Records 61 to 70 of 83

Flax and I were up at 5:30 and in the motel lobby for the deluxe continental breakfast at 6:00. After a hearty meal we went back to our room, rested and packed. The motel provided a free shuttle back to the trail and we were walking again at 9:02.

This part of the trail features huge tulip poplar trees. They are 2' to 3' or more in diameter and straight as an arrow. The first branches on many of them are 30' or more from the ground. Timber buyers would be in hog heaven if they ever turned this forest loose for harvest. I pray they never do.

At 12:30 we experienced a real trail oddity. Phenom and Dead Robot Beat (top left in the photo) were in the middle of the trail filming a rap video. A girl was playing the music on a boom box as the boys lip-synced the lyrics. The name of the country rap song they were singing is "Train Track Travelin". The film crew is Fly By Night Films. They asked Flax and me to walk by with our packs on while they were filming. We may be in a rap video. Wouldn't that be something.

Today's walk was all at lower elevations. There was a lot brush and poison ivy along the trail.

At 2:45 we met three members of the Potomac AT Club (PATC, pronounced Patsy), the group that maintains this section of the AT. We thanked them for their work and chatted a while.

At 3:04 we passed members of Scout Troops 1833 and 884, both from the Gainesville, VA, area. They were on a shakedown hike in preparation for Philmont later this summer. We talked Scouting for a while and said goodbye.

By the way, I forgot to tell you how Flaxseed got his name. At home Flax is a vegetarian and he gets all his fat from flaxseed oil. So, he named himself Flaxseed. He was supposed to give you more details but he's already snoring over there under his tarp. Lucky rascal.

Today we walked from US522, mile 955.2, to the 2nd stream crossing north of Ashby Gap, US50, at mile 976.6, a total of 21.4 miles. God bless every last one of you.

Flax and I were walking at 5:35 today . Our partnership has progressed to the point that we walk together now. I take the lead in the mornings, Flax in the afternoons. It works out well this way.

We have been seeing a lot of wild strawberries and wild cherries the past two days.

This was a difficult day. We had undulating topography with rocks all day. In fact, at 8:30 there was a sign posted by the Potomac AT Club that read: You are now entering the Roller Coaster. And then something about 'if you survive'. We survived but it was tough.

At 12:00 we arrived at The Bear's Den, an ATC hostel. It is an old stone residence that has been converted to a hostel. We bought some soft drinks and ate lunch there.

At 2:45 we left Virginia after 535 miles and entered West Virginia (photo). Tomorrow we will be in Harper's Ferry, WV, the home of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

At 3:00 we watched some rock climbers negotiate a bluff.

Today's walk started at mile 976.6 and ended at David Lesser Memorial Shelter, mile 999.7, a total of 23.1 miles. God bless all of you.

We departed our night's camp at 5:12 this morning. A thick fog covered the forest, possibly the thickest we have seen to date.

Earlier I mentioned seeing gypsy moth traps and an informational poster about aerial spraying for gypsy moths. Now we are witnessing destruction of the forest canopy caused by the gypsy moth caterpillar. They eat part of the leaves, then cut and destroy the rest. The floor of the forest is thick with riddled, half-eaten leaves. They have denuded acres upon acres of forest. Looking up from the valleys you can see gray areas where the trees are bare. In many places there are so many of them at work that it sounds like it is raining. They are at work 24/7. We here the chewed leaves falling all night long as we lay under our tarps.

At 9:00 we were crossing the Shenandoah River (photo) going into Harpers Ferry, WV. By 9:25 we were at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy office. We spent about an hour there. I picked up my drop box, we signed in and had our picture taken for the through hiker records.

We probably should have resupplied and continued walking but we decided to stay over. Now, after a big lunch at the Country Café and a grocery run for Flax and a long nap, we are feeling guilty and a little bored. It's 5:40 now and the room is already paid for so we are going to walk down by the river to the historical district to get some exercise and find a place to eat supper.

Old downtown Harpers Ferry is a National Park. We walked through it to the Secret Six where we ate supper. As we were returning to the motel we caught a ride with Emmuel Skinarkis, a Greek immigrant from the island of Crete. Emmuel, 63, and the father of two college educated
daughters, has led an interesting life, including jumping a ship to America at age 15, and stints in Alaska and the Yukon. He works as a chef in Charles Town, WV. He plans to retire soon and move back home to San Barbara, Crete, where he can look out over both the Lybian and Cretian seas.

Now, Flax will provide more information about flaxseed oil. It is very high in Omega 3 and also Omega 6 fatty acids. It has no trans fats and is low in saturated fat. Many people call it 'brain food' because the human brain is mostly fat. It does not clog arteries as does animal fat. Flax uses it just as you would use butter or olive oil. You cannot cook with it because of its low flash point.

Today we walked from the David Lesser Memorial Shelter at mile 999.7 to Harpers Ferry, WV, mile 1009.1, a total of 9.4 miles. By the way, though not the numerical half-way point, Harpers Ferry is considered the traditional half-way point on the AT. And, today we passed the 1000 mile mark.

Flax and I packed up, ate the motel's continental breakfast which started at 6:30 and were on the trail at 7:00.

The trail took us through old Harpers Ferry where we ate supper last night. We walked by the arsenal where John Brown attempted to seize federal weapon stores. Next we crossed the Potomac River on a railroad bridge and entered Maryland. Harpers Ferry is located at the confluence of the Shenandoah River and Potomac River.The next three miles or so ran along the old C&O towpath next the canal.

The mountains here are not as high as they have been. The elevation at the Potomac River crossing was only 260' and our highest elevation for the day only 1750' at Lamb's Knoll, the site of a Civil War battle. We passed another Civil War battle site at Crampton Gap. All of these places have memorials and historical informational kiosks.

At 11:06 we met Singe and Old Yeller, two young through hikers. They got their names because Singe singed her fleece sweater in a campfire early in Georgia and Old Yeller yelled when he talked while listening to his Ipod. Singe said to tell you she's glad to be walking again after ten days off the trail with a bad cut on the bottom of her foot. She cut it while swimming barefoot in the Shenandoah River.

At 4:15 we walked off trail a short distance to the Washington Monument (photo). As you can see this is not the one in DC. This monument was built in 1827 by volunteers from the village of Boonsboro, Maryland. It was added to and changed over the years, but restored to its present original form in 1934. Flax and I climbed an interior spiral staircase to an observation deck on top. There was quite a view to the west up there. You could see as far as Hagerstown, Maryland. (I don't know the two letter abbreviation for Maryland. Is it MD?)
We are in a more populated area now. All of our water today was obtained from spigots at the various parks and historical sites we passed through.

Today we walked from Harpers Ferry, WV, mile 1009.1, to Pine Knob Shelter, mile 1032.1, a total of 23.0 miles. We set our tarps up in the rain and cooked and ate supper under the shelter. A gentle rain is falling as I complete this report. Should be good sleeping tonight. God bless you all.

It rained off and on last night and ended just before first light. We broke camp and were walking at 5:45.

At 9:45 we met volunteer trail workers Bob and Polly Cave of Waynesboro, PA. They are members of the Mountain Club of Maryland. Bob, a retired Pennsylvania State Policeman, has hiked many sections of the AT. Polly said she loves the trail, it sure is beautiful.

At 11:08 we crossed Little Antietam Creek. This has got to remind you of the Civil War.

At 1:28 we arrived at Pen-Mar Park where we dried our wet gear and ate lunch. There was a concession stand there. I consumed 4 ice cream sandwiches.

At 3:30 we crossed the Mason-Dixon Line into Pennsylvania. There was no state line sign but the guide book said the railroad track was the state line. In today's photo I am still just inside Maryland.

At 4:53 we passed Barry Manilow again, the first time we've seen him since I featured him in this journal. He said his mom loved the posting and she is checking the website regularly. He has cousins and other family keeping up with it too.

Tonight we chose to stay in a shelter because another big thunderstorm came up at about 5:30. O2, 58, and Too Many Birthdays, 64, are here with us tonight. You already know how O2 got his name, Too Many Birthdays ought to be self explanatory. Too Many Birthdays says he is glad to be in his home state. He is from Pittsburgh.

Today we walked from Pine Knob Shelter, mile 1032.1, to Deer Lick Shelter, mile 1054.8, a total of 22.7 miles.

It rained all night and was still raining when Flax and I awakened at 4:20. As we packed the rain increased. We were both out of water so Flax volunteered to walk .2 mile in the rain to fetch water for both of us. That's Flax, always thinking of others. He came back empty. It was still dark and he couldn't find the spring. We decided to start walking and get water later. Ironically, not 50 yards north of the shelter a small, free flowing stream crossed the trail, a stream not listed in the guidebook. It rained off and on all morning.

At 10:10 we met Wes Foltz, a park naturalist at Caledonia State Park. We were about 5 miles south of the park when we saw Wes. He told us that the park property was once owned by Thaddeus Stevens, an outspoken abolitionist and statesman during the Civil War era. Stevens owned over 20,000 acres here and was a leader in underground railroad activities.

At 11:10 we reached US30. We walked a half a mile west to Taorminas Italian Restaurant for lunch. Now here is the bitter part of today's title. After lunch Flax stayed behind and I hiked on. Flax's sister, Janice, was to meet him tonight to hike with him for a while. She was flying into DC and taking a shuttle to the trail at US30.
Neither Flax nor I know when or if we will see each other on the trail again. We said goodbye in the traditional AT manner, 'See you down (or up) the trail'. I will miss my friend, Flaxseed. I already do.

At 4:41 I met Ridgerunner, John Shryock, headed south. John works for the state keeping things in check on this part of the trail. Like me he grew up in Louisville. He graduated from Western High School in Shively in 1965.

The 'sweet' part of today's title was today's walk on wonderful trails through beautiful country. I walked through pine grove after pine grove. Mountain laurel is blooming, streams are running clear and cold, chipmunks are skittering. And it was cool and overcast all day. A good day to walk in the woods.

Today I walked from Deer Lick Shelter, mile 1054.8, to just past Toms Run Shelter, mile 1084.2, a total of 29.4 miles. Today's photo is my good friend, Flaxseed, on top of the Washington Monument a few days ago. I'll miss you Flax. May God bless all of you.

My tarp site was soft and comfortable so I slept in today, not getting up until 5:15. The forest duff under my ground sheet must have been 6" thick. I was walking at 6:00.

At approximately 7:10am I reached mile 1087.0, the midpoint between Springer and Katahdin for the "Class of 2007". The midpoint varies from year to year as the trail is changed and rerouted.

At 7:25 I walked into Pine Grove Furnace State Park. This is the home of the "Half Gallon Club" that celebrates reaching the midpoint. To join the club you buy a half-gallon of ice cream as soon as you arrive at the camp store and eat it as fast as you can. Sadly, the camp store did not open until 9:00. I walked on.

My drop box and summer quilt were at the Park's Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel, 20 trail miles south of Boiling Springs, PA. The hostel accepts hiker packages, but does not ship or forward. Boiling Springs has a post office. I had enough food for today, so, to save weight and facilitate shipping my sleeping bag back home tomorrow I decided to walk on to Boiling Springs and hitch a ride back to the park later today. Am I becoming a logistical genius or what?

At 8:00 I reached the fixed midpoint marker (photo). I signed the register and left a note for Flax and his sister.

Almost all the through hikers are sporting crocs as camp shoes this year. They are "in" you might say. You know about Yellow Shoes and his yellow crocs. Last night at Tom's Run Shelter I met brothers, Sheephead (a card game) and Dealer Dan. Dealer Dan's crocs were hot pink. Here's my question. Why carry camp shoes? My walking shoes are the most comfortable and best fitting I can buy. When I reach camp I simply take off my socks and loosen my shoelaces. This saves weight and bulk. OK, no more gear talk.

There were sink holes off the side of the trail all day today. At 3:10 five or six big ones bordered both sides of the trail. It makes me wonder if this is cave country. There are many sink holes along the trails in the national park above Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.

I saw zero through hikers today - zero. Very unusual.

I arrived in Boiling Springs, PA, at 4:00. A man walking his dog directed me to the Gelinas B&B. Mr. Lee Gelinas graciously took me in and his son drove to Pine Grove Park to pick up my boxes while I dined at the Boiling Springs Tavern (circa 1837). I had a big, thick pork chop with trimmings and something called Chocolate Decadence with a big scoop of ice cream added. Later, here at the B&B, I ate a pint of vanilla ice cream with a pint of Hershey's chocolate milk shake. That almost makes me a member of the Half Gallon Club.

Today I walked from Tom's Run Shelters, mile 1084.2, to Boiling Springs, PA, mile 1107.3, a total of 23.1 miles. Tomorrow breakfast is at 8:30. After that I will mail a box home and hit the trail. God bless all of you. He sure has and is blessing me. Praise His Holy Name.

I was packed and ready to go before our 8:30 breakfast. In my drop box I got new shoes, a new ground sheet, a new sleeping pad and my summer quilt. I shipped my sleeping bag home. I also got a new storage card for the photos on the PDA and sent the old one home with the sleeping bag. Only one problem. I couldn't get the new storage card to work. I asked Lee and his son if they knew a computer guru. Sure enough Lee's son's nephew, Christopher Jones, was the man. A phone call got him out of bed, he was at the B&B in minutes and had my PDA working again in seconds. Thanks Christopher.

After breakfast I went to the post office and started walking at 9:52. At 10:05 I visited the ATC regional center here in Boiling Springs.

There were a lot of mulberry trees along the trail at first. I used to eat them as a kid. They remind me of the Dr. Suess book, "The Things I Saw on Mulberry Street".

For the first four hours today the trail wound through wheat fields (photo) and corn fields and the adjacent woods as it criss-crossed rolling agricultural land making its way back to the ridge. This part of Pennsylvania is beautiful country. The farms and landscape remind you of a Currier and Ives print. Everything is neat and in its place. It gives you a good feeling about this country of ours, a confident feeling, a feeling that we must, and will, protect our freedom and our way of life.

At 2:30 I met Ridgerunner, Nightline (Ray), at the ATC's Scott Farm Maintenance Center.

Believe it or not mosquitoes are buzzing tonight for the first time since I started. My summer quilt has attached netting. I'm fixin' to give it a try.

Today I walked from Boiling Springs, PA, mile 1107.3, to just past Cove Mountain Shelter, mile 1128.9, a total of 21.6 miles. Not bad after starting at 10:00am. Happy Fathers Day to Gil, Sam, Glen and Chad. God bless all of you.

Oh, by the way, I was born on this date in 1942. I got busy planning this trip and didn't have time to sign up for Medicare. Will somebody sign me up please? I may need to file a claim before this is over.

I broke camp and hit the trail at 5:00 today. By 6:00 I was looking down on the Susquehanna River and Duncannon, PA. At 6:48 I dropped down off the foot of the mountain into Duncannon. I was on a mission - a real breakfast.

At 7:10 I arrived at Goodie's Restaurant on Market Street across from the Doyle Hotel. Katrina was my waitress. When she brought the check she made made day. On the back she had written, "Have A Happy Fathers Day". I thanked her and took her picture holding the check with the note on it. Thanks again Katrina. You were very thoughtful.

At 8:35 I walked across the Susquehanna River. I've heard about it all my life, read about its important place in our nation's history, but never dreamed I'd be walking over it.

At 8:58 I met Scouts and leaders with Troop 333. Grant Sobolewski, ASM, and Keith Rhodes, parent, were hiking with their boys. I showed them my ring trick. They told me the town they were from but I forgot to write it down. If you guys read this let me know where you are located by responding at 'contact us' on this website.

At 9:40 I met three section hikers, Body Parts and Old Gray Haired Man and His Wife. Old Gray Haired Man and His Wife started in Duncannon this morning. Their 2007 hike will last about three weeks because Old Gray Haired Man, 52, has to return to his job 'herding cats' for a defense contractor. Yep, he said he herds cats all day long.

At 1:08 two southbounders warned me about rattlesnakes and copperheads in a section of rocks not far north. Sure enough 2 miles up the trail other hikers had left notes weighted down by rocks with the same warning. I treaded lightly and expectantly.

Earlier, in comparing topography, I told you that it looked like God grabbed Georgia and North Carolina and stretched them out to make Virginia. The mountains became less steep and the valleys wider. Now it appears He's taken Virginia and done it again. The mountains here seldom exceed 2000' and the valleys both east and west are wide and fertile. The Susquehanna Valley to the west, with its farms, homesteads and villages is some of the most beautiful country I've seen.

At 4:39, just north of PA325 I came upon cold Pepsis in a spring. Trail magic. I drank one and took one for the road. Thanks trail angels.

Today, after about the first 14 miles I decided to see if I could give myself a combined birthday and Fathers Day present. I turned it up a notch and pumped out 32.8 miles, but not without some effort and long hours. As I told you I started at 5:00. I got to camp at 8:30. That's 15 1/2 hours with breaks for breakfast, lunch, water and little else. And, as always, a generous smattering of rocks were encountered. Some younger hikers out here seek to walk their age in a day. My goal was to walk half my age and I accomplished it.

Today I walked from near Cove Mountain Shelter, mile 1128.9, to Rausch Creek, mile 1161.7, a total of 32.8 miles. May God bless every last one of you.

This morning I slept in and let the birds wake me up at about 5:00. Before rising I completed yesterday's entry. The bugs were too bad to finish last night. I was walking at 7:12.

At 8:20 I stopped to send yesterday's posting and four through hikers came up from behind. They were G. G., Tom Dooley, Roxie and Pooch of Honesdale, PA. Roxie and Pooch are featured in today's photo. Roxie's food is in her saddle bags. No joke. Pooch, her owner, is the girl on the right. They are all walking to raise money for the animal shelter where a Pooch found Roxie, www.dessinshelter.com.

A little later, at 9:27, I crossed PA443 where there was deluxe trail magic. P. A. Jeff, Linglestown, PA, was parked under a shade tree cooking burgers. P. A., a former through hiker, said he knows what it's like on the trail and remembers all the folks that helped him when he was hiking. We had burgers, sodas and chips, all we could eat. Tom Dooley even sang his namesake song. What a breakfast. Thanks P. A.

At 12:44 I passed BSA Venture Crew 615, Pottsville, PA, headed south for a 14 mile day hike. Tammy and Ann were their leaders.

After several days of not seeing other through hikers I met two more. Talk about herding cats. At 2:30 Bicycle Barb and Aussie were eating lunch beside Blue Mountain Spring. They met at Springer and have been hiking together since. Aussie, obviously from down under, has 15 grandchildren. She tops me by 2.

At 4:30 I stopped in at 501 Shelter to get water for the night and met Billy Goat and Little Pony, man and wife. Billy Goat quit his job and they sold their home to hike the AT. When I arrived Billy Goat was writing checks to cover their COBRA health insurance that covers them between jobs. I've got a better deal. One of my sons and my business partners agreed to do my job for me while I'm out here. And, I didn't have to sell my house. A much better deal.

I haven't mentioned it for a while but I want to remind you that we are still walking this same eastern dividing ridge. Regardless of where we are routed or for what reason; to pass through gaps, cross Interstates, cross rivers, meander through trail towns, the trail always brings us back up to this ridge where we spend most of our time. It's a pretty neat place to spend time.

Today I walked from Rausch Creek, mile 1161.7, to near Shikellimy Overlook, mile 184.4, a total of 22.7 miles. May God's bless all of you.

Records 61 to 70 of 83