ElizabethClose

July 15- shuttled with Pyro over to boiling springs in the morning and sat at cafe and checked email and posted pics to Facebook while I used their WiFi and ate a Reuben. Met hiker named thumper at ATC office. He told about Kincora hostel-bob peoples runs hostel and organizes Hard Core volunteer events that do major projects on trail. Enjoyed a zero day today. Twinkle toes and wrong way came in from the bar around 5 and said they were going to camp at the hiker site half mile south so I booked there and set up before the good hammock sites got taken. I plan to rest up during the days heat tomorrow and hike the north 14 at night when it's cool. I got a call in to Karla in millinocket to reserve bunks for dad, Kyle and me July 27. I can't believe it's so soon!!! She's going to be able to resupply me in 100 mile wilderness too so I won't have 20 lbs of food to carry. Life is good.


July 16- after laying awake almost all night because trains kept passing the hiker campsite every 30 minutes or hour I got up at 4am packed up and hiked to the ATC office expecting to doze in their Adirondack chairs. Unfortunately somebody was already camped on their porch so I didn't feel right about settling in much. I sat there about an hour and the. Walked around the duck pond taking pictures in the sunrise. Got an egg cheese bagel at the cafe and walked back over to ATC office. Thumper and caveman were there and we chatted while I ate my bagel. They hiked out and I put my head down on the picnic table and snoozed an hour. AT staff came in so I plugged my phone in inside and left it to charge while I went to get some rock star. Mostly sat on the porch all day and talked to people as they came by. Snickelfritz had ordered a new hammock so we played around hanging it on the porch posts until we figured it out. I got a small pizza for lunch and shared it with him then went to nap in the shade in the park. Too many ants and too much foot traffic so I didn't sleep at all. Late in the day I drank the rock stars and headed out. New boots have great stiff soles so the rocks aren't bothering me as much but the toebox is a little narrow so my left foot pinches a bit. I hope they break in soon! 14 miles to the first shelter but I only made it 8.5 miles to 1129.4. After full Sundown I just can't see well by headlamp so I'm crawling along and tripping. I checked Dark Sky for rain(0% most all night so can skip rainfly) slung hammock off trail a smidge and I'm done for today. I HOPE I get a decent night sleep.




July 17- up and out by 5:30. Ran out of fuel at lunch. Glad I bought a small one in boiling springs. Great weather today! Got to Duncannon by 6 - really rundown and depressing little main street. Doyle hotel was closed so no burger - RATS! A couple blocks away I stopped at a convenience store for TP and Grape kickstart, grabbed a block of mild cheddar for dinner. Apparently the Rite aid was pretty far and no guarantee they were open on a Sunday evening. AT passed through a residential area for over a mile then crossed Juniata and Susquehanna rivers on highway bridges. My feet were SO HAPPY to get off pavement and back on steep rocky trail! About a half mile up thenhill there was a sweet camping area with a little view of the Susquehanna. I sat and ate my cheese and watched the sunset. No rain in theforecast for tonight so I don't have to set up the fly. Made it to 1149- 19.6 miles in 15 hours of hiking. I am BEAT!! 144 more miles to Delaware Water Gap. 18 a day will do it for me


July 18 - up and out by 7. I was totally out of water so I ate my granola with grape kick start YEAH MAAAAN!! Made it to water at the first shelter and Lost was there talking to rabbit and crew. Piped spring was sweet and cold so I drank 16 oz as well as filling camelbak. Cooked lunch at table rock and met daya there. A hawk started soaring through the view as I left. Kinda cool. I'm really struggling with pain in my feet and Rocky trails don't help at all. Saw frosty as I was setting camp at 8:30. Glad he's still on trail. 50% chance of rain at 10pm and 0% the rest of the night. I'm totally gambling and leaving the rainfly in my pack. Also didn't hang my bear bag. Both fairly poor life decisions but I'm too tired and in too much pain to give a crap. 1162.6. Only 13.5 miles today. Bleaugh. I'm never going to make Delaware water gap by Tuesday at this rate!