Start: PA Route 645
Destination: Tent Site
Trail Miles: 14.4
Total Trail Miles: 214.4
State: Pennsylvania
We made waffles at the lodge for breakfast and our ride was there to pick us up right at 7:30 am. Thanks again, Smitty!!! You rock and we appreciate your help! We were on the trail by 8:00 am and I thought it was going to be a great "easy" hiking day. The plan was to hike 17 miles. But like so many plans on the trail, it didn't work out that way.
There's a very good reason they call this part of the trail "Rocksylvania". And hearing about it over and over again doesn't quite prepare you for what your feet will go through. I call them the Sole Shredders. It's certainly a double entendre without the racy part, because they're also Soul Shredders. You get my meaning here. By mile 11.5 my feet were toast. I mean, I wanted to pitch my tent right there on the trail. The only reason I kept going was because my dearest cousin, Driftwood drifted along the rocks to mile 14.4 to a tent site we had mentioned earlier in the day.
I physically hobble into camp. No wonder why people curse the trail in PA! So I immediately set up camp, tried to enjoy Driftwood's fire he had going so beautifully, ate a quick dinner (ramen...not enough water for my mashed potatoes and green beans) and tended to these foreign objects that used to be my feet.
I cleaned them, rubbed them and elevated them. Took more Ibuprofen than I want to admit and relaxed in my tent with my feet up. It worked!!! I'm writing this part of the entry the next day and I am here to tell you my feet recovered remarkably! But today was Driftwood's day for feet shredding. It happens to us all.
There were some very beautiful parts of the day. I reached the famous 501 shelter about two miles into my hike. The caretaker, Borderline, lives next door and sees to it this shelter remains the best on the trail. It has four walls, a hot shower, recycle, power, privy, and board games. The highlight for most people...drumroll...pizza will be delivered there!
Borderline saw an Amish family with their horse and buggy on the road and invited them to the shelter for water and feeding their horse. I spent about 45 mins with this wonderful family. The oldest, Benjamin is interested in the hiking the AT. He and a friend made their long distance packs! MADE them. I mean, I can't sew a button and this 13 year old designed and sewed his backpack. It was impressive and humbling to say the least.
We all learned so much about each other in that short time. They shared a song with us in which their whole family sang. Borderline even sang us a song about the trail! It was surreal and uplifting. They gave me the most amazing granola bars I've ever eaten. They made them from scratch and I will never look at another granola bar the same!
When it was time to leave them the kids put on their rollerblades (which they were planning to wear DOWN the mountain to give the horse some relief) and walked me down the trail. Hanna, Rubin, James, Ben, Anna...they all walked with me. It was very sweet. The questions didn't stop until we parted ways. We didn't get any pictures as the family understandably requested no pics of the kiddos.
So, my morning was a little slow! Borderline told me about a swimming hole right off the trail! Fun! I found it about 5.7 miles up the trail from 501 (no, I didn't order pizza, it was 8 am, but I wanted to, I wanted to). And I just wanted to spend the day there! There is a rope to swing into the green, quite freezing water.
Today was also the swat-your-face day. The bugs were relentless! This is how it went down. Take a step, swat. Take a step, swat, swat. Mid-step, swat, stumble on a rock, curse. Then repeat. So, I stopped, removed my pack, found my bug net and put it on. Realized the little rascals still dive bomb your ears through the bug net. It's insane asylum driving crazy. So, take my pack off, add my ear buds to my ears under the bug net. Walk a few feet, suffocate in the bug net, take my pack off and shove the bug net back into my pack and deal with the bugs.
Destination: Tent Site
Trail Miles: 14.4
Total Trail Miles: 214.4
State: Pennsylvania
We made waffles at the lodge for breakfast and our ride was there to pick us up right at 7:30 am. Thanks again, Smitty!!! You rock and we appreciate your help! We were on the trail by 8:00 am and I thought it was going to be a great "easy" hiking day. The plan was to hike 17 miles. But like so many plans on the trail, it didn't work out that way.
There's a very good reason they call this part of the trail "Rocksylvania". And hearing about it over and over again doesn't quite prepare you for what your feet will go through. I call them the Sole Shredders. It's certainly a double entendre without the racy part, because they're also Soul Shredders. You get my meaning here. By mile 11.5 my feet were toast. I mean, I wanted to pitch my tent right there on the trail. The only reason I kept going was because my dearest cousin, Driftwood drifted along the rocks to mile 14.4 to a tent site we had mentioned earlier in the day.
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| See the trail? |
I cleaned them, rubbed them and elevated them. Took more Ibuprofen than I want to admit and relaxed in my tent with my feet up. It worked!!! I'm writing this part of the entry the next day and I am here to tell you my feet recovered remarkably! But today was Driftwood's day for feet shredding. It happens to us all.
There were some very beautiful parts of the day. I reached the famous 501 shelter about two miles into my hike. The caretaker, Borderline, lives next door and sees to it this shelter remains the best on the trail. It has four walls, a hot shower, recycle, power, privy, and board games. The highlight for most people...drumroll...pizza will be delivered there!
Borderline saw an Amish family with their horse and buggy on the road and invited them to the shelter for water and feeding their horse. I spent about 45 mins with this wonderful family. The oldest, Benjamin is interested in the hiking the AT. He and a friend made their long distance packs! MADE them. I mean, I can't sew a button and this 13 year old designed and sewed his backpack. It was impressive and humbling to say the least.
We all learned so much about each other in that short time. They shared a song with us in which their whole family sang. Borderline even sang us a song about the trail! It was surreal and uplifting. They gave me the most amazing granola bars I've ever eaten. They made them from scratch and I will never look at another granola bar the same!
When it was time to leave them the kids put on their rollerblades (which they were planning to wear DOWN the mountain to give the horse some relief) and walked me down the trail. Hanna, Rubin, James, Ben, Anna...they all walked with me. It was very sweet. The questions didn't stop until we parted ways. We didn't get any pictures as the family understandably requested no pics of the kiddos.
So, my morning was a little slow! Borderline told me about a swimming hole right off the trail! Fun! I found it about 5.7 miles up the trail from 501 (no, I didn't order pizza, it was 8 am, but I wanted to, I wanted to). And I just wanted to spend the day there! There is a rope to swing into the green, quite freezing water.
Today was also the swat-your-face day. The bugs were relentless! This is how it went down. Take a step, swat. Take a step, swat, swat. Mid-step, swat, stumble on a rock, curse. Then repeat. So, I stopped, removed my pack, found my bug net and put it on. Realized the little rascals still dive bomb your ears through the bug net. It's insane asylum driving crazy. So, take my pack off, add my ear buds to my ears under the bug net. Walk a few feet, suffocate in the bug net, take my pack off and shove the bug net back into my pack and deal with the bugs.
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| Swimming Hole |
I didn't get any pictures of Driftwood's fire, but maybe his name should be Firestarter. It was pretty special. I included some of the beautiful views from today below. It really was a great day, other than the soul shredders.
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| Ray of Sun |
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| Beautiful Morning |
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| View of the farms |
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| Shire! OK, moss, but close |
Tomorrow we hike to Port Clinton, it's about 11 miles. Driftwood's good friend, Lisa and her family is putting us up for the night! They live on a farm. I'm excited! Laundry, good people, and a farm. Couldn't ask for a better way to spend my evening. No zero day, so we'll be back on the trail in the next day.
Happy Trails!
Punky Shire
One Step at a Time.
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