Into Pennsylvania

6/26/15 - It rained most of the night.  I woke up around 1am for a privy break and nearly stepped on a hiker who apparently came in around 10pm.  Finally I gave up as Tribute was walking out and started the day.  Timothy walked out with me and we headed for Pen-Mar Park, five miles away.

When we hit Pen-Mar Road, I stopped and Robert (Junker 2009) Freeman, from Trail of Hope Outreach Ministeries hostel came and picked me up.  He also picked up Timothy's pack. Timothy will slackpack forward to the hostel.  I'm really feeling bummed about the rain.

6/27/5 - Trail of Hope hostel

The rain started last night and not rained until around 4pm today.  Solid driving rain and a cold wind.  I spent most of the day working on a hiking schedule and reading books.  Tomorrow I'll do the 17 miles from Pen-Mar to the hostel.  Then Monday I'll do a 20 mile slack from Pine Grove Furnace to the hostel.  Tuesday I'm supposed to hike out from Pine Grove, but there's an 80% chance of thunderstorms again.  Where is the summer weather?!

People I've met:  Robert "Junker" Freeman, Todd "Frostbite", Patrick "Flounder Bait", Tribute, Timothy, Kevin "Fidel" (who got his name from his Cuben fiber gear), Sublime, Quebecian hiker "Sans Soucis" (Without Worries).

6/28/15 - Filling in the pieces 

Today I slack packed forward from Pen-Mar to the hostel. The trail was still running water in some places, mud holes in others.  But, I saw my shadow a couple of times, the temp stayed in the mid 60s and it was a good day.

Fidel, Timothy, Tribute slacked 28 miles today, so they are now two days (for me) ahead.  Oh well.

Slider, Blastoix, T3X, Yonder, and three section hikers came in today.  Two of the section hikers are celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary tonight. And even though it's not supposed to, it's raining this evening.  Sigh.

6/29/15 - Pine Grove slackpack

Today I slack packed from Pine Grove Furnace south to the hostel, 19.8 miles. The trail was good, although still sloppy in places from water.  There were also a few blowdowns, but only in the first three miles from Pine Grove.  After that the trail got pretty good, even to the point of looking like a green sidewalk.

I passed the halfway markers and started meeting people hiking north.  Among them were Tumbles and Scout, Splash and her family, but also Boston and Dora!  They are hurrying to Boiling Springs, where Dora will celebrate a birthday tomorrow. I also met Greenbay, a woman, at Quarry Gap shelter.

It's hard to believe I've walked 1100 miles; then again, it's hard to imagine continuing for another 1100.  I'm really tired of this.

I made it back to the road by five, making the run in nine hours.  Then Todd took me to WalMart, and they tightened the frames on my glasses, which had gotten loose over the months.  There were two new hikers at the hostel, Hawkeye, a man, and a flip flop thruhiker woman Phoenix.  They're both in with bad knees.