8/13/98
Bornjourno Papa! (that's a line from the movie "Breaking Away") phew! I've managed to stumble down to Pa finally and again, this time on foot. By the time you get this I'm sure I'll be @ the 1/2 waypoint or beyond. That point lies @ Pine Grove Furnace State Park just south of Boiling Springs. The tradition on the AT is @ the 1/2 way point thru-hikers eat a 1/2 gallon of ice cream in one sitting. I think I'll pass that one up [too] as 1/2 gallon of dairy will run through me like the wind @ this point it's tough for me in this heat, as usual, my stomach gets to feel not so much like eating and of course eating is essential out here. Especially for me with not much extra to spare. But anyways…I really have to force myself to eat lately.
Had a very tough day today and yesterday as well. Yesterday I got a late start and spent mucho time in Port Clinton sorting my mail so I ended up hiking until 9:30 pm, in the dark, just to get 23 miles in. I was basically hiking to find water last night which is quite sparse @ times in Pa. And I got so tired and sick of stumbling around in the dark that @ 9:30 pm I just whipped out the bivy and lay down right on the trail, skipping food and drink for the night. And of course I felt like crapola in the morning, being awakened by hunger pains and dehydration aches as well as a nice morning rain shower!!
So @ 5 am up I jumped, speed pack the bag, and continue walking for water, still in the dark!! When I finally hobbled to a spring, 15 miles later, I managed to fix a wonderful tuna and rice dinner -> about 10 hours late. Needless to say the fasting took its toll on me today as I cut the day to a short 20 due to fatigue.
So now I'm sitting here trying to feed my face full of pasta and popcorn so that I can blast trough a good long day tomorrow. Perhaps even to the Susquehanna River! Na…that'd be a 40-mile day. But I can't wait to get there; it's a beautiful river. Unfortunately I've run outta film and no place to buy it before the river so I'll miss that picture for this trip.
Have you found all the rolls and rolls of film I've sent? I think I spent almost half my last roll on one sunset! I'm pretending I'm some kind of professional photographer (yea right!) on a great adventure safari (not quite).
Please note, before I forget: THERE IS A NEW MAIL DROP SCHEDULE -> I will be on time or perhaps ahead of the old one by Harper's Ferry W.Va. Please inform all necessary parties of this…people who may send mail.
I'm going to "hit the sack" for my BIG day tomorrow. More latter…
8.15.98
Saturday…made it to the river this morning after a 31-mile day yesterday through the rain. Rainy days are perfect for big miles: no views, not too hot and who wants to stand around in the rain? Right now I'm sitting by the Susquehanna with 2 newly purchased rolls of film…
Well that [film] didn't last too long, had to get moving.
8.20.98
Sitting @ the Harper's ferry W.Va. american youth hostel right next to the CSX railroad tracks.. right next to the Chesapeake and Ohio former canal now bike path + AT that eastwardly would take one to DC… right next to the Chesapeake river. I'm listening to he (to me) sweet sound of diesel freight trains going through about every 15 minutes. I'm not sure what my fascination is with trains but I think they're fund to watch and listen to. My last few days hiking went like this:
Thursday august 6, 24.6 miles into Delaware water gap pa. From NJ. I arrived @ night 9 pm crossing the Delaware River on the I-80 bridge in the dark illuminated by the highway light. I decided to stay @ the church hostel there where a northbounder told me of potluck Thursday night..free food for the thru-hikers. After being warned thoroughly that the Pennsylvania rocks would tear my feet to ribbons especially in running shoes, and that I'd have to take at least 2 days off before going through the devastating rocks to rest up for them, (anyways!) I decided for myself that since my pack weights 25 lbs. and my feet and ankles are quite strong that I'd have not so much of a problem compared to the 60-lbs. packers.
Friday 15.1 miles to wind gap to pick up my relay mail-drop where I met some folks who thought I was incredible for walking from Maine to Georgia and had never hear of such a thing. Another couple miles to camp on the side of the trail for a total of 19.7 miles.
Saturday was a scorcher through 16+ miles without water and through the Palmerston superfund sight destruction zone. A barren mountain where nearly all life has been ruined. Needless to say, no shade.