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.