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Day 80 – 84 Southern PA & Maryland
Day 80
Kicking myself somewhat for bailing on my original plan and not hiking another four miles to a shelter. The hostel I stayed at was kinda disappointing. It was a shed with a few bunks and a kitchenette. It felt crowded with me and a couple section hikers. Oh well, live and learn.
Boiling Spring, very popular with the ducks.
The goal for the day was getting to Pine Furnace park as it had a hostel and a small store that was known for its half gallon icecream challenge. I thought the store closed at 4. I found out after hiking pretty hard all day and rolling in at 3:40 that it actually was closing at… 7. Oops.
It’s a miniature Mahoosic notch! That was fun!
Ok, but Maryland is still 50ish miles away?
Did the icecream challenge regardless as I’d heard about it for awhile on trail. I’ve never done one of the food challenges, and this seemed, relatively, easy. It wasn’t too difficult. The record is, somehow, just under 4 minutes. It took me 19 minutes or so and I thought that I was a fast eater. The only particularly uncomfortable part was being quite cold after finishing with however much icecream melting in my stomach and absorbing a bunch of heat.
That was… cold.
Felt pretty much fine after. I planned on, and am, staying at the nearby hostel but I’m pretty sure I could have hiked out and gotten a few more miles done.
After hiking alone for however many days there were a somewhat disorienting number of people.
Woke up today in a tiny hostel and am now in a gigantic one. Ironmasters hostel is in this historic building and it’s huge.
Day 81
I went full tourist this morning. After lackadaisically packing and having breakfast I went to look at the AT museum next door. It was pretty neat, though I couldn’t read everything there as I wanted to get on trail eventually. Sidebar, I watched the Two Towers last night and after breakfast while hiking had the thought that pop tarts are a *really* shitty version of lembas (sp?) bread.
Hands down the largest trail hostel I’ve stayed in. By like 5x
Mild bit of trespassing to photograph old timey room
The hiking highlight for the day was passing the halfway point. Both the showy monument to it as well as, a few miles later, a discreet sign saying err, it’s actually here.
Halfway! Somehow, I manifested a nobo to take a picture. After 5 minutes of trying to take a decent selfie.
Hey you, that other sign back there was lying to you.
Also, the hiking was both pleasant and fairly easy. Which is how I still made the goal mileage of 23 or so despite starting at almost 10.
Crashing at a shelter that I have to myself. Which is good since there’s not much in the way of tenting options here.
Day 82 Maryland!
Things that go bang in the night: large branches falling in the middle of the night and landing on the fire pit / grill. Didn’t realize quite what it was at the time but walked out of the shelter in the morning saying hey that wasn’t there last night.
Glad this type on randomness hasn’t fallen on my tent sometime.
The last fifteen miles of Pennsylvania were pretty chill. This area seems to have fairly popular picnic areas every 10-15 miles which makes water pretty simple.
….I don’t think trespassing means what you think it means.
Getting to tick another state off feels good. Couple more short states and then on to Virginia!
8 down, 6 to go!
The shelter is somewhat crowded as there’s a college orientation group taking up all the tent pads and a group of misc people in the shelter. Would rather tent in this scenario, but all the better spots are gone.
Day 83
It was pretty fun and surprisingly crowded day of hiking. Apparently, Annapolis rock is a big day hiker draw as there were a lot of people on trail for mid-morning on a Wednesday. Hiked past the parking lot and was immediately alone again.
Not sure why Betty Boop was left on the side of the trail, but something to pack out, I suppose.
Except for running into Paper Boy who was setting up trail magic maybe 200 yards later. I certainly wasn’t expecting trail magic given that the nobo bubble is long gone and the sobo’s are fairly spread out. I could easily be one of the only hikers he sees today. Regardless, the sudden extra food was very welcome as I’d shorted my resupply a bit and was rationing snacks.
Washington monument 1.0
Also, I saw the original Washington monument as well as a number of civil war placards and ruins. History was more the scenery of the day versus the continuous wooded ridgeline.
Ideal history hiking: Wasjington history signs spaced such that you can read them without breaking stride
Rolled into the last shelter before town just before dark. I have it to myself which the crowd last night I’m going to appreciate.
Town and a nero tomorrow!
Day 84
Not a lot to write about today. Putzed around the shelter for a bit. It’s the nicest I’ve seen this far and is in great shape despite being built in 2000.
The turnaround from Ed Garvey passing away in late 1999 to having a memorial shelter built by fall 2000 is impressive. Much less for one this nice!
I narrowly missed these two deer posing for me on either side of the trail like a cuter, alternate universe version of the guards of Cirith Ungol.
As expected, had a pretty relaxed hike down off the ridge and a couple mile road walk landed me at the hostel where I did town chores and lounged around all day. Quiet hostel. Only thing it seems to be missing is a TV. After walking through a number of civil war sites I found myself wanting to watch Gettysburg. Alas.
Looking down on the Potomac.
Sometimes it’s nice not to do much.
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