ice cream bar!

After I finished writing my post last night, I realized there was a
bear up in a tree about 10' away from my tent. He made such a racket
all night. He was breaking branches and digging around on the ground
for hours. Then I heard another one behind my campspot as well. They
finally went away when it started raining about 1:30am. It was not a
peaceful night needless to say.

The entire goal for today was to get to the Lewis Mountain campground
campstore before they closed at 7pm which was 20.6 miles from where I
sleepily woke up this morning. Yes, I hiked like a madwoman all day
just to get a Nutty Buddy ice cream cone. And...I would do it again.
When I arrived at 6:15pm, they were closed even though my book said
they were open until 7. I kept knocking on the door and eventually the
guy let me in. I promised to be a good customer since he was kind
enough to open just for me, so I bought all kinds of juice, chips,
candy, and of course the much sought after ice cream treat. Now I
think I am pretty much set on the junk food quota for the next few
days. Tomorrow? The Big Meadows wayside and lodge. Uh huh. Gotta love
the Shenandoahs.

I also had a nice lunch break with some dayhikers in one of the
shelters while a rainstorm passed by. I want to thank John and Rebecca
for the fruit and nuts today. That was such a special treat. I shared
the orange with some other hikers I ran into later this afternoon.
Happy Anniversary to you both.
Oh, and I am extremely pleased to report that with their infinitely
superior customer service, Big Agnes is fedexing me a replacement pad
to the hostel where I am staying a night this weekend. Eeeeexcellent
(in a Monty Burns raspy voice)!

Bears, bears everywhere!

So you know how I said I always see bears but they are usually just
tree stumps or big rocks next to the trail? Well today they were not.
As soon as I got out of my tent this morning, I saw the bear I had
been hearing all night. He was up in the smallest, thinnest tree,
eating berries, paying no attention to me at all. Then he climbed down
and ambled away. Later today, I saw another one up the embankment
watching us as we hiked by. There seem to be a LOT of bears in this
park. Almost everyone I have spoken to here has seen at least one.

This national park is the complete antithesis of the Smokies. Where we
only crossed one road in the Smokies, we cross Skyline Drive multiple
times a day here. And today we found the first of many "waysides".
Yes, a restaurant and a campstore right off the trail. So after 7
miles of hiking this morning, it was a grilled cheese sandwich and
french fries....and....a nutty buddy ice cream bar. That really
didn't do much for my high mile day itinerary. Then there was the case
of the poorly marked section of trail which led to about 3 miles of
completely unecessary hiking, not including side trails to unecessary
food. Dont even get me started on THAT. So I have to admit that today
seemed somewhat counterproductive.

Although the weather really was gorgeous and absolutely perfect for
hiking, I was dragging today from too little sleep. I got in late last
night and the only tent spot was rocky and very unlevel (so much so
that even I could tell it was totally slanted). But worse than that,
am sad to report that there is still a leak in the beloved Big Agnes.
I am working on a solution and I am sure you will hear all about it.

I just looked outside the tent and amazingly there is ANOTHER bear up
in the tree right next to me. This place is infested.

Welcome to the Shenandoahs

Well today was truly an exception. Normally when it's hot, that clean-
just showered-wearing clean clothes feeling lasts 4 maybe 5 minutes,
tops, after returning to the trail. Today it lasted most of the
morning because of a front that brought cooler temps and low
humidity. A nice breeze for most of the day kept a lot of the bugs at
bay. It felt fabulous!

I learned a most valuable lesson yesterday. When I was at the local
Waynesboro duds-n-suds, I put everything in the dryer for only a
couple of minutes on high heat...you know, I thought the heat would
kill some of the funk that even a washing machine cannot remove. Well
a funny thing is apparently synthetic fibers melt and even begin to
burn, oddly enough, in commercial-grade high heat dryers. Now of
course in retrospect this makes perfect sense and I should have known
that, but as I sit here in my closed up tent, other than the fresh
stinky sock smell that happens to permeate EVERYTHING I OWN...
permanently, I have now added a new smell to the what should have been
somewhat clean clothes smell...burned polypropylene...that once used
to be sock liners. Huh. Go figure.

Even getting a late start out of town this morning (I was leisurely
taking advantage of the continental breakfast), I was able to hike
20.2 miles today. I have to admit, I have found the answer. It's
true... I have resorted to drugs. No silly, not that kind. Caffeine!
Because I do not drink coffee regularly anymore, the smallest amount
gives me the best kick ever! Wow. Two cups of coffee this morning and
I was good to go. I should have thought of this hundreds of miles ago!

Hello Waynesboro, goodbye Waynesboro!

During my hike to Waynesboro this morning, I regained at least a
smidge of tolerance for bugs again. It helped that most of the hike
this morning was through 30 mph winds....and, there were none. Also, I
am learning how to become invisible. It's really cool how this works.
Sometimes I forget and I have to ask other hikers if they can see me.
I know. You are trying to figure out if I am kidding or not or if
these sometimes inhumane conditions have driven me completely wacko.
I am here to inform you that, yes, she the hiker is totally mad.

However, this too shall pass and I am pleased to inform that tonight I
did successfully locate the hole in my beloved Big Agnes sleeping pad.
It is currently propped up drying out from it's evening of
entertainment, being trampled on repeatedly in the bathtub, awaiting
surgery in the morning. In addition to the visit to by far the best
Chinese buffet ever (AYCE sushi included!!!), this has been a most
successful and shortest town visit yet. Got off the trail and was
greeted by "Hobbler" a wonderful trail angel that gave Erik the Red,
Red Stick, and I a ride to town, AND stopped by the outfitters and
waited for us, AND gave me a sharpie to identify the little hole on my
sleeping pad so I would know where to patch it! Thank you Hobbler!
Then off to shower, followed by a couple of hours of gorging on
veggies, fruit, fried rice, and of course gobs of sushi, then a trip
to Kroger's for resupply, and then a half mile walk to the laundromat
and back. So yes, a very busy afternoon. I am looking forward to
entering Shenandoah bright and early tomorrow morning, which is only a
few hours away, so goodnight!

Smokey the Bear...

Happy National Trails Day

Well it seems to be that I have completely lost the ability to
identify level ground. I woke up several times last night to find
myself crammed up against the bottom of the tent. This happens with
some regularity. Either the trail is running out of flat spots or I
can no longer locate them. Even as I sit here now I can feel myself
listing over to one side. That's okay...the campsite is awesome with a
rocky ledge outcropping that was the perfect spot for a breezy bug-
free dinner complete with a spectacular sunset.

I had a nice 16 or so mile hike today that began with a 3.5 mile
climb. Now that's the way to start the day. It took me all day to get
here, too. Apparently it is saturday. And apparently this is a very
popular section of trail. There were many dayhikers and sobo
(southbound) section hikers. They were all headed south now that I
think about it. They clearly knew something that I did not. Anyway,
most of the people stopped and engaged me in conversation (ie: asked
me lots of questions about what I ate, and how heavy my pack was, and
various other inquiries I have heard countless times). Then there was
the guy I ran into later in the day. This was a particularly peculiar
conversation that went something like this...Me: "hey how are ya?"
Wierd guy on trail: "hey! where you headed to?" Me: "Maine" Wierd
guy on trail: "Oh, on the A.T.?" Me: "Yep." Wierd guy on trail: "I
didn't know the A.T. was around here!" Me: "You're on it right now"
Wierd guy on trail: "huh?" Me: (mumbles something under her breath as
she quickly hikes away, frequently looking over her shoulder...) I
mean, Really? Where did you think you were?

Tomorrow I arrive in Waynesboro, Va, which is the entrance to the
Shenandoah National Park. I have been looking forward to this section
for quite some time, as it is an area I am quite fond of. I will be
spending the night in town, doing some laundry, buying more food, and
most importantly, trying to fix my beloved Big Agnes Air Core pad in a
bathtub. It has a leak and that is not conducive to a weary hiker's
good night sleep!

This afternoon's hike...

"A.T. Hiker gets eaten alive by no-seeums"

I can see the headlines now.

BUGS! I absolutely lost my tolerance today for the gnats, no-seeums,
mosquitos, and those obnoxious stalker flies that endlessly buzz
around your head. I wore myself out swatting at them all with my
bandana...and, come to think of it, impaled myself with my hiking
poles trying to discourage those tiny bastards from making a meal out
of me. I understand the purpose for the bugs. A fitting end.... a meal
for some larger creature in the food chain. But does there have to be
so MANY??? And why do they have to be flesh-eating AND so tenacious?
Anyway, I had a great 22.1 mile hike today up and over "The
Priest" (over 3,000+' elevation drop followed by...shockingly... a
3,000+" elevation gain). Let me tell you, this is not doing anything
for you Catholics. It was truly brutal. However, the trail register at
the priest shelter was hysterical. I have never seen so many
confessions. The highlight of this possibly most brutal day yet on the
A.T. was the Tye river. After that never ending downhill, I plopped my
feet in that cold mountain river and they felt alive once more. I was
hanging out on a rock that formed a little pool that was full of
tadpoles, I mean pollywogs, when I noticed a cluster of them to one
side. They were voraciously attacking something and when I got a
closer look, I saw they were eating another tadpole! Who new those
cute little frog children were canibals!!!

Speaking of wildlife, I had several interesting encounters today. This
morning as I walked along, I nearly stepped on this tiny ball of fuzz
in the middle of the trail. At closer inspection, I see it is a tiny
baby bird probably learning how to fly. I saw mama eyeing me
suspiciously as I watched junior hop around for a few minutes. It was
really cool. Later this afternoon, I see a deer up the trail. As I got
closer, I expected her to run away quickly. She never did. I thought
to myself, "this deer must be deaf!". I am not kidding when I say, I
walked right up to this deer...like 5 feet away and it never ran away.
It mosyed off to the side and just sat there and looked at me. It was
quite an experience.

I am camped next to a noisy creek and it's not just the gurgling
stream making all the noise. There are several barred owls howling at
eachother from what sounds like a tree right over my head. It is, once
again, a jungle out there.

I am camped near three ladies from Indiana that are section hiking.
We had a nice conversation at dinner. It is so nice to see so many
women out on the trail. Go ladies, go!

Wednesday, June 2nd

After having a wonderful couple of days with Drew in Lexington,
Virginia, getting back on the trail today was tough. It is always
sooooo hard to say goodbye. Today my pack felt heavier, the sun felt
hotter, the mountains seemed to be steeper, and the trail went on
forever. Oh yeah, all the water sources were dry. I did not see anyone
but a couple of section hikers all day today. It seems the herd has
thinned. I am camped alone on top of the highest mountain (one of
many) I climbed today. I only hiked a little over 13 miles
today...the result of starting at noon. I stopped after about 10 miles
and had an early dinner and then hiked until just after 7pm. I did
see a lot of wild columbine patches today. As well as a turtle, some
lizards, a black rat snake, and some deer.