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WEEK 10 - May 25 to May 31, 1981 |
May 26, 1981
Ferry fever! That's how the Key's Gap shelter log described the through-hiker's lust to get to Harper's Ferry. It did not strike me, however, until about 2-3 miles out whereupon I practically ran the remaining distance bowling over the holiday hikers in my path. I have stayed the last two nights at the Sandy Hook AYH. Pete had arrived at Harper's Ferry a few hours before I did and thumbed into Washington, DC to visit friends. On the 25th, Labor Day, I walked into Bolivar to restock my supplies. Pete and I shocked a biker at the hostel by taking a "busman's holiday" - a six mile walk down the C+O canal and back. This morning I went to retrieve my mail and send three guidebooks (old) and three guidebooks (new) home. And I am carrying three guidebooks - one unnecessarily, it turns out. The "Floridians" rolled in just as I was going into Harper's Ferry this morning and Pete also showed up as we all went to ATC headquarters where we bought various guidebooks and got our pictures taken for the ATC scrapbook. The woman who took our pictures said that she hoped that she got our feet in the picture as they were the most important part. This afternoon Pete and I covered the nine miles to Crampton Gap at a rather leisurely pace, stoppping at Weverton Cliffs to admire the view (and for me to take pictures). We also stopped at another, somewhat obscured overlook where we justed chatted and looked at the data book. Harper's Ferry is known as the "psychological midpoint" of the trail. The true midpoint lies, as of this evening about sixty miles to the north. In theory, I have just repeated a part of Virginia that I had done previously on day hikes, but I did not recognize any of it. I do, however, remember the Maryland trail quite well. Perhaps the Virginia part was partially relocated (I thought I recognized the trail to the cabin) or was on the "closed" section. That section, the long road walk on Rt 601, is supposed to reopen soon according to the ATC.
May 27, 1981
Still in the process of repeating Maryland today. Covered about twenty miles before the combination of rocky terrain and a heavy pack began to make my ankle sore. Still had lots of time but settled in at Hemlock Hill shelter. Met another thruhiker, Dave, who is just off a two day rest in his home town of Baltimore. Pete has gone on to somewhere around Devil's Racecourse shelter.
May 28, 1981
Out of Maryland and into Pennsylvania for a few miles (222). Pennsylvania has welcomed me with rain. Actually, it has rained on and off all day. It did stop at mid-day long enough for me to have lunch at Pen-Mar. Amazingly, Pete rolled in there as I was finishing lunch. It seems he got a late start to avoid the rain. He didn't manage to avoid it the entire day as it began to rain again just after Mackie Run shelter and rained fairly constantly all the way to our stop at Tumbling Run shelter. Noticed mountain laurel in bloom today. We have stopped fairly early and Pete made mushroom soup which he shared with me.
May 29, 1981
A long day mileage-wise, almost 25 miles to Tom's Run shelter. There are actually two small shelters here instead of one larger one. The same has been true at several Pennsylvania shelter sites. I took a picture of the pair at Birch Gap. The weekend has started and we are among boy scouts and weekenders. Despite the clamor Pete has already crawled into his sleeping bag and attempting to sleep. We both half expected to fin two fellow thruhikers, Chuck and Bob, here when we arrived. They appear to be just ahead of us.
[The following happened at either Quarry Gap or Raccoon Run Shelter, probably the latter. It does not get mention in my log but actually occurred and it is a favorite story of mine. As mentioned above, the southern PA shelter sites have two little shelters rather than one large one. I was fascinated by them and as I walked by I noticed a young lady standing between beteen the two. She was in the process of changing clothes and was naked to the waist. I looked her right in the eye and, referring to the shelters, I exclaimed "Hey! Two cute little ones!" I didn't stop to try to explain.]
May 30, 1981
Halfway to Maine ... at Lime Kiln Road as nearly as I can tell from the 1981 databook. We stopped at the store in Pine Grove Furnace, signed the register, and received our FREE halfway-there popsicle. I chose blueberry flavor. Celebrated the actual halfway point by having lunch with supplemental graham crackers. From now on I can count miles to go instead of miles travelled so far. We finally met Chuck and Bob at the store and they are now behind us. There are incredibly few in front of us - ten at most. Pete has had thoughts of being first to Katahdin but I pointed out that it would take some doing to catch people like "The Bobcat" and "The Wayfaring Stranger". Blueberries are now in full bloom. Gypsy moth caterpillars have completely decimated the trees the last four to five miles. It looks almost like fall with no foliage on the trees. The ground is completely covered with chewed leaves and caterpillar droppings. The falling droppings have made it sound like rain all day! This evening there actually is a light rain - the first test for my patched tent. I wore out another grommet on my backpack hip belt. Now it is symmetrically broken with one grommet missing from each side. I am hoping my boots last the 28 miles to Duncannon. We met two people who maintain the trail in this area and they were very pleased to have through hikers on their section.
May 31, 1981
Survived a night of caterpillar dropping rain and a bit of the genuine kind. The day consisted mostly of a long road walk and the crossing of one trail bike infested mountain. Today was the second through-hiker freebie in as many days as Pete and I stopped to chat for about an hour with "The Ice Cream Lady", Bonnie Shipe, while we enjoyed free Kool Ade and strawberry ice cream. Bonnie lives about halfway along a long road walk and treats the through hikers to ice cream and maintains a register. Her register shows once again that there are only about ten other through hikers in front of us. Have camped tonight at Thelma Marks Memorial shelter. The last two miles here was little more than a white-blazed boulder field. Well, into Duncannon tomorrow for supplies and new shoes. My boots have just about completely disintegrated.