Mile 1143.1 Duncannon, PA

Fri 6/13

I spent the previous night with Sloth and her dad, Disco Duck. After getting a ride back to the trail around noon, I entered the Shenandoahs and hiked 20 miles to Blackrock Hut. I hiked solo in the rain and got to the shelter after dark. I set up camp the best I could but the camping spots weren't very good. I ended up on rocky and uneven ground. I didn't get much sleep this night, not only because of the poor camping spot, but also the whip-poor-wills. The whip-poor-will is a bird with a very annoying call. It's pretty much nature's version of a car alarm going off at 3 am.

Sat 6/14
Golly Green Giant and Landslide hiked with me today. There was a rockscramble to the summit of Blackrock Mountain. 

We took a nap in a parking area along the scenic Skyline Drive, the 105 mile road that runs through the park. The AT crosses Skyline Drive 33 times and most of the views in the park are on the road. I'll have to come back sometime and bike it.

We hiked 13 miles and stayed the night at Pinefield Hut.

Sun 6/15
Landslide and I hiked 7 miles to Smith Roach Gap. Golly hiked on ahead of us. The two of us were taking a break by the road when a man in a black pickup truck pulled up and asked us if we would like to spend a night off trail. His name was Max Factor and he had a timeshare at Massanutten Resort located right outside the park. Every year, Max Factor comes for a week and, each night, picks up a handful of hikers, brings them back to his cabin, feeds them, lets them shower and do laundry, and drives them to the rec center to use the swimming pool and facilities. The cabin is fully stocked with food and we are welcome to anything we want including a resupply for when we go back to the trail. The only condition he had was that we hear his story. Max Factor's son died in 2007. In 2010, Max Factor attempted a thru hike but broke his leg at Fontana, ending his journey. His son's name was Max and the hike was in memory of Max, hence the name Max Factor. Anyway, during his hike, Max Factor met a young man named Gabe whose fiancée had died recently from an aggressive uterine cancer. The trail connected these two individuals in a meaningful way. Max Factor, having suffered the loss of his son, gained a trail son. Max Factor was out here this week just trying to give back to the trail that made such an impact on his life. Max Factor is planning another thru hike for next year. 

Mon 6/16

Max Factor returned us to the trail and I hiked 14 miles and camped next to an overlook on Bearfence Mountain. The trails in the Shenandoahs are pretty overgrown at this point and campsites, other than the ones at the shelters, are rare. I would have hiked farther, but having found an awesome camping spot, I took it. Most of the trail looked like this.

Many hikers in Virginia get the Virginia blues. I have been loving Virginia but I finally felt it tonight. Virginia is a long state, friends are leaving the trail and you are left hiking alone more often, it's hot, and late starters are passing you up making you feel like your not making any progress in your attempt to get to Maine. It can get lonely out here. But hey, I just passed the 900 mile mark!

Tues 6/17

Today I hiked with Big Shep and Hawkeye. We had lunch at one of the waysides within the park. 

After lunch, I took a side trail to Lewis Falls. After being unimpressed with the first couple days in the Shenandoahs, I thought a side trail would be fun. It wasn't. The trail to Lewis Falls was a steep mile downhill and back. The falls wasn't much to see and the trail didn't even take us to the base of the falls. You can see my disappoint. But I did meet a nice couple from Iowa that gave me a Snickers Bar.

I made it to Skyland Resort in the evening and ate dinner there with Big Shep and Hawkeye. The Shenandoah Valley Cloggers Club performed for us. I night hiked to Byrds Nest #3 Hut making 25 miles for the day.

Wed 6/18

I woke up and hit the trail at 5:30 am to try and catch up with Southbound. Southbound misses me.

I found Southbound at Pass Mountain Hut. We hiked to Elkwallow Wayside for lunch and hung out there for awhile to escape the heat. It's hot outside. This was an 18 mile day to Gravel Spring Hut. I saw two bears today. With several hundred bears in the park, hikers are bound to see several of them. I've seen more wildlife in the Shenandoahs so far than any other section along the trail.

Thurs 6/19

I hiked 11 miles to Tom Floyd Shelter. I'm now done with the Shenandoahs. The first couple days in the park weren't that impressive. The northern half was much nicer. Today it rained. I shared the shelter with Southbound and a girl named Ratslinger. Ratslinger is a section hiker known for having rats run across her face at night. She is also known for grabbing them by their tails and slinging them.

Fri 6/20

Today was the most fun I've had on the trail so far. Southbound, Ratslinger, and I hiked three miles and met up with Honey Badger. Honey Badger hiked the trail last year with my friend Ryan and lives nearby. She brought us lots of goodies like fresh fruit, homemade cookies, coffee, doughnuts, and beer. We went to this amazing swimming hole with another 2013 hiker, Barbarosa. 

Here, Ratslinger is getting a foot massage while Southbound is eating watermelon and the woman in the background is moments away from getting naked.

There were girls there too. They loved the Marathon!

Honey Badger took the three of us out for dinner, gave us all belly rubs, and brought us back to the trailhead. 

We picked Sloth up on the way back. Sloth was a little jealous. She wanted a belly rub too. We night hiked to Jim & Molly Denton Shelter. 11 miles for the day.

Sat 6/21

Today is the summer solstice which means naked hiking day! We hiked naked but only for a couple miles. It was cold and rainy.

We hiked 10 miles to Dicks Dome Shelter.

Sun 6/22

Today we hiked through Sky Meadows State Park and then started the 13.5 mile section known as the roller coaster. This is a series of seemingly pointless ups and downs. The AT used to run along a ridgeline but a government operation forced the reroute. The AT is continuously changing and the official length varies from year to year. I love roller coasters and this one is no different. We put out hands up and screamed on the downhills.

Seriously, who needs amusement parks when there is the Appalachian Trail? We camped at the Sam Moore Shelter. 15 miles today.

Mon 6/23

I finished the roller coaster and met a girl on who was a caretaker on trail who invited me to the Blackburn Trail Center for a soda. I didn't really want a soda and the Blackburn Center was a quarter mile off trail, but I remembered Lumpy's advice: Say 'yes' to everything because you never know what good will come from it. So I did it. I got my soda. But I also got a spaghetti dinner! This place was sweet! It had a large wraparound porch and bunkhouse where hikers can stay with a solar shower for us to use and it's all donation based.

I night hiked to the David Lesser Memorial Shelter making 14 miles for the day. Also, 1000 miles done!

Tues 6/24

Sloth and I hiked three miles to Keys Gap and got a ride to Stoneybrook Farm where we got to stay and work for the day. 

We got showers and did laundry then worked planting sweet potatoes and picking weeds.

The farm is run by the Twelve Tribes. Although they don't consider themselves a religious cult, they definetly are. Similar to other hippie cults from the 60s and 70s, this group has small communes around the world. Members sign over all possessions to the group and follow the strict guidelines put forth by a single leader, in this case, the founder, Elbert Spriggs. The group tries to bring in thru hikers thinking that many hikers are unsatisfied with American society and will be sympathic to their lifestyle. The group hopes to open hostels in every trail town along the AT. This is their intertribal newsletter showing where they hope to open hostels to sucker in hikers. 

Members are deprived access to outside news and information. The children have no toys and members are required to beat the children when they misbehave. The group was really interesting and I wanted to stay longer just for the ethnographic value. Also, they fed us and the food there was really good. 

Wed 6/25

Sloth and I got a ride back to Keys Gap and hiked into Harpers Ferry. 

I got my photo taken outside the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and signed the halfway book as is now AT tradition. 

The ATC is not the official halfway point but Harpers Ferry is pretty close. After hiking over 500 miles through Virginia, it felt great to be here. Sloth, Big Sexy, and I had lunch in town and ate ice cream. 

We hiked on to Ed Garvey Shelter. West Virginia is only 4 miles. We are now in Maryland.

Thurs 6/26

We hiked 11 miles to Turners Gap, passing through more historic civil war battlefields and landmarks. 

From Turners Gap, we hitched a ride to Boonsboro. My mom met us in Boonsboro and all of us shared a hotel room in Shepherdstown. Shepherdstown is the oldest town in West Virginia.

 

Fri 6/27

We took a zero day and my mom took us back to Harpers Ferry.

Sat 6/28

My friend, Steve, came out to hike with me today. We worked together in Baxter and he lives in Maryland, not far from the trail. Here is the original Washington Monument.

We can climb the stairs to the top and view the cities below.

We had lunch at Annapolis Rocks.

After 14 miles, Steve's wife picked us up and bought us dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Smithsburg. After being dropped back off, I found Sloth and hiked another five miles to Raven Rock Shelter.

Sun 6/29

Sloth and I got to Pen Mar County Park and hung out there for several hours. Not only was this a nice park, but there were all kinds of festivities going on today. There was live music and dancing, a wedding, and a 1962 high school reunion/ 70th birthday party. There was also a playground! You can't tell but Sloth is spinning quite fast!

The guys having the reunion/ birthday party invited us over and fed us. Not all of them were turning 70 this year. One lady made it a point to tell us that she isn't going to be 70 until next year.

We eventually hiked out and soon crossed the Mason-Dixon Line. We are officially done with the south.

We stayed the night at Tumbling Run Shelters. There are two of them, a snoring shelter and a non-snoring shelter.

13 miles for today.

Mon 6/30

We hitched into Fayetteville for lunch and a resupply at Dollar General. We spent the night at Quarry Gap Shelter after a 12 mile day.

Tues 7/1

After hiking 1092.65 miles, I finally passed the official halfway point.

I saw my first rattle snake around here. In Pine Grove Furnace State Park, I visited the AT Museum. Here, they have artifacts from pioneering hikers and other interesting stuff.

The Pine Grove General Store is the home of the half gallon challenge. I did the ice cream challenge with Red Hawk and Too Long.

The tubs are no longer a full half gallon but we are still considered members of the half gallon club upon completion. In the evening, Sloth and I went to the lake. If you hang out in the water for awhile, the fish will come and check you out and maybe nibble a little bit.

When hiking out of the park at night, we had to be careful not to step on the frogs crossing the trail. We camped right outside the park. 19 miles today.

Wed 7/2

We hiked 17 miles to Boiling Springs and slept that night in a gazebo in the middle of town. It was a hot and humid day. 

Thurs 7/3

I took a zero in Boiling Springs. Boiling Springs was a surprisingly nice little town. There is a nice lake in town with more ducks than I've ever seen in my life. 

Ducks were everywhere.

And soon there will be even more ducks!

Fri 7/4

Sloth and I did a marathon day, 26 miles to Duncannon. It was an easy hike, mostly flat with a couple hills. Not a bad way to spend the 4th of July, I'd say.

We got to town and stealth camped by the river.