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Over a month has gone by since I got off the trail and last posted on the website. During that month long respite I was able to decompress from life on the trail and get back to life as it normally transpires. I rested a lot, which was really great. I had no trouble making the transition from the hard wood floors of A.T. shelters or rocky tent sites to my comfy, smooth mattress at home. Now, I am transitioning to life as an intern at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry, where I am working with their land trust and involved with aspects regarding the numerous conservation easements they have secured to protect the A.T. corridor. However, have been able to think about the invaluable experiences I gained on the trail and how important a journey it was.
I began to think about how great it was to raise all the money that was donated and how I didn’t really want this project to stop just because I was done with my hike. I want Hiking for a Cure to move forward and continue to make strides to fight for a cure for cancer, possibly through becoming an official non-profit organization. I think this will help legitimize it as a fundraising organization. However filing for non-profit status is costly, so that may have to wait until funds are available.
Also, I would really like to have hikers on the trail in the near future raising money for cancer research through for Hiking for a Cure. So, if you or someone you know is planning on hiking the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, or other trail and wants to get involved please contact me. The website could offer a place for HFAC hikers to blog about their experiences, a place to post pictures of their adventure, and a Bio about them.
I would also like to have the capacity on the website for people to sign-up as HFAC members. Members would receive discounted prices on gear and would get e-mail updates about current HFAC hikers. In addition, members who are located in a specific geographical area could plan day hikes together and raise money that way. I know not everyone is able to take months off to long-distance hike, so this would be a great way for others to get involved. It would be great if there were HFAC Chapters located throughout the country where members could meet and plan hikes. I know this is a long way off, but it would be amazing to work towards this goal.
I’d also love to have a segment of HFAC’s mission dedicated to environmental stewardship. Without clean, well maintained trails HFAC’s hikes could not occur. HFAC would make a concerted effort to help better the environment in which we enjoy recreationally so much. We must give back to the trails we hike.
I am sure there are other places to start to ensure the continued existence of HFAC. These are just a few of the things I have envisioned. I feel that a solid foundation has been laid with HFAC to really have something special happen. I know I will be busy with my internship here at the ATC, followed by finishing up graduate school in the Spring, but I do not want to delay 9 months until the ball gets rolling on this. Please feel free to comment or suggest other ideas. I assure you that they will be greatly considered and would be extremely helpful during this process.
Thanks so much and I am really excited about the continued success of HFAC. It could not happen without the help of numerous people. Please comment and suggest often!
Until this point I have failed to list the names of those who were instrumental in making my hike possible. These include, but are not limited to, Kraig and Susan Faust, Paul Zippel, Tim Treadwell, Karl Haviland, Eric Long, Jedd Ferris, Jessica Faust, Dale and Sally Metzker, Ruth Cox, Stamatis Zeris, Walter Makarucha, the congregation of St. John’s United Methodist Church, and all of the amazing people who donated!
Hopefully this list will grow as HFAC moves forward.
Well, I suppose the heading says it all. I got off the trail in Fort Montgomery, NY and need to take a hiatus for a while. My decision to stop hiking was not an easy one. I took some time at a friend's house to consider my options and then I went back out on the trail. Many hikers have told me that if you are thinking about leaving the trail the best thing to do is to take a few days off and then force yourself to go back out. If you are still feeling like leaving the trail is the best thing after your return then you should go with it.
So, thats what I did. After a few days at my great friend Stamatis' home in Boonton, NJ I went back out onto the trail. I immediately was not feeling it, but I plugged a long and met some hikers who had attended the ATC meeting in Ramapo, NJ. I also bumped into a New York Times reporter who interviewed me. The article he wrote, which I am quoted in, appeared in The Times on Thursday July 19th. After that interesting experience I kept hiking, but I knew I needed to be done. Physcially I never felt better. My legs and knees were certainly sore, but I felt good. My mental side was a whole different story. I no longer wanted to be out there. Once the mental side begins to go when you are hiking long distances, it doesn't matter how fit you are. I began to realize that I would need to average over 20 miles a day for the next month and a half to complete the trail by the end of August. I would not be able to take any off days either. I needed to be done by that time to get ready for my internship in Harpers Ferry, WV.
This pressure associated with the deadline along with my mental fatigue is what lead me to my decision to get off the trail. My attitude towards the hike began to change also. Instead of waking up each morning thinking about seeing amazing wildlife or having an amazing view from a mountain vista, I was only thinking about the miles I HAD to put in. It became more about the miles and less about the wilderness experience. Once this started happening I began to not have fun anymore. Also, I didn't want to run through the last 790 miles and not actually enjoy them. The Green Mountains of Vermont, the Whites of New Hampshire, and the majesty of Maine are places I want to enjoy while I hike through. I felt like if I continued, my enjoyment of these places would be incredibly rushed.
I fully intend to revisit the trail in the future and to complete it piece by piece. I think taking the last bit of trail and walking it in smaller chunks will allow me to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of nature without such time constraints. I want to be able to sit and relax at a glacial pond for 4 hours, instead of blowing by it to make miles. Also, I want to be able to experience these things with friends or family. It will be great to have a friend or two to come out for a long weekend or even a week or two to hike part of the trail. So, I guess I have become a section-hiker and I am really okay with that.
When I first knew that it was over I was really saddened and concerned because of the dissapoitnment factor. But, as I began my last descent off of Bear Mountain and into Ft. Montgomery an Indian man in a state park I walked through helped assuage my mild regret. He asked me in his thick Inidan accent, "How long you been outside?" I replied with, "Over three months." He countered simply by saying, "That's plenty." Such a simple response, but it felt extremely poignant to met at that time. It really was plenty. I am proud of what I did and I am happy with the decision to take a break for a time.
1,400 miles is a long ways and I know that the trail is not going anywhere. It will be there when I want to go back to it, when I need a respite from the burdens of the real world. That is what makes the A.T. great and why it will always be a special place for me that I will continually revisit. Being in the outdoors and enjoying them is a big part of my life, but my ability to maintain strong interpersonal relationships is as well. I think after over 3 months without that aspect in my life was a big factor in my decision making process.
I am happy with what I have accomplished on the trail and even more happy with the outpouring of support from you for the HFAC cause. Nearly $7,000 has been raised. I will continue to accept donations until the end of August and then I will present the ACS with the full amount received. I will be sure to update with a final amount when it has been reached.
Thank you so much and know that I will get back out there sooner rather than later. I'm not a big cliche guy, but the notion that "It's the journey, not the destination" couldn't ring more true in this instance. I had the experience and I hiked the Appalachian Trail.
Phew! The last few days coming off a 7-day break have been rough for me mentally. For the first time on the trip I seriously considered getting off the trail for good. The hiking did not come as easily as it had before the break. I was still putting in big days and physcially I was feeling good, but my mental state was kind of shot. I didn't want to hike anymore. That desire I had for the first 1,300 miles was not the same as it was. But, the encouragement of my great family and friends has helped and I have decided to take a "one day at a time" approach to the rest of the trip. These next 800 miles are going to be tough, but I will do my best and see how far I can get.
Many people hike the A.T. for many different reasons. Some hike to escape something or to avoid responsibilites at home. Others truly love to walk. Still others use the trail as a way to find something or as a way to provide answers to some question in their life. Undoubtedly, everyone who hikes learns a lot about themselves. I've realized over the course of the trip and especially in these past few days just how important the people I care about are in my life. The off week with my family for the 4th and the wedding events with my friends was wonderful and getting thrown back out onto the trail after that was hard. I wanted to be back with those people, instead of out in the woods alone. I suppose many hikers get the blues at some point in their journey and it is something I need to overcome, if I can. I appreciate the thoughts and encouraging words from everyone that has lent them and hope to get as far as I can on this trail.
The week of the blues started on Monday July 9th. I spent the evening of the 8th at the Church of the Mountain hostel in Delware Water Gap, PA. It took my parents and I like 4 hours to get there, but we finally did. I had a restless night of sleep, but manged to get enough rest to be back out on the trail by about 8am on the 9th. I crossed the Delaware River and ascended into New Jersey. It was a super hot and humid day and I did not see a soul the entire day. This did not really help my psyche. I walked 24 miles that day, with nary another hiker in sight. I camped alone at Brink Road Shelter and was feeling pretty sad as I fell asleep in my tent.
The 10th came and I still was feeling quite a bit off. I walked 4 miles to a road crossing and stopped at a deli. I needed to talk to someone, so I phoned my father. He offered some good words of advice and told me to give it some time and things would be all right. I ate a turkey sandwich and kept on moving. Again, hiking most of the day without seeing many hikers. The trail has been getting more sparse the farther north I get. I walked 19 miles to High Point Shelter, where an ATC Ridgerunner was camping. If he hadn't been there I would have camped alone again. I did hit some nice trail magic at High Point State Park from "Five Eyes" and his brother. The hot dogs and Gatorade were uplifting.
On the 11th I busted out another 19-mile day to Vernon, NJ. The terrain that day was supremely easy, but the heat was unrelenting. Another sparse day of hikers, but when I got to NJ Rte. 84 I was able to get some ice cream and a hitch into town, where I stayed at St. Thomas Episcopal Church hostel. There were others there, which was nice. There I called several friends and their words cheered me up and I began to feel better.
The 12th came and the heat and humidity finally let up. I set out in the morning with a hiker named "Stone Age." We hiked all day together, which was awesome. The weather was cool and the hiking was beautiful. At Prospect Rock we even had a view of the NYC skyline. It was that clear out. We hit several pieces of trail magic and crossed into NY state. When we arrived at Wildcat Shelter some trail angels were there giving out brownies and sodas. It was a truly great day on the A.T. and I was really re-envigorated. What a difference a day makes! I tented again that night and had a wonderful night of sleep. In the morning I was meeting Stamatis for a night at his house in Boonton, NJ.
I slept in on Friday the 13th and didn't hit the trail until like 9:30am. I didn't have much water, so I headed two miles to the next source. NY seems to be pretty dry this summer because when I got to the source, Fitzgerald Falls, it was almost completely dried up. There was a small trickle, so I was able to fill up, but it took some time. I left the hikers who were waiting in line for the trickle and headed up Mombasha High Point. It was a nice climb and I saw a few people lunching at the top. I kept moving because I was to meet Stamatis at 1pm at Harriman State Park. The terrain was surpisingly difficult. A lot of short, but steep climbs with myriad rocks. I didn't make the time I thought I would, but Stamatis was waiting for me when I got to the park. It was good to see him. We went to Boonton and ate at his father's restaurant and I will be spending this evening and all day tomorrow here. I am zeroing tomorrow. The previous 90 miles in 4 and a half days have taken its toll, mentally especially, but today the physical started to play a role. My knees are sure hollerin' at me. An off day will be good.
I will be back on the trail Sunday and going to take it one step at a time. I am going to be in a New York state of mind for a while, so that will help. Connecticut soon, however. 804 miles to go.
Well, it is the 5th of July and I am currently off the trail for a few days. I am in a wedding on the 7th, so I decided to get off a few days early to spend the festivities of the 4th with my family.
On the trail I am at the PA/NJ border at the Delaware Water Gap! Nearly 1,300 miles in! Many hikers contend that the trail in PA is horrible because of all the rocks a long the way. PA has even earned the moniker "Rocksylvania" because of the rough terrain. Many hikers don't always enjoy there time in PA, but I really would have to say that my home state was incredibly good to me. I had numerous friends come join me for part or all of a day of hiking and stayed in several free hostels, which was unexpected, but nice! All in all my time in Pennsy was great and I am happy to be off the trail for a bit to rest my feet and my mind and get ready for the last 900 miles or so of trail!
Here is a rundown of the trip since the last update:
On the 25th of June I didn't get on the trail out of Duncannon until about 3:30pm. Ruth Cox dropped me off at where the trail crossed Rt. 322 and the trail immediately went up very quickly. It was quite humid that afternoon and I hadn't hiked for more than a mile before I was already soaked with sweat. I had to hike about 7 miles or so to meet my friends Josh, Stamatis, and Ben by 5:30pm. 7 miles in 2 hours is pretty quick, but I was able to do it and just as I crossed the bridge over PA Rt. 225 Josh and his family pulled up in their PT Cruiser. We greeted each other and then Josh's mother began setting up a nice spread of buffalo wings, pasta salad, and cold sodas. Pretty sweet! Stamatis soon arrived and we all ate and carried on. Another hiker, Rod-knee DangerTrail, joined us as well. After the nice meal myself, Josh, Stamatis, and Ben all headed into the woods for the short hike to Peters Mountain Shelter. We got there just as it was getting dark, but still decided to descend the 300 stone steps to the water source. I think we sweated more on the way up from getting water than we had during the 3-mile hike into the shelter. We set-up our gear in the loft of the shelter and proceeded to make a great fire. Stamatis and I had a good time cracking logs apart for the fire. A few ladies camping weren't so pleased, but it was only like 8:30pm. But, they say 9:00pm is hiker midnight, so we quieted down and enjoyed the roar of the fire. We dwelled there for a time before turning in. A good day. Stamatis planned on walking back out to his car in the morning, but Josh and Ben were going to push 22 miles out with me!
June 26th came and none of us got a good night of sleep to prepare for it. I am used to snoring in shelters, but the others not so much. However we managed to get out on the trail by 8am despite being quite lethargic. Not more than 10 minutes into our hike did we see our first snake of the day. Josh and Ben blew right by it and almost stepped on it, but I saw it. It was a black snake, maybe 3-4 feet long. We checked it out briefly, but then kept moving. Only a few miles later we saw 4 timber rattlesnakes. We were crossing a bed of rocks and a woman ahead was stopped on the trail. She warned us of what was ahead and we climbed down the rocks to avoid the snakes that were basically right on the trail. Three of the four were pretty small, but the 4th must have been 5 inches in diameter. Josh was a little freaked out, but we kept on moving. Josh and Ben were troopers. They did not want to take too many breaks, so we just kept going. We ran into some trail magic, consisting of cold Dr. Peppers and Cherry Cokes, before one climb, which was a morale boost. Everything was going great and then both Josh and Ben hit a wall at about mile 20. An unexpected ascent caught them off guard and the last 2 miles were tough. We made it however and Josh's dad had the car ready when we got to the road. We all ate well that night and were able to get a nice night of rest.
The 27th came early. Josh and I were up at 5:30am, so he could get me back to the trail before his work. I was on the trail by 6am or so, but I was just not really feeling it. It was already super humid and after crossing I-81 for the upteenth time a pretty long ascent left me sweaty and tired. Once on top however it was mostly ridgeline walking. I played flip-flop with this guy Radar from Maine. We both decided to make it a short day and only hike 13 miles to the 501 Shelter. We hitched into town together and got some food. Once back at the shelter some other hikers had ordered pizza, so it was a very nice night of eating. Later that night the humidity finally lead to a thunderstorm, which we all hoped would cool things off come the next morning.
June 28th came and I decided to put in a pretty long day to make up for the previous day of laziness. I decided to make it the whole way into Port Clinton, PA about 23.5 miles away. The weather was much cooler and although it was overcast I was able to dodge rain all day. I pretty much didn't stop all day until I got to the town pavilion in Port Clinton where hikers are permitted to camp out. I saw a sign in the pavilion for a free hostel with showers, so I jumped on it. I really was feeling gross, so the shower was crucial. The hostel was run by the Ye Olde Backpacker Outfitter and was very nice. I was able to get clean and get rest for the next day. My friends Jason Moran and Joe Balduino were planning on meeting me in Port Clinton in the morning to hike a bit.
June 29th and it was another overcast, but cool day. I was happy about that. I got to Port Clinton and stopped at the Post Office for a mail-drop. I packed up my food and Jason and Joe were there. We headed to the 3 C's Restaurant to pick up a sandwich to pack-in for lunch. There was a radio show going on at the restaurant and the three of us got introduced on the air. I'm not really sure why. I guess there isn't a ton to talk about in Port Clinton, so they talk to whoever comes in the door! Jason and Joe hiked 6 miles in with me to the Windsor Furnace Shelter. We ate lunch and caught up before they turned around and I continued north. It was great seeing them. Anytime people I know come out and join me for a bit it is amazing. I busted out 16 more miles that day and spent the night at Allentown Shelter. There were some great views along the way at Pulpit Rock and The Pinnacle, which was recently called the best day-hike in PA by Backpacker Magazine.
The last day of June was a great one. The cool weather continued and I had some fun boulder jumping throughout the day. I actually enjoy having to concentrate a little on the rocks, rather than just walking mindlessly over a smooth path. I say that now, but I could change my tune in New Hampshire! I hiked over Bear Rock, which was a little tricky. It was this knife edge ridge of exposed boulders that took a little hand-over-hand climbing to circumnavigate. It was fun! Soon after, I saw another snake, this time a copperhead. Maybe PA should be called "Snakesylvania" instead of "Rocksylvania." I lunched at Bake Oven Knob and then hiked across the Lehigh River to Palmerton, PA. There was another free hostel located there in the basement of the town's municipal building. I arrived at the hostel and it was great. They had showers and a basketball court. I shot some baskets for like an hour, which was great fun, and then showered. An older fellow from Alabama, Grasshopper, and I got pizza at a local place in town. Another great day and 17 miles logged. Only 30-some miles to the Water Gap.
July 1st came and I had another set of visitors join me on the trail. Elena Austin and Brian Driscoll met me at the hostel and joined me for a full day of hiking. It was awesome to see them. They even had made "Team Almost Lucky" t-shirts and wore them while we hiked. It was great! The day's hike began with a tough climb out of the Lehigh Gap. A lot of large boulders required some climbing, but once on top we had some easy ridge walking for miles. Great views of the Lehigh Valley rewarded us below and we had a great time catching up. Brian had brought lunch for us all and told us how the turkey sandwich we were going to be eating was from a bird he had shot. Pretty cool. Apparently, he had to shoot the thing 5 times before it succumbed. I couldn't do it, but I will gladly eat the sandwich. We came up with trail names for them; Elena "Man-Hands" Austin because of her larger than normal female hands and Brian "Tight Hammy" Driscoll because of his complaining of his legs tensing up. Good names I think. Elena came up with several others, but I'll save those for another time. Elena and Brian left me 12 miles into the day, but not before a nice meal at the Shut the Door Restaurant. We got burgers and ice cream. Nice! They dropped me back at the trail and I hiked another 4 miles into camp. I stayed at the Leroy Smith Shelter and had a nice 20 miles hike in the morning to the end of PA.
The night of the 1st was a cold one. Too cold for the month of July. I didn't sleep well, but the cold forced me to stay in my sleeping bag until 8am. I got up and readied myself quickly and was actually the first one out of camp. That never happens! I was really excited to get to the Delaware Water Gap and to have my parents pick me up. The trail really wears you down after a while and I think it has taken its toll on me. The physical and mental fatigue is hard to deal with and I think this little break is going to help me in the long run. So, I pretty much hiked non-stop on the 2nd. I did stop briefly for water at the last shelter in PA and to sign the register. The trail followed and old logging road for a long time and finally I was atop Mt. Minsi, overlooking the Delaware River. I stopped at the vista and met a nice Canadian couple who were very intrigued by what I and other thru-hikers were doing. I talked with them for a bit and then began the descent to the bottom of the valley. It didn't take me too long and I got to town. I went to the Church of the Mountain Hostel and waited for my parents to arrive. They got there shortly after and I showered and was on the road back to Williamsport, PA by 5:30pm or so. Mom and Dad brought some goodies for other hikers at the hostel, which was greatly appreciated. Like I said, I was able to shower, which Mom and Dad greatly appreciated! We stopped for dinner on the way home and we were back by 8:30pm.
Pretty crazy to be back home, but it feels good too. I'm not home for too long though. I'm off to Maryland for a weddiing then hopefully back on the trail by the 8th or 9th! New Jersey awaits!
First, I just want to apologize for the last post's ridiculous amount of typos. I was a wee bit tired after that 42-mile marathon, so I will chalk it up to trail fatigue. Hopefully most everyone got the idea of what went on.
Anyway, after a great zero day on the 20th at my sister's place I returned to the trail on the 21st. I was still feeling quite sore from the MD Challenge, but I figured the best thing to do was to keep hiking and the soreness would work itself out. So, Jess dropped me off back at Pen-Mar Park and off I went. I wasn't too quick at getting awake that morning at her place, so I wasn't able to get on the trail until about 10:45am or so. A bit of a later start than I am used to, but it was all good. I was hoping to get in a 20-mile day, so I did not take too many breaks. The hiking remained pretty easy. I took my first break at Antietam Shelter. There I ate a significant lunch and took a load off for a few minutes. Sufficiently rested and nourished, I moved on and met several new thru-hiker faces. They were Mangrove, J-beard, and Dash, all also from PA. They were nice kids and told me they had also done the MD Challenge. It took them 25 hours to complete. Nuts! After hanging out with them for a bit I kept hiking and soon was in Caledonia State Park. It began to rain, so I just kept on going because I wanted to get to the evening's shelter as soon as I could. I was really tired from the past several days of long days. It rained the rest of the time until I got to Quarry Gap Shelter for the night. Quarry Gap Shelter was a beautiful shelter that actually had two shelter structures conjoined by a covered patio with picnic table. It was really nice. I also thought it was funny that one of the structures was labeled "Snorers" and the other "Non-snorers." The designer of this shelter must have been a thru-hiker! There was one other hiker, Zero, there when I arrived. He just stayed in his sleeping bag the whole time, so I did not really get a chance to chat with him. Soon, Usual Suspect and Shovel arrived. We talked a bit while we cooked dinner and then we all hit the hay early. Both Usual Suspect and I wanted to get an early start on the 22nd so we could put in big miles.
The 22nd came and it was actually a cold morning. That night was chilly too. I woke really early and all I wanted to do was get going so I could get warm. I was hoping to bust out a 33-mile day, so the next morning (Saturday) I would have an easy 4-mile hike into Boiling Springs to get to the Post Office before it closed. The hiking was again pleasantly graded and before I knew it I was at the first shelter of the day, some 7.5 miles in, by 9:15am. I was really cruising. I stopped there and spoke with the Ridgerunner who was stationed there. I ate some Chocolate Fudge Pop-Tarts and kep moving. There's nothing like a second breakfast of 400 calories of pure sugar to keep you going. Five miles later I was at the next shelter. I ate lunch there and was 13.5 miles into the day and it was not yet Noon. I was doing good and I wasn't all that tired yet. I soon descended into Pine Grove Furnace State Park and stopped at the Park Store. It is a tradition on the A.T. to stop here and attempt the "Half-Gallon Challenge." You are supposed to try and eat a half-gallon of ice cream in one sitting. I did not go for it, to the dismay of some of you, but I did grab a Cherry Coke and rest for a bit. Usual Suspect was there. He and I played flip-flop all day a long the trail. We both moved on and about a mile later we were at the official half-way point of the trail. There was this cool marker that we both got our pictures by. I was about 20 miles in for the day at that point. The trail then had a nice climb up to an overlook that I actually passed by. I just kind of wanted to keep going. If I stopped I wasn't sure I would want to start again! So, I kept on moving and crossed several roads. At one road there was a car garage that had a soda machine in front of it. It was only 100 yards or so off trail, so I went for it. It was all out of soda though! What a cruel trick?!?! I wonder how many other hikers have been suckered in by this false soda machine! No soda to push me on, I kept going and began to descend to what I figured was a stream and the shelter. I even saw a campfire flickering down the way. It was getting late at this point and I knew I had to be close. It wasn't the shelter though, just a group of Boy Scouts out. They were cooking hot dogs over the coals of the fire. It sure did smell good. I slowed my pace to see if they would offer any to me, but they did not. Dang it! I crossed the creek and started heading back up hill. This was not cool. I knew I had to be really close. Finally, a few minutes later I saw the spur trail to the shelter, Alec Kennedy Shelter. I got there, got some water at the spring, made dinner and pretty much passed out immediately. I arrived at around 7pm and had done 33 miles! I was tired, but at least I knew I would get to town before the Post Office closed the next day. Usual Suspect rolled in about an hour later!
Saturday the 23rd was a great day! I had a really easy, short hike into Boiling Springs, PA. It is really a nice little town. I went right to the ATC Mid-Atlantic Office to drop my stuff off and then crossed the street to the Post Office. My mail drop was there and I went back to the ATC to organize. I called home at that point and my dad told me that my mom and Dale and Sally Metzker were on there way down to visit me. This was a nice surprise! So, I waited there at the ATC for them to arrive. I also called my good friend Scott Sutton and told him I was in town. He was planning on meeting me there as well and hike for a day and a half with me. My mom and the Metzkers showed up soon later and we had a great lunch at Red Robin. The monster burger and raspberry/chocolate shake were amazingly good. We didn't have a ton of time to catch up because Scott was meeting me at 1pm to continue hiking. I was also going to see mom and dad again in Duncannon a day later, so it was okay that it was a short visit. I got back to the ATC and old Sutton was waiting there. We got our things organized and headed out. The hiking was really easy. It was mostly all farm fields. We were able to make really good time and it was really nice to catch up with Sutton. I hadn't seen him since my friend Jan and I swung by his place in Indianapolis two years prior. We saw this nice pond with some picnic tables and decided to take a nice long break there. We ate some food and rested. Scott's father makes the best venison jerky ever. It was so good. We hungout by the pond for a while. There was a nice breeze, but Sutton kept getting whiffs of my hiker stench and was not too pumped about that. He gave me a hard time about that for the rest of the time he was out there. We kept going and the hiking stayed easy. There was finally a little incline up to the shelter, Darlington Shelter. We got there and turned the corner to see who was there and before I could even figure out what was going on a woman said, "Aaron Faust!" I was taken a back, but then realized that it was Pat Hart, a woman who attends my dad's church. She was out section hiking with several other women. It was crazy that we were both there at the same time. It really is a small, small world! Sutton and I hungout for a bit around the picnic table before we retired for the night. It was a good day and we had a short 11-mile day the next day into Duncannon, PA.
On the 24th, Sutton and I got to sleep in. We hit the trail at about 9:00am or so and had another beautiful day for hiking. The day was highlighted with several great views of the Susquehanna River. It was mostly ridgeline walking, so again we made good time. We stopped at Cove Mountain Shelter for lunch and to get water. The spring was a real pain to get to. It was a ways down this really steep hill from the shelter. There were also a ton of gypsy moths wreaking havoc on the trees and plants in that area. It was really kind of disgusting. We hyrdated and ate and relaxed there for quite a while before finally getting back on the trail. We soon got to Hawk Rock, a great lookout where one can see the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers and the town of Duncannon. We descended down the mountain and were greeted by my parents and Ruth Cox. They had cold sodas and snacks for us. We left a bunch of sodas for other hikers. Hopefully someone got some trail magic out of it! My parents took Sutton back to Boiling Springs to his ride and I went to Ruth's house to get cleaned up. I was able to get a great shower and then Ruth, my parents, and I all went out to eat. It was a great time! We ate and talked and then returned to Ruth's house. She was gracious enough to offer me a place to stay for the night, which was great! We talked a bit more at her place before my parents had to get back to Williamsport. I stayed at Ruth's and had an amazing night of sleep! I will be seeing my parents again on July 2nd when they pick me up from the Delaware Water Gap!
Today (the 25th) I will be hitting the trail in the afternoon and will be meeting Josh Williard, his brother Ben, and possibly Stamatis, I mean Spartacus, on the trail. They are going to hike this evening to Peters Mountain Shelter with me and then all day Tuesday as well! Should be a good time! I will be sure to post again as soon as I can.
Oh yeah and if my dad had a trail name it would be "Bubba!" Haha!
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