Day 118 - (27/10/2016)

Another early start this morning, with Flatlander and I hitting the trail at 7. Nothing really remarkable to note. More beautiful autumn hiking, and some nice views. Near the end of our day we ran into a friendly couple who were out watching for hawks. They gave us water, pretzels, goldfish, and grapes and we had a good chat. Blueberry Crisp (a hiker from Québec City) caught up to us, and we all three made our way to the shelter.

Tomorrow we head into Townville for showers and laundry at the fire hall , then on to Daleville for resupply and BBQ!

Start: tentsite

End: Wilson Shelter 

Distance: 23.9 miles

Day 117 - Throw me the idol; I’ll throw you the whip! (26/10/2016)

Flatlander and I had planned to get up early, have breakfast at Bosses, then try our luck with an early morning hitch to the trailhead. Breakfast was foiled by Bosses bring closed on Wednesdays. We made do with breakfast sandwiches from the grocery freezer.

We lucked out on the ride, though. A former thru-hiker who was on his way to do some trail work saw us, turned around, and gave us a ride so we hit the trail at 8am.

Mostly we hiked separately, but met for lunch, and to play on the Guillotine. Flatlander and I are on different schedules, so I imagine she'll dart off ahead eventually, but it was nice to have a hiking buddy again for the day.

Speaking of hiking buddies, Pancake had to have a root canal done today, so cross your fingers that she recovers quickly.

Start: Glasgow, VA

End: Campsite below Floyd Mountain

Distance: 21.5 miles

Day 116 - Dog Days of Autumn (25/10/2016)

Coldest morning to date. Temperatures dropped to 2 Celsius, which would have been colder at elevation. The wind didn't help. Between that and the start of an illness (a cold, of course), it was a slow start. And an odd one.

Around a half hour into my walk, I saw a motionless lump in the middle of the trail. Now, the trail here was narrow, and with a steep ascent on my left, and a steep drop on the right. I thought maybe someone had dropped a piece of gear. Until it lifted its head and i realized it was a dog! Clearly a family pet, since it had both a collar with a bell on it, and either a bark collar, or an invisible fence collar. In any case, I tried to get her to come to me but she was very wary and immediately started down the trail. She'd go up a but, stop and look back, then when I got too close she'd move on again. Eventually I lost her at a fork in the road where I think she took the side trail.

Too bad. I'd built up a little fantasy where her owners didn't want her back, so I had her join me all the way to Springer. In any case, I hope her family finds her soon.

The day ended in Glasgow, VA when I (and 3 other hikers) waited over two hours for a hitch into town. It turned out there was a nice town-provided shelter with power and a hot shower. That and the chance to have some wine and play gin rummy was enough to keep me in place.

Start: near Saltlog Gap

End: Glasgow VA

Distance: 8 miles

Day 102 - Into the Virginias (11/10/2016)

This is my last day of slack packing, so I decided to go for another big day. Papa Wallaby dropped me off in Harpers Ferry, WV (yep, another state done) and I headed north. The fog on the river created a stunning view as I crossed the bridge.

Day 101 - The Dalmatian of Days (10/10/2016)

I decided on a more modest day today, in part for logistical reasons and in part because I'm still a bit tired. I ran into all of the usual suspects. I'm really beginning to like this cohort of SOBOs. Shakespeare and Flatland, and BXE are too fast for me, but I hope to get more time hiking with Cinderella and Waterboy. So far I've only ever met them while NOBOing.

By far the coolest wildlife experience I've had was today. On the trail, I noticed a large bird on a branch just 30 or 40 yards down the trail. I stopped and tried to get my phone out to take a picture. Just as I was pulling it out, the bird (I think an eagle) flew from the branch and directly at me! It passed with it's wings fully spread out, no more than a foot from my waist, and soared on into the forest and out of sight.

Papa Wallaby tells me that's a good omen. I wish good omens weren't so close to being attacked by a large bird of prey.

Also, I finished Pennsylvania. So that's 8 of 14 states down.

Just as I was ending my hike, I ran into Pancake who had twisted her ankle and was struggling. I offered to give her a ride to Walmart for a resupply, so she and Papa Wallaby met and Papa Wallaby got to play Trail Angel!

Start: Wolfville Rd, Maryland
End: Old Forge Rd, Pennsylvania
Distance: 17.6 miles

Day 99 - The Wayne Gretzky of Days (8/10/2016)

Back to that NOBO life! I headed out for a 30 mile day this morning. I wore my running shoes, which was mostly fine except that my feet have clearly gotten bigger by about a half-size. I even ran for a few kilometers (in the wrong direction for part of it. sigh.). Papa Wallaby spent the day doing Papa Wallaby things (it involves a huge chocolate bar from the Hershey's factory). NOBO ing was just as much fun again - ran into BXE, Pancake, Trout, Chef, Cinderella, Waterboy, Shakespeare, and Flatland. I only just made it before dark.

Most remarkably, I hit the midpoint of the trail! The miles I have left are now smaller than the miles I've done!

Not the real midpoint anymore, but the most impressive sign.

Start: Old Forge Rd.

End: Pine Grove Furnace

Distance: 30.1 miles

Day 96 - Blueberry Pancakes Marathon (5/10/2016)

Our neighbour at the campsite this morning decided to harmonize with the trains by running his diesel engine for about an hour beside my tent. Suffice to say that I didn't sleep well.

Pancake slept even worse and woke to find someone had hacked her iCloud account and was sending Chinese spam messages.

In that mood, we headed into Duncannon for breakfast. Popping into Goodies Restaurant, we found Flatlander and Shakespeare already there waiting for their food. As we sat down, the food arrived and the three biggest pancakes I've ever seen were placed in front of Flatlander, who had unwittingly also ordered two sides.

Her hiker hunger was being tested. Her thru-hiker credentials were on the line.

Immediately I decided to order three blueberry pancakes. I also had Pancake and Shakespeare trying to convince me to try something called "scrapple." Here is how the waitress described scrapple when asked:

"It's all the parts of the pig you don't eat."

I ordered bacon.

Pancake insisted on ordering scrapple so I could taste it. I did. It was as bad as it sounds. Only in PA would that be a normal thing.

My goal had been to do 20 miles or so that but, but Trout pointed out that we were in the Cumberland Valley. That meant everything was private farmland, so camping might be tough. PA is also a stand your ground state, which means that if an owner found me camping, they could legally shoot me. 'merica.

From far enough away, you can't tell how terrible Duncannon is.

I set out anyway. All of PA has been covered in stealth sites. Instead, it turned out Trout was right. There was no camping, and so I decided to just press on to Boiling Springs where there was another train-track-adjacent campsite available. On the way, I picked up with BXE - a recently retired math teacher from North Carolina who had come to the same decision I had, and was about to finish his second consecutive 30+ mile day. BXE had arranged a hostel though, so when we arrived in Boiling Springs, we parted ways. As I wandered campsite-ward, an SUV pulled up and BXE's hostel talked me into staying there for $12, where I could get a hot shower, and a quiet, warm, and comfortable place to sleep.

This would have been both warmer and more comfortable.

I got two of those things. The sleeping quarters at this "hostel" was a small shelter with three walls, two of which were trellis fencing. The beds were a triple-decker bunk bed. But before you go imagining a lofty space with high-ceilings, let me assure you: there was only space for a regular bunkbed. It was as if the bunks were designed by the same engineer who came up with economy class seating on airplanes. Imagine morgue drawers, but without the convenient drawer sliding mechanism. Also, the "mattresses" were just thin foam mats. So after bundling up in all of my clothes, and yoga-folding myself into the middle bunk, I realised that would have been much warmer and far more comfortable in my tent. The hostel was quieter, though. And the shower was hot (though I was about to go off trail for a few days of hotel, so that wasn't worth $12).

Anyway, on a more positive note I have a new "biggest day", and I've now completed the marathon challenge.

Start: Duncannon
End: Boiling Springs
Distance: 26.9 miles.

Day 92 - Shhh. Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits. (1/10/2016)

It's hunting season! The whole day was punctuated by gunshots in the distance. Like, a lot of gunshots. I've decided it's time to put away my deer impressions and wear orange.

SC and Pancake had planned to head to Hamburg for dinner, then find a stealth site near the road. I decided to join them, and we also met with Shakespeare (who I hadn't seen since Maine) and Flatland.

By the time Pancake finished her laundry, and we got Shakespeare and Flatland back to their shelter, it was 9 pm. That's around midnight HST (Hiker Standard Time). SC dropped Pancake and I off at the trailhead and started for home, while we night-hiked in the rain over rocky ground to find a stealth site.

So after three months, I've done just under 1,000 miles (987.7). Phew.

Start: Port Clinton
End: stealth near PA183
Distance: 14.7 miles